Flying from Copenhagen to Barcelona
The route from Copenhagen Airport (CPH) to Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN) covers roughly 1,100 miles across northern and central Europe, making it one of Scandinavia's most popular leisure routes into Spain. Direct flights handle this distance in around 3 hours to 3 hours 10 minutes, which puts Barcelona comfortably within reach for a long weekend without the hassle of connections. You depart from Copenhagen's single main terminal complex at CPH in Kastrup — one of Europe's better-run airports — and land at Barcelona's Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, depending on which airline you've booked.
This is a well-served route with genuine competition between budget and full-service carriers, which keeps prices honest. Whether you're heading down for a city break in the Gothic Quarter, a business trip, or a summer escape to the Catalan coast, you'll find multiple weekly departures to work with. The flight itself is short enough that seat comfort rarely becomes a deciding factor — most passengers find even the no-frills experience perfectly manageable for three hours.
Airlines on This Route
Four airlines currently operate direct flights from Copenhagen to Barcelona: Vueling Airlines, Ryanair, Norwegian Air Sweden, and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). Here's how they break down:
- Vueling Airlines is the most active carrier on this route, running approximately 11 direct flights per week. They operate out of Barcelona's Terminal 1 and generally offer a mid-range experience — not a true full-service airline, but a step above the bare-bones budget carriers.
- Ryanair operates around 7 direct flights weekly, typically using Terminal 2B at BCN. Fares can be the lowest on the route, but factor in their baggage fees before assuming the headline price is the final price.
- Norwegian Air Sweden provides additional capacity and tends to sit in the budget-to-mid-range bracket, with reasonable legroom compared to Ryanair on a good day.
- SAS is the full-service option here, with the best on-time performance on the route at around 91.67%. If reliability matters more than price — say, you're connecting onward from Barcelona — SAS is worth the premium.
Flight Prices: Copenhagen to Barcelona
Cheap flights from Copenhagen to Barcelona genuinely exist — we're talking fares starting around $21 to $27 during quiet periods if you book early and travel light. More realistically, budget $30 to $50 for a one-way ticket in off-peak months, and $50 to $100 or more when demand picks up in spring and summer. Peak season pricing can push well beyond that for last-minute bookings.
To find the best Copenhagen to Barcelona flight deals, book at least 6 to 8 weeks ahead for spring travel, and 4 to 6 weeks ahead for autumn. For July and August, booking 3 months out is not overkill. Use Google Flights' price calendar view to spot cheap weeks at a glance, and set alerts on Skyscanner for your target dates. Flying midweek — Tuesday or Wednesday departures — consistently produces lower fares than Friday or Sunday on this route.
Best Time to Book Copenhagen to Barcelona Flights
January and October tend to offer the lowest fares, with tickets regularly appearing in the $27 to $31 range. November is similarly affordable. These months also mean fewer crowds in Barcelona itself — a city that gets genuinely overwhelming in peak summer.
February, March, and April see prices climbing toward $48 and above, driven partly by school holiday demand and early spring city-break bookings. Summer months — June through August — are peak season both for pricing and for tourist volume in Barcelona. September is a sweet spot worth considering: the weather is still excellent, crowds thin out after the August rush, and fares begin to soften. If flexibility is on your side, late October into early November gives you mild Barcelona weather and some of the most competitive Barcelona flight deals of the year.
Barcelona Airport Guide
Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN) sits about 12 kilometres southwest of the city centre. It has two main terminals: Terminal 1 (used by Vueling, SAS, and most larger carriers) and Terminal 2 (used by Ryanair and some low-cost operators). The terminals are connected by a free shuttle bus if you need to transfer between them.
Getting into the city is straightforward. The Aerobus runs every 5 to 10 minutes from both terminals directly to Plaça de Catalunya in central Barcelona — journey time is around 35 minutes and costs roughly €6.75 one way. The RENFE R2 Nord train connects Terminal 2 to Passeig de Gràcia and Sants stations for about €4.60, though it doesn't serve Terminal 1 directly. A taxi from the airport to the city centre runs approximately €30 to €40 depending on traffic and your destination. Ride-hail apps like Cabify are available and sometimes cheaper than metered taxis.
FAQ — Copenhagen to Barcelona Flights
How long is the flight from Copenhagen to Barcelona?
Direct flights from Copenhagen (CPH) to Barcelona (BCN) take approximately 3 hours to 3 hours 10 minutes. The route covers around 1,100 miles. There are no time zone complications to worry about — both Denmark and Spain observe Central European Time.
What is the cheapest time to fly from Copenhagen to Barcelona?
January, October, and November consistently produce the lowest fares on this route. Midweek departures (Tuesday and Wednesday) are generally cheaper than weekend flights. Booking 6 to 8 weeks in advance gives you the best shot at promotional pricing from Ryanair and Vueling.
Which airlines fly from Copenhagen to Barcelona?
Four airlines operate direct flights on this route: Vueling Airlines (most frequent, around 11 flights per week), Ryanair (around 7 per week), Norwegian Air Sweden, and SAS. All four offer non-stop service, so you don't need to consider connections unless you're chasing a very specific fare or schedule.
How much do Copenhagen to Barcelona flights cost?
Fares start as low as $21 to $27 during off-peak periods on budget carriers, though $35 to $60 is a more typical one-way price for a reasonably timed flight booked a few weeks out. Peak season travel in summer or over holidays can push prices significantly higher. Always check what's included in the base fare — Ryanair in particular charges separately for cabin bags.