Yes, Barcelona–El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport (BCN) lets you smoke at three open-air terraces after security — the North and South courtyards on Floor 1 of Terminal 1, and one terrace on Floor 1 of Terminal 2 — plus the open air outside the terminal doors before security. Unusually for a Spanish airport, the airside terraces mean you do not have to leave the secure zone for a cigarette during a connection.
Barcelona joins a small group of airports with open-air smoking after security — see Singapore Changi’s open-air smoking gardens after security and Auckland Airport’s open-air smoking deck after security.
Jump to: Terminal 1 · Terminal 2 · Before security · Layovers
Terminal 1 Smoking Terraces (After Security)
Terminal 1 is Barcelona’s newer main terminal, handling most full-service international and domestic carriers. Aena’s airport-services listing places two open-air smoking courtyards inside the T1 boarding area, both on Floor 1:
- North courtyard (Floor 1): an outdoor terrace in the T1 boarding area with seating and a restaurant alongside.
- South courtyard (Floor 1): a second open-air terrace on the same level, also with a restaurant.
Aena’s listing adds a pet area with a water fountain on one of the two T1 terraces. Both sit within the main Schengen boarding zone (the A, B and C gates), a level down from the departures floor and close to the terrace food court near the C-gates. Signage is faint — follow the outdoor-terrace or coffee-shop signs, and ask staff if you lose the thread.
One routing detail matters for non-Schengen flights: passengers departing the Level 3 D and E gates pass through passport control, and there is no terrace beyond it on that level. Have your last cigarette on the Floor 1 terrace before you head up to passport control and your gate.
Terminal 2 Smoking Terrace (After Security)
Terminal 2 — split into modules T2A, T2B and T2C — serves mainly low-cost and regional carriers. It keeps one open-air smoking terrace on Floor 1 of the boarding area, past security, with a restaurant and a space for pets. Aena’s own airport-services listing for Barcelona still names the T2 terrace as of September 2026. The terrace is smaller than the T1 courtyards; seating and a bar make it a comfortable spot between flights.
As at T1, this is an outdoor courtyard — BCN has no enclosed indoor smoking rooms in either terminal.
Before Security (Landside)
Before security you smoke in the open air outside the terminal doors: at Terminal 1 on the departures level (Level 3) and the arrivals level (Level 0), and at Terminal 2 outside the T2A, T2B and T2C module entrances and around the shuttle-bus stops. Aena’s airport-services listing names no marked landside smoking point at Barcelona, so there is no signed area or ashtray stand to look for — step clear of the doors and the queues.
T1 and T2 are not walkable between each other — they are linked by a free shuttle bus, so clear security at the terminal your flight departs from.
Smoking During a Barcelona Layover
BCN is one of the few Aena airports where a connection does not send you back through security for a cigarette. If your inbound and onward flights both use Terminal 1, the Floor 1 North and South courtyards are steps from the Schengen gates; a Terminal 2 connection has its own Floor 1 terrace. The Mediterranean climate keeps the terraces pleasant for most of the year, which makes Barcelona a relaxed place to wait out a layover.
Vaping and heat-not-burn devices such as IQOS are treated the same as cigarettes — use the open-air terraces rather than vaping inside the terminal.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Smoke-free throughout; no enclosed smoking rooms in either terminal |
| After security / airside | Yes | Three open-air terraces — T1 North and South courtyards, T2 terrace, all on Floor 1 |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Open air outside the terminal doors; Aena lists no marked landside area |
| Vaping | Same as smoking | Use the same terraces; not permitted inside the building |
All three terraces are open-air because Spain’s ban covers enclosed spaces; a tobacco bill approved by Spain’s Council of Ministers on 21 July 2026 and now before parliament has not changed them.
For Spain airport smoking rules, vaping rules, and other general info, see our Spain smoking guide.
Useful Links
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (official, Aena) Other services at Barcelona Airport, including the smoking areas (Aena)