Barcelona Airport Pet Relief Areas
Similar to other airports in Spain, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona – El Prat Airport, known colloquially as the Barcelona Airport, has very little information about how to travel with pets. As a result, it is difficult to know where dogs can safely relieve themselves. The airport maps do not include any signs for designated areas, and the website does not mention a broader Barcelona Airport pet policy. We cannot say whether indoor, post-security pet relief areas exist, so we recommend that pet parents prepare to use only outdoor, pre-security areas while traveling through this airport.
That said, the Barcelona Airport has at least one outdoor smoking area, which can be used as a pet relief station. While there is no mention of this on the airport’s website, travel blogs have brought attention to its existence. Inside the security area, just next to the McDonald’s, is an outdoor area with a small coffee shop and a bark-covered garden bed. The area is not private, discreet, or designed for pet relief, but if you have a bathroom emergency, this is a great place to know.
To better understand the pet relief options per the Barcelona Airport pet policy, we also recommend asking airport or airline personnel about availability. In some cases, you may be able to secure an escort to allow your pup to use the restroom just before takeoff.
Barcelona Airport (BCN) Pet Cargo Protocol
Some airlines that fly into the Barcelona Airport have the option to ship a pet separately as cargo. If this is the case, the Barcelona Airport pet policy requires owners to travel to these airline-specific cargo facilities to collect their pets.
Euro Cargo Express
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport
Edificio Cargoparc
Oficina A-305, Carrer Eol
Lufthansa Cargo
Lugar Zona Aeroport, 0
08820 Prat de Llobregat
Barcelona, Spain
+34 934 79 35 60
Sparber Air Cargo
Carretera a l’Aeroport
08820 Prat de Llobregat
Barcelona, Spain
+34 934 79 30 75
Many of the airlines at Barcelona Airport only allow pets to fly in the cargo hold if they are traveling as checked baggage. In this case, the owner is aboard the airplane that the animal is flying in. Rather than visiting a carrier-specific cargo facility, pet owners can simply pick up their animals in the oversized baggage section at baggage claim. That said, there is no Barcelona Airport pet policy to address this, so we recommend asking your airline for more specific instruction.
More About the Barcelona Airport Pet Policy
Like with other international airports, we suspect that the Barcelona Airport pet policy is to encourage owners to use their outdoor areas as pet relief stations. If this is not the case, you may be pleasantly surprised. However, we urge you to prepare your travel to account for only allowing your pet to use the restroom outside of security. In most cases, this entails arriving at the airport earlier than usual, getting a feel for the security line, and, in the case of a pet bathroom emergency, seeing if you can safely leave the airport once you are checked into your flight.
Looking for a different location? Check out our airport directory to find the relevant pet policy.