Barcelona VIP lounges: which one to choose in T1 and T2

At Terminal 1 the rule is clear-cut. If you fly within the Schengen area, for example to Italy, you use the Sala VIP Pau Casals, on level 2 near gates A, B and C; if you fly outside the Schengen area you go to the Sala VIP Joan Miró, also on level 2 but near gates D and E. You cannot opt for the other one: each is reserved for the passengers of its own zone. In substance the two lounges are alike, with showers and a paid entry for those with no other credentials, but they have different nuances. The Pau Casals, named Global Lounge of the Year by Priority Pass in 2013, is the first to open in the morning and thinks of families, with a children's area and gluten-free and kosher food. The Joan Miró instead offers meeting rooms, a prayer space and halal and kosher food, and opens a little later.If you take the Barcelona-Madrid air shuttle (Air Shuttle) you have a lounge of your own, the Sala VIP Colomer, on level 1 near gate D, separate from the terminal's general VIP lounges. It is not meant for long waits: you cannot enter too far ahead of departure and it closes in the evening. It is a lounge for passing through rather than for lingering, handy if you reach the airport with just the right amount of time and only want to sit somewhere quiet before boarding. At Terminal 2 the reference lounge is the Sala VIP Canudas, on level 1 in the boarding area, opposite gate U. It offers catering, newspapers, free Wi-Fi and workstations with computers, and you can pay for entry on the spot. This one also closes in the evening, so if your flight is late you need to plan somewhere else for the last part of the wait. There is also an out-of-the-ordinary option if you have Priority Pass: at Terminal 1 the Premium VIP Lounge is in the Business Centre, before security. It comes in handy above all when you reach the airport very early, while waiting for the check-in desk to open. Once you are through security, though, to wait for boarding you are left with the Aena lounges for your zone.

To find your way around Barcelona, all you need is to look at your boarding pass, because terminal and destination already tell you which lounge is available. At Terminal 1 you go to the Pau Casals for Schengen flights, to the Joan Miró for non-Schengen ones and to the Colomer for the air shuttle to Madrid; at Terminal 2 you use the Canudas. If you want a shower you will find it in the main lounges of T1, if you leave late in the evening you should avoid those that close early, and if you have Priority Pass you can wait for check-in in the Premium VIP Lounge.