score:2
You can take a regional / commuter train, called Rodalies in Catalunya. Train line R2 goes from the Terminal 2 at the airport to Barcelona Sants (the main station in Barcelona) where you can change to the train to Tarragona (line R14, R15 or R16). The complete trip costs β¬7 and takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, and trains run at approximately 30 minute intervals from early morning to mid-evening.
Timetable and price: http://rodalies.gencat.cat/en/horaris/
Upvote:1
We rented a car when we did that exact same trip. The car rental was inexpensive and the journey itself very easy now that Google maps works everywhere. The only problem was that parking in Tarragona itself was a pain and the hotel downtown in the tourist area charged us through the nose for their parking. If we were to do it again, we'd still drive (such a nice trip) but stay in a hotel outside of town with free parking.
Upvote:3
The easiest way would be to take a taxi right at the airport. But it will be also the most expensive.
BCN airport is quite bad connected with train, and the trains arriving at the airport link with Barcelona, not with other cities. On the other hand Barcelona is well connected with Tarragona by rail; maybe you looked for "Camp de Tarragona" station? This is the High Speed station and is in the middle of nowhere, and few trains stop there. A quick search for today shows many options (but discard any train stopping at Camp de Tarragona, "camp" means "field" in catalan, farmers land)
I think a easy connection yet affordable would be to take a taxi at the airport to Barcelona Sants station and then take a train to Tarragona. An even cheaper solution would be to board the local 46 bus at the airport terminal, drop off at Plaça Espanya, then take the Metro green line (L3) and get off at Sants-Estació to take the train. As Gagravarr notes in his comment, the Aerobus express service is also a well balanced option between price and convenience. This express bus has room for luggage, for instance, while the local bus doesn't. It all depends on your particular needs.