Travel Guide: Cheap flights to Spain
Spain Airlines and Airports
Airline and airport information plus insider tips for Spain
Spain is the second most visited country in the world, and a firm favourite with British and Irish visitors, who are lured there by the endless sunshine and beautiful beaches, warmth of the people and relaxed, laidback way of life.
Often summed up by the "sun, sea, sand and sangria" formula, it's understandably a top destination for holidaymakers looking for cheap flights to Spain, but there is more to the country than that.
Alicante on the Costa Blanca might be known for its bucket and spade culture along with Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, but they, along with Palma in Majorca (on the Balearic Islands) and Malaga, are all very popular sun holiday areas. For the more adventurous there is also Mountain Spain for skiers (in the Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada and Cantabrian Mountains) and walkers (the mountains of the Costa Blanca and the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain for example).
Anybody wanting cheap flights to Spain will also appreciate Green Spain in the north, which covers Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and Pais Vasco (Basque Country). There are lots of options for active holidays including windsurfing, watersports, climbing, hiking, cycling, horse riding and canoeing, and for weekend and short breaks there is city-break Spain of which Barcelona is a top pick.
All in all, Spain is a fantastic holiday destination with lots to see and do. With savings to be made on cheap flights to Spain, you'll have plenty of spending money to enjoy the best of what this beautiful country has to offer.
Find the best flight prices to Spain
When to fly to Spain
When searching for cheap flights to Spain, you'll be glad to hear that May, June and September are the best months to visit, although, the country is blessed with sunny weather almost all year round.
In the south, add April and October to the list. At these times you can expect sunshine, but not overbearing heat. An added bonus is that, by avoiding July and August, you will miss the hordes of tourists.
Peak season:
July and August are the height of the tourist season with many holidaymakers searching for cheap flights to Spain. Early summer and into autumn are also popular. Spain is very popular with families so prices will be higher during school holidays and half-term breaks.
Off season:
There really isn't a bad time to visit Spain, but the winter months (November to February) can be cold and rainy and the country gets its share of snow too.
Getting Around
The official Spain tourist site calls bus travel "comfortable and efficient", and has a handy list of related bus company websites.
The national rail network is called RENFE. There are high-speed and long-distance services. The AVE, for example, runs on the Madrid-Cordoba-Seville route. Madrid to Seville takes two-and-a-half hours.
Flying around Spain is a good option too, and the tourist website states that AirEurope, Iberia and Spanair offer air passes or coupon programmes for some travellers.
Other Spanish airlines include:
AeBal (Aerolineas De Baleares)
Air Nostrum
Air Plus Comet
Binter Canarias
Futura International Airways
Iberworld Airlines
and Vueling, a cheery low-cost with regular promotions.
Renting a car gives you the freedom to see as much of Spain as you like. All the major car rental companies have desks at the major airports. Once you have booked your cheap flights to Spain, check your airline website to see if it offers preferential rental rates. Booking in advance can offer great savings.
Flying to Spain
Major airports in Spain:
Alicante Airport (ALC)
Barcelona Airport (BCN)
Fuerteventura Airport (FUE)
Palma Airport (PMI) - Majorca
Malaga Airport (AGP)
Airlines serving Spain include
British Airways
BMI
bmibaby
easyJet
XL Airways
Flybe
Jet2
Aer Lingus
Thomsonfly
Flyglobespan
First Choice
Monarch
MyTravel
Read the latest airline news
In-flight Reading
For Whom The Bell Tolls
By Ernest Hemingway: one of the great 20th-century war novels. The novel follows Robert Jordan, a mercenary from the United States, during the Spanish Civil War.
Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucia
By Chris Stewart
Stewart lives the dream and takes on a falling-down farm south of Granada. Along the way he meets an eccentric cast of farmers, shepherds, New Age travellers and fellow ex-pats.
Don Quixote
By Miguel de Cervantes
A classic about the journeys and adventures of Don Quixote, an ordinary Spaniard, who is obsessed with stories of knights errant, wandering through Spain righting wrongs and protecting the oppressed.
The Garden Of Secrets
By Juan Goytisolo
In 28 tales - one for each letter in the Arabic alphabet - the book examines the fate of a fictional friend of Lorca, the great Spanish poet, held by the fascists in a north African jail.
El MacCa: Four Years With Real Madrid
By Steve McManaman
What every aspiring footballer should know. McManaman tells what it was like to leave Liverpool and play abroad, the pressures of a celebrity lifestyle and how he settled into Spanish life.
Insider Information on Spain
Barcelona - in late winter and early spring the Catalans enjoy calcotades - a different kind of barbeque. Calcots are a kind of spring onion that ripens at this time of year. After grilling, peel off the burnt skin, dip in romesco sauce and eat. Rumour has it that part of the fun is rubbing the black ash into your neighbour's face.
Fuerteventura – for a day away from the sunlounger, the Islote de Lobos Nature Reserve offers the chance to see birds and plants not found anywhere else in the world. The reserve is a short boat trip from Corralejo.
Majorca – Palma. The Coves del Drac (the Dragon Caves) on the edge of Porto Cristo is one of Majorca’s largest tourist attractions. The caves were discovered in 1896 and have bizarre stalactite formations. After the tour, visitors can return by boat across the lake to the exit.
The Picasso Museum in Malaga celebrated the 125th anniversary of the artist's birth in 2006 with two new exhibitions. Just as easy as it is to search for cheap flights to Spain, you can easily stumble across a masterpiece amongst one of the many paintings, drawings and sculptures created by the artist.
Travel Tips
- Finding Cheap FlightsOur golden rules for finding a cheap flight
- Airlines with low-cost ticketsAn essential guide to how the main carriers operate
- Before You GoAdvice on everything you need to do before you set off
- Regional UK and Irish AirportsFlying from the four corners of the UK and Ireland
- Glossary of Flying TermsAn A-Z of common terms you’ll need to know
- Travel Sickness and DVTHow to stay happy and healthy in the air
Travel links
- Destination GuideLonely Planet's guide to Spain
- MapInteractive map of Spain from Multimap
- EventsLocal events calendar
- WeatherThe weather now in Spain
- Currency converterFind the current exchange rate
- Property in SpainA specialist in new developments and off plan properties in Spain