Most people who are making the move to Spain will do so by air. This is because flight time from the UK is relatively short. It can take just a couple of hours to get from the UK to one of a number of Spanish airports which means for most expats their new life will start much quicker. From London to Barcelona flights take approximately 2 hours and to Madrid just 2 hours and 20 minutes. Even for those visiting Spain from farther afield such as New York, the flight time is just over 8 and a half hours. In recent times several flights have been cut or have become less frequent but Spain still remains one of the most accessible countries in the whole of Europe.

Most major European airports operate direct flights into Spain. Smaller airports or those operating flights from longer distances may only operate flights that require at least one connection prior to landing in Spain but this is rare. The two largest airports in Spain are Madrid and Barcelona. These airports see the highest number of passengers each year. Malaga and Palma de Mallorca are the next busiest airports which are located in extremely popular tourist destinations.

There are now several budget airlines operating flights to both the Spanish mainland and to the outlying islands such as the Canaries and Balearics. You can now fly to various parts of Spain from the UK with low cost airlines Ryanair, easyJet, Monarch and Jet2. The national airline of Spain is Iberia.

Madrid airport is located to the Northeast of the city approximately 8 miles away. Transfers into the city take just a short time and it is possible to use the underground rail network to get from the airport to the city centre in just 12 minutes. You can buy tickets for the rail network (RENFE) at the railways office located in Terminal 1. It is also possible to catch a bus at terminals 1, 2, and 4 to take you directly into the city with the journey taking around 30 minutes depending on traffic. A taxi ride can be taken which takes between 20 and 30 minutes and should cost around 20€, however it is advised that potential taxi passengers should not accept the offer of a taxi ride from inside the terminal and to ensure that the meter is running once the journey begins.

Barcelona Airport is located approximately 8 miles southwest of the city. There are rail links from the airport into Barcelona city centre which can take around 30 minutes including stops. It is possible to take a bus from the airport into the city and there are several buses that stop at the terminal at regular intervals. Journey time is roughly 40 minutes by bus. A taxi ride can be taken from the airport which can take around 35 minutes depending on traffic. Taxi ranks can be located outside of the airport terminals.

Malaga Airport is approximately 5 miles southwest of Malaga which can be reached by train from terminal 3. The rail journey takes around 15 minutes into the city centre. The bus journey is just slightly longer at around 20 minutes depending on traffic. It is also possible to pick up a bus to Malaga Airport from both Seville and Granada. There are taxi ranks at the arrivals area in both Terminals 1 and 3 and at the departure area of Terminal 2.

As well as using low cost airlines there are also many scheduled flights from Gatwick to Madrid with Air Europa. Aer Lingus also flies from Gatwick and has three destinations – Malaga, Lanzarote and Tenerife. British Airways have flights that depart from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City Airport into several Spanish destinations.

Charter Flights with Thomas Cook and Thomson have destinations to cover the whole of the Spanish mainland and islands including a weekly flight departing form Gatwick and Manchester to La Palma in the Canary Islands, which is the only non-stop flight available. Monarch offer flights to Spain departing from the smaller airports such as Bournemouth, Jersey and Exeter as do Palmair.

Flights are more readily available during the summer months when the tourist season is at its highest, however, it is possible to find flights to any of the Spanish destinations all year round although this may mean at least one stop or changeover prior to arriving at the final destination.

Useful Resources

Madrid Barajas Airport
www.aena.es
Tel: +34 91 321 1000

Barcelona Airport
www.aena.es
Tel: + 34 90 240 4704

Malaga Airport
www.aena.es
Tel: + 34 90 240 4704

Iberia Airlines
www.iberia.com
Tel: 0 870 609 0500

Air Europa
www.aireuropa.com
Tel: 0871 423 0717

Monarch
www.monarch.co.uk
Tel: 0871 423 8550

British Airways
www.ba.com
Tel: 0844 493 0787

Easycar Car Rental
www.easycar.com
Email: customerservices@easycar.com

CarHire.co.uk
www.carhire.co.uk
Tel: 0844 888 7708
Email: info@carhire.co.uk

Europcar
www.europcar.com
Tel: +34 918824949