The appeal of Europe for American travelers shows no signs of abating, but instead of spending time in France or Italy, there’s a new hot spot in town!
Research from the Olive Press has found that the number of U.S. tourists visiting Spain is higher than ever.
I’ll admit, I love Spain!
In fact, a year I haven’t spent some time in the country is a very bad year. And it seems like a huge number of American travelers agree with me.
American visitors to Spain are up by 15% compared to last year, and the country welcomed more than 2 million U.S. visitors in the first half of the year.
As well as being a beautiful and culturally rich country to visit year-round, getting to Spain is also wonderfully convenient! Americans can fly nonstop to these 5 destinations in Spain this fall:
Air Connections Between The U.S. And Spain
In recent years, the air connections between the U.S. and Spain have increased considerably, which explains why travel between the two countries has surged in popularity so fast.
This fall, U.S. travelers can fly nonstop to Barcelona, Madrid, Tenerife, Malaga, and Palma.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second-largest city in Spain, and this October, you can fly to this culture-rich hot spot from 9 different U.S. cities:
- Miami
- Chicago
- New York
- San Francisco
- Boston
- Atlanta
- Philadelphia
- Washington D.C.
- Los Angeles
The 2 cheapest departure points, at the time of writing, are Miami and Chicago.
Flying out on October 20-October 25 with Iberia Air (a well-known Spanish carrier) will cost $582 per person for an economy class round trip. The outbound flight time for this route is 9 h 50 and the inbound flight time is 9 h 25.
Barcelona is a fascinating city best visited in the fall.
It’s still warm enough to sit outside in street cafes, eating tapas and watching the world go by, but the crowds are much lower.
The works of Gaudi are the highlight of Barcelona for me. These include the city’s most famous attraction, the unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral.
Book tickets in advance because this is almost always busy! Tickets cost 26 euros ($29) per person and are available here.
Then go to the incredible, vibrant, Park Guell, better known as Gaudi Park. Its full of whimsical mosaics, sculptures, and awe-inspiring architecture. It’s one of my favorite spots in all of Barcelona.
Madrid
Barcelona is perhaps the best-known city in Spain among tourists, but Madrid is actually the nation’s capital.
In October U.S. travelers can fly to Madrid nonstop from New York, Boston, Washington D.C, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Charlotte, Philidelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.
In October the 2 cheapest cities to fly from are New York and Boston.
Looking to New York for our example flights, you can fly nonstop from New York to Madrid in economy class from October 9 to October 16 for $486.
This flight is operated by American Airlines.
The outbound flight time is 7 hours 15 minutes and the inbound flight time is 8 hours 15 minutes.
Madrid has a rich cultural heritage and some of the main, must-visit attractions in the city include the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace, which is the largest palace in Europe.
When you’re ready to relax, go and sit in the Puerta del Sol.
This public square is bursting with life, a great place for people-watching and experiencing what life in Madrid really feels like.
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populated of the Canary Islands. This is an island chain that is owned by Spain but actually located closer to Africa.
The Canary Islands are around 100 km off the coast of Morocco.
You can now fly nonstop to Tenerife from New York, which is the first direct route from the U.S. to the island.
The cheapest dates to fly to Tenerife in October are from 17-25. A round-trip economy class flight on these dates would set you back $694.
This flight is operated by United Airlines with an outbound flight time of 7 hours 5 minutes and an inbound flight time of 7 hours 55 minutes.
I’ve written before about why the Canary Islands are one of my favorite destinations in Europe, especially in fall and winter.
They boast year-round sunshine, and Tenerife has a fascinating, almost otherworldly volcanic landscape while still having some of the most beautiful European beaches.
The great thing about the Canary Islands is how well connected they are: you can fly into Tenerife then use the inter island ferries to explore all of the islands in the chain.
Malaga
New Yorkers are blessed with flight options if they want a getaway to Spain.
As well as having the only direct route between the U.S. and Tenerife, New York also boasts the only nonstop route between the U.S. and Malaga.
This routes stop operating for the season at the of September, so this is an ideal option for an early fall getaway. To travel from September 18 to September 25 with United Airlines will cost $859.
The outbound flight time is 7 hours 40 minutes, and the inbound flight time is 8 hours 35 minutes.
Malaga is a great place to visit in fall if you’re looking for uncrowded beaches, with the most famous beach here being La Malagueta.
Picasso was born in Malaga, and the city is incredibly proud of its famous son.
The house where he was born has been turned into a small, but genuinely fascinating, museum which also contains some of his works. It’s so interesting that I’ve visited it twice!
Tickets are 12 euros ($13) per person.
Palma
The third in our trio of Spanish flights for New Yorkers departs from New York to Palma on the beautiful Balearic island of Majorca.
These flights might be nonstop, but they aren’t cheap!
The cheapest option I could find departs on September 20 and returns on September 25 at a whopping cost of $2,183.
These flights are with Lufthansa and the outbound flight time is 8 hours 5 minutes while the inbound flight time is 9 hours 10 minutes.
Majorca is my favorite of the Balearic islands. The 3 main and most popular Balearic islands are Majorca, Menorca, and Ibiza.
During the summer months, Majorca can be overwhelmingly crowded, so late September is my favorite time to visit the island.
The beaches are breathtaking and the sun is still shining, but you don’t have to share it with half of Europe!
Other notable attractions in Palma include the iconic Cathedral of Santa Maria.
This is a skyline-dominating gothic masterpiece, and entrance is free of charge (to help balance out the eye watering cost of your airfare!)
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