Spain, located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, has a population of over 47 million people and is the fourth-largest country in the continent by area. With a country this large, travel between each city can be time-consuming and tiring, especially if you travelling by car, bus or train. The distance between Madrid and Barcelona alone is around 370 miles! And while Spain does have a high-speed rail network (AVE), it doesn't cover all parts of the country.
That being said, we believe the most efficient and hassle-free way to explore all of Spain's popular cities and towns is by domestic flights. In this guide, we'll show you why domestic flights in Spain are the better way to travel within the country as well as which airlines provide the best domestic routes for your trip.
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Domestic flights can cover large distances in Spain much faster than trains and buses. If you're travelling by air, you can spend more time at each destination and less time on the road. This is especially useful if you're considering longer journeys between cities like Madrid to Barcelona which can take just over an hour by plane but 6 hours in a car.
Some of the most popular Spanish vacation spots aren't actually in Spain. The Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands are only reachable by plane or ferry. Domestic flights are a faster and more convenient option compared to ferries, especially if you're restricted for time on your trip.
Although Spain has a fantastic high-speed rail network called AVE, its reach is limited. For popular routes like Barcelona to Bilbao, there isn't a high-speed rail option. This is where domestic flights in Spain bridge the gap, allowing you to reach many more destinations in Spain than you could by train.
Iberia is Spain's largest airline. It began operations by flying airmail between Madrid and Barcelona in the 1920s. Today, it offers a wide network of routes around the world as well as a strong network in Spain, flying to multiple cities like Barcelona, Bilbao, Coruña, Gran Canaria, Málaga, Seville, Valencia and more. Most of Iberia's domestic flights depart from its hub at Madrid–Barajas Airport.
Iberia domestic baggage allowance:
Air Europa is the third-largest airline in Spain. It's based in Mallorca but uses Madrid-Barajas Airport as its hub. Air Europa operates frequent domestic flights within Spain, primarily flying between Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Seville and Tenerife.
Air Europa domestic baggage allowance:
Vueling is a low-cost airline headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. It's growing to become the second-largest airline in the country with a large network of destinations across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Vueling operates domestic flights between Barcelona, Alicante, Bilbao, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, La Coruna, Malaga, Mallorca, Menorca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tenerife, Valencia and Valladolid.
Vueling domestic baggage allowance:
Air Nostrum is a regional airline based in Valencia. It's a franchisee of Iberia, operating under the brand name Iberia Regional Air Nostrum. The airline operates flights to many cities in Spain including Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Malaga, Menorca, Palma de Mallorca, Santander, Tenerife, Seville and more.
Air Nostrum domestic baggage allowance:
Volotea is another low-cost Spanish airline. Its core business lies in domestic flights within Spain, connecting many popular tourist destinations and regional hubs like Alicante, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Malaga, Mallorca, Menorca, Seville, Tenerife and Valencia, among others.
Volotea domestic baggage allowance:
The Canary Islands has its own flag carrier airline called Binter Canarias. Based in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, this airline primarily operates inter-island routes within the Canary Islands. Binter Canarias operates domestic flights between Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera.
Binter Canarias domestic baggage allowance:
Another airline domestic to the Canary Islands is Canaryfly. It operates inter-island flights, just like Binter Canarias, between the Canary Islands and is popular with business/leisure travellers. Canaryfly currently operates domestic flights between Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Lanzarote and Tenerife.
Canaryfly domestic baggage allowance:
Located in Madrid, the capital of Spain, this is the largest and busiest airport in the country, serving over 60 million passengers in 2023. Madrid-Barajas Airport is a major hub for Iberia and Air Europa, offering a wide range of domestic connections to other major cities in Spain.
This is the second busiest airport in Spain, serving nearly 50 million passengers in 2023. It's located in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, and is a major hub for Vueling and several other European airlines. Barcelona El Prat offers a good selection of domestic flights to other major cities in Spain.
This airport is the third-busiest in Spain - it served over 31 million passengers in 2023! It's situated in Palma de Mallorca, on the island of Mallorca, and is a major tourist gateway to the Balearic Islands. Palma de Mallorca Airport offers a broad selection of domestic flights to other major cities in mainland Spain, especially during the peak tourist season.
Malaga Airport served over 22 million passengers last year. It's located in Malaga and is another major tourist gateway, especially for travellers who want to get to the Costa del Sol region. Domestic flights to other major Spanish cities from here are frequent. It's particularly busy during the summer months!
Search for domestic flights in Spain with Alternative Airlines. We ticket over 600 global airlines so you're sure to find domestic Spain flights that suit your travel needs. We also offer over 40 different ways to pay - this includes Buy Now Pay Later plans like Klarna, Afterpay and Zip, among others. Book your domestic flights in Spain with us today!
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While a passport is a valid form of identification for domestic flights within Spain, it's not essential. You can also fly with other travel documents that have photo identification.
To ensure you have enough time to check-in, drop any checked bags and pass through security, you should arrive two hours before scheduled flight departure time. Check-in deadlines differ from airline to airline. However, in general, airport check-in closes 30–45 minutes before scheduled flight departure time for domestic flights within Spain.
Most airlines will not give a free checked baggage allowance for domestic flights within Spain but will allow you to purchase checked baggage at an additional cost.
In addition, passengers are given a free carry-on baggage allowance on most airlines, with the exception of Ryanair, which doesn't give free carry-on baggage. The carry-on baggage weight allowance will depend on the airline, however, in general it will be between 5–10 kg.
Yes, you can buy domestic flights in Spain online with Alternative Airlines. We offer flights from all airlines that fly internally within Spain, including Spanish and non-Spanish airlines.
Why not? At Alternative Airlines, we have many flexible Buy Now Pay Later payment methods available at checkout, including Afterpay and Klarna. Did you know you can book Iberia flights today and spread the cost over time? Find out more information by reading our Fly Now Pay Later with Iberia guide.
Of course! When you book through Alternative Airlines you can easily book one-way flights to Ibiza. Select the 'one-way' filter on our search form at the top of the page and enter 'Ibiza' as your destination.
Absolutely! At Alternative Airlines, we ticket 600+ airlines including popular Spanish-speaking airlines like Iberia, Vueling and Avianca. Take a look at our guide on booking flights with airlines that speak Spanish for more information.
Yes! Spain is one of two countries in the Iberian Peninsula (the other being Portugal). If you're interested in exploring Portugal as well as Spain or want to travel between the two countries and take in everything that they have to offer, we recommend looking at flights within the Iberian Peninsula, so you can experience the best of both worlds.
