London Gatwick to Madrid Barajas
1215 km great-circle distance, typically flown in 1h 55m with 2 airlines operating direct service from London Gatwick (LGW) to Madrid Barajas (MAD). Cheapest fares are usually in January (around £54 return), with peak prices in August (around £135). Departures on a Tuesday tend to undercut weekend prices on this corridor.
Flying from London Gatwick
Gatwick is London's leisure-leaning airport — the home of British Airways' short-haul leisure operation, easyJet's largest UK base and a long lineup of TUI and Norwegian holiday flights. South and central London passengers reach it via the Gatwick Express or Thameslink. The mix is broader than Heathrow on European leisure routes, often cheaper, and you'll see the same destination served three or four times a day across competing airlines — useful when one carrier delays.
Arriving in Madrid
Madrid Barajas is the largest airport in Spain and Iberia's main hub. T4 handles long-haul and Iberia operations; T1–T3 handle most other carriers. Metro Line 8 reaches Nuevos Ministerios in 16 minutes. Fares from the UK are very competitive thanks to Iberia and Ryanair both running heavy schedules; weekday afternoons typically have the cheapest one-way slots.
Who flies LGW to MAD?
| Airline | IATA | Flight time | Cabin |
| easyJet | U2 | 1h 55m | Economy |
| British Airways | BA | 1h 55m | Economy |
2 carriers fly direct on this corridor. Frequencies vary by season — summer and winter holiday peaks see additional flights.
Best time to fly LGW→MAD
Synthesised from 12-month price aggregates. Cheapest months in green, peak in red.
Estimated baseline. Prices update on a 30-day cadence as Travelpayouts data refreshes. Cheapest day-of-week typically Tuesday.
London to Madrid FAQs
Direct flights from London Gatwick (LGW) to Madrid Barajas (MAD) take approximately 1h 55m for the 1215 km journey, plus 30–60 minutes of taxi, climb and descent. Total airport-to-airport time depends on cruise winds and air-traffic queueing on approach.
January is typically the cheapest month on this route, with one-way fares from £41. August is the peak — expect prices 2–3× higher. Book 4–8 weeks ahead for best fares; last-minute prices on this corridor rise sharply inside two weeks of departure.
2 carriers operate direct service from London Gatwick (LGW) to Madrid Barajas (MAD): easyJet and British Airways. Frequencies vary by season and carrier — easyJet typically operates the highest weekly count on this corridor.
UK passport holders generally do not need a visa for short stays in Spain (Schengen-area members allow 90 days in any 180-day window). ETIAS pre-authorisation will apply once live for European destinations. Always check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain before booking.
Madrid Barajas (MAD) is the primary international airport for Madrid. Allow 30–60 minutes for the ground transfer by train, express bus or taxi, depending on traffic and time of day. Most European hub airports sit 10–25 km from their host city centre. See the airport's official website for current train and shuttle timetables.