Best UK airports to Madrid
Iberia feeds Madrid from Heathrow and regional airports. Ryanair (STN) and Wizz Air (LTN) add low-cost options from London.
| Departure airport | Lowest return seen | Typical return | Flight time | Live price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Stansted | £28trip starting in November | £60 | 2h 01m | Check price |
| Bristol | £28trip starting in November | £93 | 1h 55m | Check price |
| Manchester | £31trip starting in December | £92 | 2h 11m | Check price |
| Edinburgh | £34trip starting in December | £87 | 2h 33m | Check price |
| London Luton | £37trip starting in December | £118 | 2h 01m | Check price |
| Liverpool John Lennon | £38trip starting in October | £193 | 2h 11m | Check price |
| Birmingham | £40trip starting in December | £154 | 2h 04m | Check price |
| London Gatwick | £50trip starting in November | £86 | 1h 55m | Check price |
| London Heathrow | £76trip starting in November | £79 | 1h 57m | Check price |
| Newcastle | £98trip starting in December | £161 | 2h 26m | Check price |
| Glasgow | £189trip starting in November | £192 | 2h 32m | Check price |
Return fares seen for each route, checked 12 Oct: the lowest seen and the typical fare, which is the middle of the lowest fares seen for each month. They are past observations, not live prices: use Check price for today's fare. London (all airports) combines every London airport (flight time shown from Heathrow). Flight time is an estimate from the great-circle distance at 800 km/h plus 24 minutes for taxi, climb and descent.
Iberia runs the most daily frequencies ex-LHR — useful for long-haul connections onward to Latin America (São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City).
Airlines to Madrid from the UK
Cheapest months to fly to Madrid
Lowest return fare seen for a trip starting in each month, from London Gatwick, checked 12 Oct. These are past observations, not live prices: use the search box for today's fare. Green marks the cheapest third of the months shown, red the dearest third.
When to fly to Madrid
From the fares we recorded, checked 12 Oct.
Madrid Barajas terminals and city transfer
Build your Madrid trip
Madrid flight FAQs
The lowest return fare we saw to Madrid was £28, from London Stansted and Bristol, for a trip starting in November (checked 12 Oct). The typical return from London Stansted is £60, the middle of the lowest fares seen for each of 10 months. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
From London Gatwick, the lowest return fare we saw was for a trip starting in November and December: £50 each, against £189 for August. That is the lowest fare seen for each of 12 months, checked 12 Oct. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
In the return fares we recorded, checked 12 Oct, the lowest to Madrid was £28 from London Stansted and Bristol alike, then Manchester £31, Edinburgh £34 and London Luton £37. By typical return, the middle of each airport's monthly lowest fares, the lowest was £60 from London Stansted, then London Heathrow £79 and London Gatwick £86. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
Estimated non-stop flight times to Madrid: London Heathrow about 1h 57m (1,244 km); Manchester about 2h 11m (1,433 km); Birmingham about 2h 04m (1,337 km); Edinburgh about 2h 33m (1,719 km); Glasgow about 2h 32m (1,711 km); Bristol about 1h 55m (1,213 km). These are great-circle estimates at 800 km/h plus 24 minutes for taxi, climb and descent; airlines' scheduled times are usually a little longer.
In the week to 12 Oct we saw non-stop flights to Madrid sold by Ryanair from 6 UK airports, Iberia from 5 UK airports, easyJet from 5 UK airports, Vueling from 4 UK airports, British Airways from 3 UK airports, Iberia Express from 3 UK airports, Air Europa from 1 UK airport and Wizz Air from 1 UK airport. These are airlines seen on non-stop fares when we checked, not a timetable.
Direct flights take 2h 20m from London and 2h 45m–3h from northern UK airports. Madrid Barajas (MAD) is 13km NE of the city — Metro Line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios takes 20 minutes, €5.
UK passport holders can visit Spain (Schengen Area) visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. ETIAS authorisation will apply once live — check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain. Passport must be valid for 3 months beyond departure.
Metro Line 8 from Terminals 1–4 to Nuevos Ministerios in 20 minutes, €5 (includes airport surcharge). Cercanías C-1 to Atocha runs from T4 only, €2.60, 25 minutes. Taxi is €33 flat rate to anywhere inside M-30.
Much hotter in summer — Madrid hits 35–40°C in July/August because it's inland on a plateau. Barcelona stays around 28°C thanks to the sea breeze. Winters are cooler in Madrid (0–10°C). Spring and autumn are pleasant in both.