Flights from Manchester to Spain from 30GBP*

Flights to Spain from Manchester

From Manchester, Vueling flies direct to 24 destinations in Spain. Barcelona and Madrid are around 2 hours and 15 minutes away, while flights to the south of the mainland and to the islands take a little longer.

Spain is really several countries in one, and the choice that shapes the trip is not when to go but which one: city Spain, Mediterranean Spain, island Spain or the Atlantic north, whose climate and landscape have more in common with north-west England than you might expect.

What documents you need to travel to Spain

The United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union or the Schengen Area, so British citizens must travel with a passport, and no other form of ID is accepted.

British citizens can stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Make sure your passport is valid for the whole of your stay. EU entry requirements are changing, so check the current conditions on the travel documents page before you book.

British citizens no longer have access to Spanish public healthcare through a European Health Insurance Card issued in the UK, so it is worth reviewing the medical cover for your trip.

As you are flying in from outside the Schengen Area, you will go through passport control on arrival. Allow extra time for it.

What to know when you land in Spain

From the airport into town. The main gateways are well connected, and there is no need to book a transfer. In Barcelona, metro line 9 Sud and the Aerobús reach the centre in under half an hour. In Madrid, the metro and Cercanías commuter trains link the terminals with Atocha. In Malaga, the Cercanías line serves both the city centre and the Costa del Sol, and Alicante airport has a direct bus into the centre.

Plug sockets. Spain uses round two-pin plugs, types C and F, at 230V.

Mealtimes. This is the biggest change from the UK. Lunch in Spain is between 14:00 and 16:00 and dinner from 21:00, with many kitchens closed until then. At 18:00 you will struggle to find anywhere serving dinner, so plan your first day around it.

Inland heat. In July and August, Madrid, Seville and the interior go above 40°C, and at night it does not drop below 25°C. That is well beyond what most people expect coming from north-west England, and it dictates what time of day you head out.

Spain uses the euro, and cards are accepted practically everywhere.

What to do in Spain

City breaks: Barcelona and Madrid

Barcelona brings together the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell and the Gothic Quarter, with a beach inside the city and the Boqueria market on Las Ramblas. Madrid packs the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen into less than 1 km, with Malasaña and Lavapiés for nights out and Toledo half an hour away by train.

The Costa del Sol and Andalusia

Malaga is no longer just the gateway to the coast. It has the Picasso Museum, the Alcazaba, the Roman theatre and the Soho district. From there, Ronda and its Tajo gorge and the white villages are an hour and a half away, and Seville and Granada are within reach by high-speed train.

The Costa Blanca from Alicante

In Alicante, Santa Bárbara Castle looks down on the city from Mount Benacantil. Further north, Altea, Calpe with the Peñón de Ifach, and Jávea mix coves and white villages, while Elche, whose palm grove is a World Heritage Site, is 15 minutes from the airport.

The islands and the green north

Palma de Mallorca pairs a Gothic cathedral on the seafront with the Serra de Tramuntana, and Ibiza adds the coves and the nightlife. At the other end of the country, Bilbao shows off green, rainy Spain, with the Guggenheim and the pintxos of the Casco Viejo.

Luggage for your flight to Spain

What you can take depends on the fare you choose when booking. The simplest fare includes a personal item that fits under the seat in front, and from there you can add cabin or checked luggage.

Sports equipment, musical instruments and bulky items come with their own conditions, so check them before you confirm. You will find the current rules in Vueling’s luggage policy.