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Europe’s appeal to American travelers shows no signs of waning, but instead of spending time in France or Italy, there’s a new hot spot in town!
Research of the Olive press has found that the number of American tourists visiting Spain is higher than ever.
I admit: I love Spain!
A year where I haven’t spent time in the country is actually a very bad year. And it seems a lot of American travelers agree with me.
American visitors to Spain are up 15% compared to last year The country welcomed more than 2 million American visitors in the first half of the year.
Not only is Spain a beautiful and culturally rich country to visit all year round, but it is also incredibly convenient! Americans can fly nonstop to these 5 destinations in Spain this fall:
Air connections between the US and Spain
In recent years, air connections between the US and Spain have increased significantly, which explains why travel between the two countries has risen so quickly in popularity.
This fall, American travelers can fly nonstop to Barcelona, Madrid, Tenerife, Malaga and Palma.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and in October you can fly to this cultural hotspot from 9 different American cities:
- Miami
- Chicago
- New York
- San Francisco
- Boston
- Atlanta
- Philadelphia
- Washington DC
- Los Angeles
The 2 cheapest departure points, at the time of writing, are Miami and Chicago.
Fly between October 20 and 25 with Iberia Air (a well-known Spanish airline) costs $582 per person for a tour in economy class. The outbound flight time for this route is 9h50 and the inbound flight time is 9h25.
Barcelona is a fascinating city best visited in autumn.
It’s still warm enough to sit outside in street cafes, eat tapas and watch the world go by, but the crowds are much less.
For me, Gaudi’s works are the highlight of Barcelona. These include the city’s most famous attraction, the unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral.
Book tickets in advance because it is almost always busy here! Tickets cost 26 euros ($29) per person and are available here.
Then head to the incredible, vibrant Park Guell, better known as Gaudi Park. It is full of whimsical mosaics, sculptures and awe-inspiring architecture. It’s one of my favorite places in all of Barcelona.
Madrid
Barcelona may be the most famous city in Spain among tourists, but Madrid is actually the capital of the country.
In October, American travelers can fly nonstop to Madrid from New York, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Charlotte, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta.
In October the 2 cheapest cities to fly from are New York and Boston.
If you’re looking at our sample flights to New York, you can fly non-stop in economy class from New York to Madrid from October 9 to October 16 for $486.
This flight is operated by American Airlines.
The outbound flight time is 7 hours and 15 minutes and the return flight time is 8 hours and 15 minutes.
Madrid has a rich cultural heritage and some of the main sights in the city that you should definitely visit include the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace, the largest palace in Europe.
When you’re ready to relax, sit in the Puerta del Sol.
This public square is bursting with life, a great place to people watch and experience what life in Madrid really feels like.
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous of the Canary Islands. This is an island chain owned by Spain, but actually closer to Africa.
The Canary Islands are located approximately 100 km off the coast of Morocco.
You can now fly non-stop from New York to Tenerife, which is the first direct route from the US to the island.
The cheapest dates to fly to Tenerife in October are from 17-25. A return flight in economy class on these dates would set you back $694.
This flight is operated by United Airlines with an outbound flight time of 7 hours and 5 minutes and a return flight time of 7 hours and 55 minutes.
I’ve written before about why the Canary Islands are one of my favorite destinations in Europe, especially in autumn and winter.
Offering sunshine all year round, Tenerife has a fascinating, almost otherworldly volcanic landscape, whilst still boasting some of the most beautiful European beaches.
The great thing about the Canary Islands is how well connected they are: you can fly to Tenerife and then use the inter-island ferries to explore all the islands in the chain.
Malaga
New Yorkers are blessed with flight options when they want a getaway to Spain.
New York not only has the only direct route between the US and Tenerife, but also the only non-stop route between the US and Malaga.
These routes stop during the season in September, so this is an ideal option for an early fall getaway. To travel from September 18 to September 25 United Airlines will cost $859.
The outbound flight time is 7 hours and 40 minutes and the return flight time is 8 hours and 35 minutes.
Malaga is a great place to visit in autumn if you are looking for quiet beaches, with the most famous beach 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 transformed into a small but truly fascinating museum, where some of his works can also be seen. It’s so interesting that I visited it twice!
Tickets cost 12 euros ($13) per person.
Palma
The third of our trio of Spanish flights for New Yorkers departs from New York to Palma on the beautiful Balearic island of Mallorca.
These flights may be non-stop, but they aren’t cheap!
The cheapest option I could find leaves on September 20th and returns on September 25th a whopping $2,183.
These flights are with Lufthansa and the outbound flight duration is 8 hours and 5 minutes, while the return flight time is 9 hours and 10 minutes.
Mallorca is my favorite of the Balearic Islands. The 3 most important and popular Balearic Islands are Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza.
Mallorca can be overwhelmingly busy during the summer months, 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 sights in Palma include the iconic Cathedral of Santa Maria.
This is a Gothic masterpiece that dominates the skyline and admission is free (to offset the eye-watering cost of your plane ticket!)
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
