Flights to Spain and Portugal from the US

Quick answer: Madrid (MAD), Barcelona (BCN) and Lisbon (LIS) are the three main gateways, and from the US East Coast all three are roughly seven hours nonstop, among the shortest flights to continental Europe. Iberia and TAP Air Portugal fly from many US cities, alongside American, Delta and United. Spain and Portugal are both in the Schengen Area: US citizens need no visa for a short stay, the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) records your fingerprints and photo at the border, and ETIAS is not in operation yet.

Facts checked November 2026. Schedules and entry rules change, so confirm with the airline and the official government site before you travel.

Spain & Portugal flights at a glance

Where you can fly in Spain & Portugal

Each city links to every route guide we publish into that airport; each guide covers the airlines, connections and baggage rules, with live fares when the page loads.

• Flights to Madrid (MAD)9 route guides
• Flights to Barcelona (BCN)7 route guides
• Flights to Lisbon (LIS)9 route guides

Madrid, Barcelona or Lisbon: choosing a gateway

Madrid is Iberia's hub and the best connected airport in Spain: if your city has no nonstop to the rest of the country, you will usually change here. Barcelona suits Catalonia, the Costa Brava and a cruise departure. Lisbon is TAP's hub and the natural start for Portugal, the Algarve and the Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Azores.

Porto, Seville, Malaga, Valencia, Bilbao, Palma de Mallorca and the Canary Islands are usually reached with one stop, either through Madrid, Barcelona or Lisbon, or through another European hub.

Spain and Portugal combine well on an open-jaw ticket: fly into Lisbon and home from Madrid or Barcelona, or the reverse. There is no high-speed train between Madrid and Lisbon, so most people take a short flight for the cross-border leg.

Which US cities fly nonstop as of November 2026

Spain: Iberia flies Madrid from New York JFK, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth and other US cities, with some routes seasonal or cut back in midwinter. American, Delta and United fly Madrid and Barcelona from their own hubs, with more routes in summer than winter. Air Europa, a SkyTeam member, also flies Madrid from the US. LEVEL, the low-cost long-haul airline in the same group as Iberia, flies Barcelona to New York and Miami, has cut its Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco flights, and plans midwinter pauses on some routes, so check its current schedule.

Portugal: TAP Air Portugal flies Lisbon from New York JFK, Newark, Boston, Miami, Chicago, Washington Dulles, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and launched Orlando at the end of October 2026. Its Los Angeles flight now runs year-round. United, Delta and American add Lisbon flights, mostly in the warmer months.

Winter schedules are thinner, and frequencies drop on some routes between January and March. Treat these lists as a snapshot of recent schedules and check with the airline for your dates.

Entry rules for US citizens

Spain and Portugal are both Schengen countries, so a trip that covers both counts as one stay: up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all 29 Schengen countries together. Your passport should have been issued within the last 10 years and stay valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area.

The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running since 10 April 2026. At your first entry into Schengen, officers record your passport, a facial image and fingerprints instead of stamping the passport. On a flight from Madrid to Lisbon or Barcelona to Porto there is no further passport check, because both ends are inside Schengen.

ETIAS is not in operation as of November 2026, and no website issues it today. The Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores are part of Spain or Portugal and follow the same rules.

Trains, short flights and islands

Spain has one of Europe's largest high-speed rail networks. Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo all run high-speed trains between Madrid and Barcelona, which take roughly two and a half to three hours, and Madrid also links fast to Seville, Malaga and Valencia. For most mainland city pairs the train is the simpler choice.

In Portugal, the Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains run between Lisbon and Porto in about three hours. Lisbon airport is close to the city and on the metro's red line.

Fly for the islands. Palma, Ibiza and Menorca in the Balearics, the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores all have frequent flights from Madrid, Barcelona or Lisbon, and some have seasonal flights straight from the US in summer.

Best and quietest months

July and August are peak season. Inland Spain, including Madrid and Seville, is very hot, and the coasts and islands are full. Many Spaniards holiday in August.

April to June and September to October are usually the best balance of weather and availability for cities and the Algarve. November to February, outside Christmas, is typically the quietest and the cheaper time to fly. The Canary Islands stay mild in winter, which makes them a busy winter sun destination for Europeans. The fare grid on each route guide shows what is live for your dates.

Booking tips for Spain and Portugal

Pick the alliance before the airline. Iberia sits in oneworld with American and British Airways, TAP in Star Alliance with United and Lufthansa, and Air Europa in SkyTeam with Delta. Staying in one alliance keeps a connection on one ticket and your miles in one account.

If your city has no nonstop, a one-stop through Madrid or Lisbon often keeps the long flight the same while giving you a short hop on to Seville, Porto or the islands.

Low-cost airlines inside Spain and Portugal charge separately for bags and seats. Compare the whole trip, and the train, before booking a short flight.

Route guides to Spain & Portugal

Frequently asked questions