How to get to Lanzarote

The short answer: fly direct, it's easy

Lanzarote has one airport — César Manrique Airport (ACE), 5 km southwest of Arrecife. Over 7 million passengers pass through it every year. It connects directly to around 55 European cities with 30+ airlines, and it's the fifth busiest airport in the Canary Islands. You can fly here directly from London, Manchester, Berlin, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Zurich, and dozens more. There's no need to connect through Madrid unless you're coming from a city without a direct route.

If you're already in the Canaries, you have two more options: inter-island flights with Binter Canarias from Tenerife North or Gran Canaria (40–45 minutes), or the ferry from Fuerteventura — a 25-minute crossing that runs up to 30 times a day between Playa Blanca and Corralejo.

The airport is close to everything. Puerto del Carmen is a 10-minute taxi ride. Arrecife is 11 minutes. Playa Blanca is 30 minutes. The island is small — you'll never be far from where you need to be.

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From the UK: the best-connected route to Lanzarote

The UK is Lanzarote's biggest market, and it shows. Ryanair flies from London Stansted, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands and more — often from £19 one-way if you book early. EasyJet serves London Gatwick, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Bristol. Jet2, repeatedly voted the UK's best airline, flies from Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow and others with a generous 22kg baggage allowance and friendly service included.

TUI Airways is the package-holiday stalwart, connecting from Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle and several regional airports with all-inclusive options. British Airways flies from London Heathrow. Aer Lingus operates from Dublin and Cork. Flight time from the UK is around 4–4.5 hours. In peak season (July–August and Christmas), flights are frequent and expensive. In low season (November, January–March), they're cheap and plentiful — but some regional routes are seasonal only.

The real tip: use Skyscanner or Google Flights and search "Everywhere to Lanzarote" if your local airport doesn't have a direct route. You'll often find a cheap one-stop via Madrid or a nearby city. And book 6–8 weeks ahead for the best prices — not 6 months ahead, not the day before.

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From mainland Europe: direct from everywhere

Germany is Lanzarote's second-biggest market. Ryanair and Condor fly direct from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. From Berlin, Ryanair has one-way fares starting at €28. Condor and TUI fly from several German airports with package deals. From France, easyJet and Transavia serve Paris Charles de Gaulle and sometimes Nantes or Lyon seasonally. From the Netherlands, Transavia flies from Amsterdam Schiphol and Rotterdam. From Belgium, Ryanair serves Brussels Charleroi and TUI from Brussels Zaventem.

Scandinavia is well connected too: SAS, Norwegian and TUI fly from Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki — mostly seasonal (October–April), which is exactly when Scandinavians want to escape the dark. From Switzerland, Edelweiss flies from Zurich and Helvetic from Bern. From Austria, Austrian Airlines serves Vienna. From Italy, Neos flies from Milan and Rome, and Volotea has seasonal routes. From Poland, Ryanair and Enter Air fly from Warsaw and Kraków. The list keeps growing — Lanzarote has direct flights from at least 12 European countries.

Spain itself has excellent connections. Iberia and Air Europa fly multiple times daily from Madrid (2h 45m) and Barcelona (3h 15m). Vueling has direct flights from Málaga and seasonal routes from Seville, Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela. Binter Canarias flies inter-island routes from Tenerife North and Gran Canaria (45 minutes, from around €80 one-way). And from mainland Spain, there's also the slow-but-scenic option: ferry from Cádiz to the Canaries with Naviera Armas, but that's a 30+ hour journey — only for the adventurous or those moving with a vehicle.

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The ferry: 25 minutes, two islands, one trip

If you're already in Fuerteventura — or fancy a day trip there — the ferry across the Bocaina Strait is one of the easiest sea crossings in the Canaries. Three operators run the route between Playa Blanca (Lanzarote) and Corralejo (Fuerteventura), with up to 30 sailings a day. The crossing takes 25–35 minutes depending on the boat. The strait is sheltered between the two islands, so it's usually smooth — although on windy days it can get choppy.

Fred Olsen Express is the biggest operator with up to 16 daily sailings. Their high-speed catamaran Bocayna Express does the crossing in 25 minutes, carrying both passengers and vehicles. Free Wi-Fi on board, Canarian snacks at the café, and changes are free if your plans shift. Naviera Armas (Trasmediterránea) runs up to 8 daily crossings on the conventional ferry Volcán de Tindaja — slightly slower at 35 minutes but large and comfortable with onboard catering. Líneas Romero is the smaller operator with up to 6 high-speed sailings, popular with foot passengers looking for the cheapest ticket.

Prices: a foot passenger one-way starts at around €17–€20. With a car, expect €60–€160 depending on the season and operator. A motorbike plus rider is from around €18. Bicycles are free or a small surcharge. Children get discounted fares (roughly €10–€20). Book online in advance during peak season (Christmas, Easter, summer) — ferries sell out, especially if you're taking a vehicle. Off-peak, you can usually buy at the port on the day. Bring ID — passport or national ID card is required at boarding. First ferry is around 06:50, last around 20:00.

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Inter-island flights: hop between the Canaries in 40 minutes

If you're coming from Tenerife or Gran Canaria, Binter Canarias flies direct to Lanzarote several times a day. The flight takes 40–45 minutes from either island. Binter has been running inter-island routes since 1989 and operates a fleet of ATR 72 turboprops — comfortable, low-flying aircraft with spectacular views of the volcanic landscapes on the way. On every flight they serve water and a chocolate biscuit or fresh donut. They also have Embraer jets on denser routes.

From Lanzarote, Binter flies direct to Tenerife North (TFN) and Gran Canaria (LPA). From those hubs, you can connect to all the other islands, mainland Spain, Morocco, Cape Verde and Portugal. A one-way inter-island ticket typically costs €70–€100 depending on the season and how far ahead you book. Binter has seat sales periodically — sign up to their newsletter. Residents of the Canary Islands get a 70% government subsidy on inter-island fares, which brings prices down to €20–€30. If you live here, use it — it's your right.

Terminal 2 at César Manrique Airport handles all inter-island flights. It's a small terminal next to the main one — allow 15 extra minutes to walk between them if you're connecting from an international flight. Binter check-in closes 30 minutes before departure.

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Landing at César Manrique Airport: what to expect

The airport is small, efficient and 5 km from Arrecife. Terminal 1 handles international flights, Terminal 2 handles inter-island. After landing, you're out in 20 minutes — there's no long walk, no confusing layout, no duty-free maze to navigate. Luggage comes fast. The airport handles over 7 million passengers a year, but it never feels crowded like the big mainland hubs.

Getting from the airport to your accommodation is straightforward. Bus lines 22 and 23 run to Arrecife for about €1.40 and to Puerto del Carmen for €1.40. To Costa Teguise it's €2.55. To Playa Blanca, take line 601 or 60 — about €3.30 but with a transfer or longer route. Buses don't run late at night or frequently on weekends. A taxi from the airport costs around €10 to Arrecife, €16 to Puerto del Carmen, €20 to Costa Teguise, and €41 to Playa Blanca. Taxis are metered, available 24/7, and there are ranks outside both terminals.

Private transfers booked online are slightly cheaper than airport taxis and more reliable for late-night arrivals — expect around €15–€20 to Puerto del Carmen. Car hire is the most popular option on Lanzarote: CICAR and Autoreisen are the local companies (reliable, fair fuel policy), and all the international brands (Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Europcar, Goldcar) operate at the airport. Book well ahead in July, August and Christmas — cars sell out.

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What it costs to get here (real prices, 2025–2026)

Budget flights from UK/Germany: £19–€50 one-way if you book 6–8 weeks ahead with Ryanair, easyJet or Jet2. Peak season (August, Christmas, Easter): double or triple that. Last-minute in low season: sometimes €30–€40 return. Full-service airlines (Iberia, BA, Air Europa) from Madrid or London: typically €80–€200 return.

Inter-island flights with Binter: €70–€100 one-way. Ferry from Fuerteventura: from €17 foot passenger, from €60 with a car. Airport transfers: €1.40 by bus, €10–€41 by taxi depending on destination. Car hire: from €15/day in low season to €45+/day in peak. CICAR and Autoreisen are usually the best value — full insurance included, no hidden extras, and they don't nickel-and-dime you on fuel.

The bottom line: if you're flying from anywhere in Western Europe and you book smart, getting to Lanzarote costs less than a train ticket across your own country. The island is one of the cheapest warm-weather destinations in Europe to reach. Don't overthink it — just go.

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Tips nobody tells you about getting to Lanzarote

Saturday is the worst day to fly. Most package-holiday charters operate on Saturdays, so the airport is chaos, car hire desks have hour-long queues, and the roads are packed with shuttle buses. If you can fly Tuesday or Wednesday, you'll breeze through everything. Sunday is also quieter than Saturday.

If you're taking the ferry with a car in summer, book it at least a week ahead. The car deck fills up fast, and you can't just show up and hope. Foot passengers almost always get on — it's vehicles that get left behind. Arrive 60 minutes before departure with a car, 30 minutes on foot. Fred Olsen charges no change fee, so book early and adjust if needed.

The airport has free Wi-Fi, a VIP lounge (€25–€30, worth it if you have a long layover), and a decent food court. But it's small — don't arrive 3 hours early like you would at Heathrow. 90 minutes is plenty for international, 60 for inter-island. And when you land, look right as you exit — the bus stop is 20 metres away, and most people walk straight past it to the taxi queue.

One more thing: Lanzarote is in the same time zone as the UK and Ireland (GMT+0 in winter, GMT+1 in summer — same as the Canary Islands). That means no jet lag from northern Europe. Your body won't even notice you've moved 3,000 km south.

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