April in Spain is a weird, beautiful tightrope walk. You’ve got the orange blossoms in Seville literally making the air smell like a perfume factory, but then you’ve got these sudden, moody rain showers in Madrid that’ll soak your suede boots in seconds. Honestly, if you are looking at flights to spain in april, you are probably trying to time it perfectly between the "too cold to move" winter and the "I am melting on the sidewalk" summer heat.
It is a smart move. But here is the thing: April 2026 is going to be a logistical puzzle because of how the calendar falls.
The Easter Price Trap
Most people forget to check the lunar calendar before they check Skyscanner. In 2026, Easter Sunday falls on April 5th. This is huge. If you’re planning your trip for the first week of the month, you’re not just competing with other tourists; you’re competing with the entire Spanish population heading home for Semana Santa.
Airfare spikes. Like, really spikes.
I’ve seen round-trip tickets from New York to Madrid jump from $450 to $1,100 just because someone picked a Wednesday departure before Holy Thursday. If you want the deal, you basically have to fly on Easter Sunday or wait until April 10th. By the second week of the month, the "holiday tax" on seats usually evaporates.
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Where to land to save a few hundred
Everyone looks at Madrid (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN). They are the big ones. But they aren't always the cheapest.
- Malaga (AGP): Often surprisingly cheap because of the massive volume of budget carriers like Ryanair and EasyJet flying in from all over Europe. If you are coming from the US, a connection through London or Dublin into Malaga can sometimes save you $200 compared to a direct flight to Barcelona.
- Valencia (VLC): It’s the underdog. It’s a major hub but gets less "vacation" traffic than the big two.
- The "London Pivot": Honestly, if the direct flights from the States are looking brutal, look at a flight to London Gatwick. Spend a night, grab a meat pie, and then hop a $60 Vueling flight to Seville or Bilbao the next morning.
Carriers that actually make sense
If you’re crossing the Atlantic, Iberia is usually the one to beat. They’re the flag carrier, and their hub at Madrid-Barajas is efficient, even if it feels like you have to walk ten miles between gates.
For the budget-conscious, LEVEL is a fascinator. It’s a low-cost long-haul airline owned by the same group as British Airways. They fly direct from New York (JFK) and San Francisco (SFO) to Barcelona. You’ll pay for your water and your blanket, but the base fare is often the lowest in the market.
Then there’s the "new" United. They’ve been aggressively expanding their Spanish routes, including a Newark to Malaga direct that is a godsend for anyone trying to hit the southern coast without a five-hour train ride from Madrid.
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The Weather Reality Check
Don't let the Instagram photos of sunny plazas fool you. April is "abril aguas mil" in Spain—basically, "April of a thousand waters."
Northern Spain (Bilbao, San Sebastian) will be crisp. Probably mid-50s. You’ll want a trench coat.
Madrid is the wildcard. Dry heat one day, freezing wind the next.
Seville and the South? This is where April shines. You’re looking at 70°F to 75°F. It’s perfect. It’s the "Goldilocks" zone.
Why the second half of April is the secret win
If you can push your flights to the tail end of the month, do it. The Feria de Abril in Seville (The April Fair) typically starts two weeks after Easter. In 2026, it should be in full swing by late April.
The city turns into a giant party. Thousands of "casetas" (tents), horses, flamenco dresses, and way too much sherry. Flights into Seville (SVQ) during this week will be pricey, but if you fly into Madrid and take the AVE high-speed train down, you get the best of both worlds.
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Practical steps for your booking
Stop looking at "round trip" to the same city. Spain is built for the "Open Jaw" ticket.
Fly into Barcelona, take the train through Zaragoza to Madrid, then head down to Cordoba and Seville. Finally, fly home from Malaga. This saves you the time and money of backtracking across the country.
Your checklist for the next 24 hours:
- Set a Google Flights alert specifically for the April 12th–April 25th window to avoid the Easter surge.
- Check prices for Malaga (AGP) as your entry point even if you think you want to be in Madrid; the train system (RENFE) is so fast it often doesn't matter where you land.
- Verify your passport expiration. Spain requires at least three months of validity beyond your departure date. If yours expires in July 2026, you need to renew it now.
- Look at Iberia’s "Stopover Hola Madrid" program. It lets you stay in Madrid for up to six nights on your way to another Spanish city for no extra airfare cost.