Best Destinations from London Gatwick: Where to Fly in 2026
Gatwick is the UK's leisure capital, sunshine routes, beach hops and smart city breaks. Our guide to the best flights from LGW, based on what is actually flying this year.
Where to Fly from London Gatwick airport in 2026
Gatwick does leisure travel better than any other major London airport. Nearly every one of the top thirty routes from LGW is a Spanish beach resort, a European city break or a Canary Island. If you are flying out of Gatwick this year, these are the destinations worth booking, plus a few under-the-radar ones you might not have considered.
Everything below is based on real route data from our Gatwick destinations page.
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The Best Short-Haul Destinations from Gatwick
Short-haul is Gatwick's bread and butter. easyJet is by some distance the biggest operator, with British Airways, Jet2, TUI Airways, Vueling, Wizz Air UK and Ryanair all flying regularly too.
Malaga, the most booked route
Malaga is Gatwick's single busiest destination, with roughly 45 weekly flights. easyJet, BA, Jet2, TUI and Wizz all serve it. The airport is a 10-minute drive from central Malaga and a 30-minute train ride to Marbella. Flight time is around 2h 50m.
Barcelona
easyJet and Vueling run roughly 42 flights a week to Barcelona. BCN is one of the easiest city breaks in Europe, direct metro from the airport to the centre for about €5.
Alicante, Palma de Mallorca and Faro
The three other members of the classic Mediterranean pack. Alicante is the gateway to Benidorm and the Costa Blanca, Palma is for Mallorca itself, and Faro is for the Algarve. All three have 27 to 31 weekly flights on easyJet, Jet2, BA, TUI and (for some) Ryanair.
Dublin
Ryanair runs most of the Gatwick to Dublin service, about 33 flights a week. Just over an hour in the air, and one of the most reliable weekend-break routes out of LGW.
The Canary Islands
Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are all year-round sunshine destinations. Tenerife South is the busiest with about 23 weekly flights. BA, easyJet, TUI Airways and Jet2 all serve it. Roughly 4h 30m flight time.
Paris CDG, Geneva and Nice
If you want something a little more civilised than a beach, Gatwick has plenty. Paris CDG runs about 24 flights a week on easyJet and Air France. Geneva is very popular with skiers, 20 weekly easyJet flights. Nice is the Cote d'Azur gateway, about 22 weekly flights on BA and easyJet.
Long-Haul from Gatwick
Gatwick is not primarily a long-haul airport, but it does have some interesting routes worth flagging.
Antalya and Turkey
Antalya runs around 20 weekly flights on easyJet, SunExpress, TUI, Wizz UK and Jet2. Turkey's Mediterranean coast at a fraction of the price of Spain, and the weather is often warmer into October.
Marrakesh
Marrakesh Menara is about 19 weekly flights from Gatwick on easyJet, British Airways and TUI Airways. Under four hours in the air and a proper cultural change of scene. Brilliant in February and March when Europe is still grey.
Long-haul carriers
Though less frequent than Heathrow, Gatwick does serve the USA (Florida seasonal routes on TUI and BA), the Caribbean and the occasional Middle East flight. Check the live Gatwick destinations page for the current list.
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Underrated Routes from Gatwick
The big Spanish routes get all the attention. These are worth considering instead.
Guernsey and Jersey
Not glamorous, but genuinely lovely. Guernsey is roughly 24 weekly flights, mostly on Aurigny. Jersey about 23 a week on BA and easyJet. Both are under an hour from Gatwick, and both feel like a proper holiday without the hassle of a passport.
Porto
TAP Air Portugal, BA and easyJet between them run about 21 weekly flights to Porto. OPO is smaller and more manageable than Lisbon, and port wine lodges are a 20-minute walk from the city.
Copenhagen
About 20 weekly flights on Norwegian, Norwegian Air Sweden and easyJet. Copenhagen is having a golden era for food and design, and May to September is glorious.
Seville
Vueling, easyJet and BA fly SVQ about 17 times a week. Smaller and hotter than Madrid, and absolutely magical in the spring. Late April is perfect.
Belfast International
Run entirely by easyJet, about 17 weekly flights. Under 90 minutes and a city that has transformed in the last decade.
When to Fly From Gatwick
Sunshine routes
Canary Islands and Morocco are year-round. The Spanish mainland and Balearics are best May to October, though late September is our pick, still warm, prices drop after the schools go back.
Skiing
Geneva and Innsbruck flights are busiest late December to early March. Book by October for the best prices.
City breaks
Late April to early June is gold. September is brilliant too. Avoid August for Rome, Barcelona and Lisbon, locals leave and everything gets stickier.
Times of day
Gatwick's infamous queues are worst 4am to 7am on summer Saturdays. Midweek afternoon flights are far more relaxed.
Sources
- Route frequencies based on live Gatwick departures on this site
- Gatwick Airport route list: gatwickairport.com
- Live Gatwick destinations
Route frequencies are a typical weekly snapshot and can change with the season. Always confirm with your airline.
Plan Your Trip
Find every route currently flying from Gatwick on our live destinations page, check today's LGW departures, or compare airport parking at Gatwick before you drive in.
Questions about Gatwick routes? Send us a message, we always reply.
Written by
Which Terminal Team