What is the cheapest and most economical way to get to Tenerife from Europe, America or the surrounding Canary Islands? Air travel is always a priority, but you can also take a ferry to Tenerife from nearby islands and mainland Spain.
By air
The largest of the Canary Islands is connected to mainland Europe by both low-cost airlines and conventional carriers. There are two international airports on the island, click on the links below for information on transport and services:
- Airports Tenerife Sur TFS - Tenerife's main airport, which receives the vast majority of flights from Europe.
- Airport Tenerife Norte TFN - regional airport serving mainly flights to the surrounding islands and mainland Spain
Where to buy flights to Tenerife
There are regular direct flights to Tenerife from most countries in Western, Southern and Central Europe, as well as Morocco, Cape Verde and Mauritania.
There are no direct flights to America and you have to buy tickets with a connection, typically via Madrid, Lisbon or London.
Ideally, buy tickets to Tenerife 3 to 4 months in advance for the lowest price if you are flying in the summer season. During the winter, tickets can be bought cheaply on low-cost airlines a few weeks before departure.
You can buy tickets either on the airlines' websites or through one of the flight search engines.
Search for flights to Tenerife
The following airlines offer the most flights to Tenerife.
- Vueling.com - Direct flights to several Spanish destinations as well as connecting flights across Europe via Madrid or Barcelona
- iberia.com - Flights to Madrid and onwards to all over the world
- Ryanair - direct flights to over 100 destinations across Europe
- easyJet - flights mainly to the UK, Western and Central Europe
- Jet2.com - flights mainly UK
- and many more
Flights to nearby islands
There are very frequent flights from Tenerife to all the surrounding Canary Islands, with the most frequent being Gran Canaria, where flights are operated several times an hour.
The vast majority of these flights are to Tenerife Norte regional airport.
All inter-island flights are operated by the smaller airlines Binter Canarias and Canary Fly. Prices for one-way tickets range between 30 eur and 50 eur.
By ferry
Tenerife also has a regular ferry service for passengers and cars.
From the surrounding islands
If you don't want to use air services, there are also ferries from all the surrounding Canary Islands to Tenereife from various companies:
- Gran Canaria - Boats sail between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas. The connection is operated by Naviera Armas. It sails 5 times a day, the journey takes about 2 hours and a one-way ticket costs around 45 eur. An alternative is Fredolsen, which runs 8 times a day to the port of Agaete from 40 eur,
- La Palma - Boats sail between Los Cristianos in the south of Tenerife and Santa Cruz de la Palma. The companies Naviera Armas and Fredolsen are running. The trip takes 3 hours and costs from 50 eur one way, sailing once or twice a day,
- La Gomera - Departs from the port of Los Cristianos, the trip takes an hour and costs from 35 eur. Runs by Naviera Armas and Fredolsen,
- El Hierro - Departs from the port of Los Cristianos, takes 2.5 hours and costs from 50 eur,
- Fuerteventura and Lanzarote - Only connecting to Gran Canaria, only once a week
Compare prices - book a cruise
By boat from the mainland
Tenerife can also be reached by boat from mainland Spain, operated by Naviera Armas, whose ships depart once a week from the Spanish town of Huelva. Book your tickets online in advance. The journey takes 36 hours and you'll pay about 220 eur one way.
