Barcelona is the one city travelers casually thinking about heading to Spain instantly think of, perhaps even more so than Madrid.
It’s home to the world-famous Sagrada Família, the beaches are genuinely stunning, and it’s this massive metropolis right on the sea. There are just two major downsides: it’s packed—not only in summer, but pretty much year-round—and if you’re on a shoestring budget, you might want to think twice about going.
According to Budget Your Trip, mid-range travelers typically spend an average of $208 per day in Barcelona, and that’s only if they’re fairly economical with accommodation and have pre-booked most paid attractions in advance.
Popular as it may be, though, BCN isn’t exactly reflective of Spain as a whole.
In fact, these two lesser-known cities on the north coast feel noticeably less crowded, and in some cases, up to two to three times cheaper. Oh, and guess what… Americans can fly to both nonstop this summer!
Fly Nonstop To 2 Of Spain’s Most Underrated Northerly Cities
Before you book your Europe flights, make sure you’re up to speed with the continent’s fast-changing entry regulations affecting American travelers.
If you’re a U.S. passport holder, you may be required to undergo fingerprinting and facial scans upon arriving, and from September, apply for a mandatory travel permit ahead of flying depending on the European country you’re headed to.
Verify if your destination is concerned on the Entry Requirement Checker.
Bilbao
The Industrial Metropolis Turned Cool Art Hub
- Mix of futuristic & historic buildings
- The Guggenheim Museum
- A postcard-ready Historic Center
- Vibrant social scene
Fly Nonstop To Bilbao From The U.S.
Route Information
- Airline: United Airlines
- Route: Newark Liberty (EWR) ↔ Bilbao (BIO)
- Aircraft: Boeing 757-200
- Frequency: 3x per week (seasonal summer service)
Schedule
- EWR → BIO: Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday
- BIO → EWR: Wednesday / Friday / Sunday
Departure/Arrival
- Departure time from Newark: 21:10–21:15
- Arrival in Bilbao: 10:45 next day
Flight time & distance
- Duration: 7 hr 30 min westbound / 8 hr 25 min eastbound
- Distance: 3,546 miles
Season
- Operates late May → mid/late September
- Fully summer seasonal (not year-round)
Round-trip fares
- Economy: $700–$900 USD RT (baseline summer range)
- Business class: $3,500–$6,000+ USD RT (limited availability, high variability)
Why Visit Bilbao, Spain
The largest city in Basque Country, which is not a sovereign state, but a region within Spain, Bilbao is what I like to call one of the great contenders for ‘next Barcelona’.
It’s not directly on the coast, see, let alone the Mediterranean—it actually sits on the North Atlantic coast—but it has the maze-like medieval core, the plethora of tapas bars, and the buzzing social scene that may even rival its southerly counterpart.
Plus, similarly to BCN, it’s the main metropolitan hub of an autonomous Spanish region with its own distinct language, customs, and cultural identity. Read further on the Basque Country, and discover its many beaches, picturesque harbor towns, and astounding nature here.
Back to Bilbao itself, in many ways, it stands out due to the fact it’s effectively a ‘factory city‘ turned art hub.
It used to be a shipbuilding heavyweight, and it’s only in the 90s that it reinvented itself with innovative architecture, renovated public spaces, and public art.
One of the best examples of this is the Guggenheim Museum, and its accompanying riverfront.
This iconic spaceship-looking gallery with an exterior made entirely of swirling titanium plates set the tone for the city’s latest rebirth, and the entire futuristic revival of Bilbao’s waterline, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.
Casco Viejo is the contrasting ‘Old Town’, with narrow streets, old balconies, and tons of pintxos bars (which serve the city’s equivalent to tapas).
A sit-down meal in Bilbao, typically consisting of tapas and a main dish, will cost you as little as $15–$25, while the average overnight rate in Casco Viejo is a decent $90–$140.
The zone is also home to Plaza Nueva, a beautiful square ringed by neoclassical arcades, with local-frequented bars tucked behind them, and the Cathedral, a medieval church featuring soaring vaulted ceilings, and an important stop for pilgrims setting out on the Camino de Santiago.
Speaking of which…
Santiago de Compostela
The capital of Galicia and one of Spain’s prettiest medieval cities
- An ornate cathedral
- The tomb of Saint James
- Medieval arcaded streets
- Incredible gastronomy
Fly Nonstop To Santiago de Compostela From The U.S.
Route Information
- Airline: United Airlines
- Route: Newark Liberty (EWR) ↔ Santiago de Compostela (SCQ)
- Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 8
- Frequency: 3x per week (seasonal summer service)
Schedule
- EWR → SCQ: Wednesday / Friday / Sunday
- SCQ → EWR: Monday / Thursday / Saturday
Departure/Arrival
- Departure time from Newark: 7:15–7:25 p.m.
- Arrival in Santiago de Compostela: 08:15 a.m. next day
Flight time & distance
- Duration: 7 hrs eastbound / 8 hrs westbound
- Distance: 3,320 miles
Season
- Operates late May → late September
- Fully summer seasonal (not year-round)
Round-trip fares
- Economy: $700–$950 USD RT (typical summer range)
- Business class: $3,500–$6,500+ USD RT (limited availability, highly variable)
Spain scores a near-perfect 94 out of 100 on the Traveler Safety Index right now, based off of reports from travelers who’ve been recently. This means it is a certified-safe, low-risk destination for Americans this summer:
Why Visit Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Santiago de Compostela is hosting its first ever Transatlantic flights this summer, bringing Americans closer to Spain’s religious centerpiece.
It is the culmination point for pilgrims traveling on the ‘Camino’ as it hosts the incredibly-ornate Santiago Cathedral, where Saint James is believed to be entombed, but it offers far more than simply a midday mass and tomb-viewing check-off.
It is an incredibly-compact, fully-walkable medieval city criss-crossed by stone-paved lanes, all flanked by beautiful 15th-century arcades, and peppered by family-owned tabernas where Galicia’s signature polbo á feira is served daily.
That’s a paprika-sprinkled, olive oil-drizzled, generous serving of North Atlantic octopus, FYI.
Santiago has to be one of the top foodie spots in all of Spain, if not Europe, and it hardly ever gets the recognition it deserves. The octopus is what everyone goes for typically, but you truly haven’t been to Santiago until you’ve tried their zorza (braised pork with chips), and wash it down with a pint of Estrella.
Restaurante Entre Rúas is a solid pick, stashed in that narrow, ‘one-at-a-time’ alley that connects two of the city’s main medieval thoroughfares.
Wondering how much a proper sit-down meal in Santiago, or Galicia as a whole, will cost you? That’s a surprisingly economical $12–$18 for one of those menús del día that usually include a soup or mixed salad for starters, a meat-based main, and dessert or coffee.
Staying in the Historic Center of Santiago, usually a 10 to 15-minute walk from Cathedral Square, literally the heart of it all, you’ll be paying roughly $70–$110 a night for a private room in one of those historical, family-run guesthouses.
Don’t just stop in Santiago!
This unheard-of coastal city on the Northern Galician Coast has unspoiled golden-sand beaches, an equally-beautiful medieval center, and it boasts the longest-surviving Ancient Roman lighthouse in Europe.
Only a 39 minute train ride from SDC.
