Getting to Menorca from Barcelona: Fly or Ferry + Everything You Need to Know!

Getting to Menorca from Barcelona is quick and easy (mostly!) If you are looking to visit Menorca from Barcelona you can either fly or ferry.

My original thought was to ferry. It sounded kind of fun and I figured a ferry would be the most cost-effective route.

However, once I started to dig into ferry and flight times and prices, I realized my prediction was a little off 😅

Here is everything you need to know about getting to Menorca from Barcelona including estimated costs of both flights and ferries, how long the travel time is for both, pros/cons to each transportation option. what to expect on a ferry, and more!

Again, you can either fly or you can take a ferry from Barcelona to Menorca.

Both have pros and cons, but both are super reliable and easy to navigate.

In short:
Flying: Faster, but can be pricey (if you check a bag especially)
Ferry: Slower, but you can opt to ferry to Ciutadella if you are staying on the that side of the island

I landed in Barcelona early in the morning and wanted to get to Menorca as soon as possible. Since I was already flying in, it made sense for me to fly to Menorca.

However, if you are planning to stay in Barcelona BEFORE going to Menorca (I stayed a night at the END of my trip,) then you can weigh your options of flying or ferrying!

Here is everything you need to know about both ways to get to Menorca from Barcelona!

I think in most instances, flying is going to be your best option. It is much quicker and isn’t significantly higher (in some cases it can even be cheaper!)

The flight from Barcelona to Menorca is LESS THAN an HOUR.

And, you can often fly the budget airline, Vueling, for less than $50USD! (depending on time of year you go and without checking a bag, which will cost more)

However, to be realistic, I flew from Barcelona to Menorca in July (peak travel season) and booked relatively last minute (end of May) and spent $165 RT on my flights.

But, if you don’t procrastinate like I do and/or if you visit Menorca any time besides July or August (which I recommend,) then you can easily spend half of that on flights!

Who to Fly with & Why

There are a few airlines that fly from Barcelona to Menorca: Iberia, Vueling (which is the budget-airline owned by the same company as Iberia,) Ryanair (also a budget airline) and Air Europa.

Iberia and Air Europa are going to be more expensive. Probably in the $200’s USD. And, often don’t have direct flights. Iberia mostly operates through Madrid.

Therefore, your best options are Vueling or Ryanair. They will have comparable prices and neither will include a checked bag (you will have to pay for those.)

I opted to fly with Vueling because the times were better and it was a little cheaper at the time I booked.

Honestly, the plane was roomy for a budget airline and it is less than an hour flight. It more than suffices to get to Menorca!

Have a Place to Stay in Menorca?

Here are great areas to stay in either near a beach or in a city plus pros/cons to each area!

Where to stay in Menorca!

You can take a ferry from the Port of Barcelona to either the Port of Maó (Mahón) or to the Port of Ciutadella.

Ferrying to Menorca may be the best option in three instances that I can think of.

1. You are going to land late in Barcelona or you want to spend a full day in Barcelona. Then you can catch an overnight ferry from Barcelona to Menorca
2. You plan to stay in Ciutadella and don’t want to rent a car/find transportation across the island (you can ferry directly to Ciutadella)
3. You want to bring a vehicle from Barcelona to the island

In reality, the quickest ferry to Menorca from Barcelona is 5 hours. Some are up to 9 hours.

Unless you just really want to experience the ferry life, this option is REALLY going to cut into your exploration time if you are trying to leave Barcelona during the day (rather than night.)

And, prices can be steep despite being such a long (and kind of inconvenient) journey.

Ferry Options & Prices

There are a few companies that ferry from Barcelona to Menorca: Balearia, Trasmed, and Grand Navi Veloci (GNV.)

GNV tends to be your cheapER option and Balearia tends to be more expensive. However, at different times of day and year, they can have comparable prices, so just compare.

Depending on time of year, ferries can range from $50-100 USD one-way for just a chair seat.

But, most ferries also have the option of a cabin. So for those long, overnight ferries you can have a bed to sleep.

However, the price of the cabins is WAY more expensive than the seats on the ferries AND flying. They can be $200 USD+ for a one-way ride.

Therefore, a ferry is LIKELY not going to be your most budget-friendly transportation option.

Search ferry options and prices on Omio! I find Omio to be super user-friendly and the app is easy to navigate and keep track of trains and ferries while traveling. It also shows you what the different cabins look like if you want to go that route.

What to Expect on the Ferry

It is recommend to get to your ferry about an hour to an hour and a half for foot passengers or closer to 2 hours for those with cars prior to your ferry ride. This probably gives a generous time cushion, but I don’t know from first-hand experience since I flew.

The ferries are quite large. If you have ever ferried anywhere else in the Mediterranean (i.e, Greek islands, etc) then they are similar to those.

It will feel kind of like a mini-cruise. There are restaurants and bars aboard the ferry where you can grab dinner, a drink or breakfast before you disembark the night ferries.

And, again, you can opt to book a cabin with a bed, table, etc that will also feel more like a mini-cruise (or overnight train if you have done one of those.)

Once you arrive at either the Port of Ciutadella or Maó you can either walk into the city centers (which may be a bit of an uphill climb) or you can taxi to your accommodations or rent a car (which I recommend.)

Everything to know about renting a car in Menorca!

In my humble opinion, unless you need to float your car over to Menorca for the summer, flying is going to be more time-efficient and, likely, cost-effective.

Flying will also have more routes. Though there are plenty of ferry routes during peak season, they can slow down to a few times a week during off-season.

Flying is best for getting to the island faster (and usually cheaper.)
Ferrying is best for having a scenic, ferry experience or if you need to get a car to Menorca.

How to spend 5 days in Menorca hiking, visiting the best beaches and more! Or how to spend one day in Barcelona when you get back from Menorca!