Travel Guide
Getting to Gibraltar
Gibraltar is well connected by air from the UK, with direct flights from five airports. You can also drive from Spain through La Linea de la Concepcion. Under the UK-Spain-EU treaty, the border opened on Wednesday 15 July 2026, with the fence and physical checks at La Linea removed. Gibraltar does not join the Schengen area — Schengen entry checks now operate at Gibraltar's own airport and port.
Flights to Gibraltar
Two airlines serve Gibraltar Airport (GIB): British Airways and easyJet. There are approximately 31 return flights per week from five UK destinations.
| Route | Airline | Flight Time | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow | British Airways | ~3 hours | Near-daily |
| London Gatwick | easyJet | ~3 hours | 3–4/week |
| Manchester | easyJet | ~3h 10m | Regular |
| Bristol | easyJet | ~2h 50m | Regular |
| Birmingham | easyJet | ~3 hours | 2/week (year-round) |
Prices start from around £32 return (easyJet, off-peak). British Airways offers the only business-class option from Heathrow Terminal 3.
Driving from Spain
From Malaga Airport
Take the AP-7 or A-7 motorway south for approximately 140 km. The drive takes 1.5–2 hours depending on traffic. Toll charges are approximately €12–€18 each way on the AP-7.
Parking
Most experienced visitors recommend parking in La Linea and walking across the border. Parking in Gibraltar is expensive and scarce. La Linea has 8+ public car parks within 10 minutes' walk of the border, including Parking Santa Barbara (3 minutes from the frontier). If you're staying overnight, consider booking a hotel in La Línea for significantly lower rates than Gibraltar hotels.
Driving in Gibraltar
- •Drive on the right (same as Spain)
- •Speed limit generally 50 km/h
- •Very compact with many one-way streets
- •The Kingsway Tunnel (opened March 2023) now bypasses the famous airport runway road crossing for vehicles
- •Some Spanish rental companies prohibit cross-border driving — always check your contract
The Border Crossing
The land border between Spain and Gibraltar at La Verja is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Approximately 36,000 people, 10,000 vehicles, and 15,000 frontier workers cross daily. You'll need a valid passport (UK/EU citizens) or national ID card (EU citizens).
Current wait times are typically 15–20 minutes under provisional digital clearance systems. Pedestrians usually pass faster than vehicles.
Entry to Gibraltar is free. Be aware of individuals near the border trying to sell fake "entry tickets" — these are a scam.
The Gibraltar-Spain Treaty: What Changed on 15 July 2026 (updated 17 July 2026)
The UK, Spain, and the EU agreed a treaty covering Gibraltar's future relationship with the EU, unanimously approved by all 27 EU member states on 1 April 2026. It entered provisional application on Wednesday 15 July 2026 (European Parliament ratification is expected in autumn 2026). The border opened as planned: the fence at the La Línea land border was fully removed at midnight and routine land-frontier checks ended, with crowds celebrating on both sides.
Gibraltar does not join the Schengen area. Instead, Schengen entry checks now operate at Gibraltar's own airport and port, run jointly with Spanish officers under a dual-control system. Gibraltar residents now cross into Spain using their residence cards with no passport stamps, and Spanish citizens enter Gibraltar on their national ID cards. Gibraltar keeps full control of its own immigration and settlement policy.
For visitors, this means time spent in Gibraltar now counts towards the Schengen 90-days-in-180 allowance, since you're crossing an external Schengen border at the airport or port. Gibraltar residents cross the land frontier freely and are exempt from passport stamps, EES, and ETIAS. ETIAS itself, the online travel authorisation most visa-free visitors (including Brits) will eventually need for Schengen travel, is not live yet and is expected some time in late 2026. See our full breakdown of the 90/180 day rule for visitors, day-trippers, and residents.
For more about living across the border, see our La Línea de la Concepción guide.
Ferry Services
Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco
FRS/DFDS operates a limited ferry service from Gibraltar to Tanger Med, running approximately twice monthly (usually Fridays). The crossing takes about 1.5 hours and starts from approximately €37.50.
Via Algeciras (More Frequent)
For more frequent service, take a bus from La Linea to Algeciras (40 minutes, ~€2.50), which has daily high-frequency ferries to Tangier with multiple operators including FRS, Naviera Armas, and Balearia — over 100 departures per week.
Getting Around Gibraltar
Walk
Gibraltar is just 6.7 km². Most residents walk everywhere, and most destinations are within 15–20 minutes on foot. This is by far the most practical option.
Bus
City buses run every 10–20 minutes. A red double-decker operates between the border and town centre every 15 minutes. Day hopper tickets are available for unlimited travel.
Cable Car (Closed)
The Gibraltar Cable Car closed on 18 November 2025 for a rebuild expected to take around two years, with reopening anticipated in 2027. The old £49 ticket still shown on some websites is not bookable. To reach the Top of the Rock, take a taxi or an official Rock Tour, or walk up via the Mediterranean Steps.