There are a huge number of flights to Majorca from the UK. It's the number one tourist destination for holidaying Britons, and as many as 20 airports around the country have direct flights to Palma.

Tourists from countries such as the US, Canada and Australia who want to go to Majorca are also well advised to travel via the UK and change onto one of the cheap flights.

Majorca is very popular with family holidays and the surging demand means that prices tend to rise during the school holidays. The most expensive times to travel are at Easter and between June and September.

Many people get flights to Majorca as part of a package, with accommodation included, from a tour operator. Such flights will often only depart at weekends or at early times in the morning, which limits holiday-makers to seven or 14-day stays on the island. The advantage of this inflexibility is that the tour operators can block-book seats at low cost and pass the saving on to their customers.

For those putting a holiday together themselves, arranging flights and accommodation separately, there are many scheduled flights to choose from. Numerous no-frills airlines make the trip to Palma, or you can travel with one of the national carriers, British Airways and Iberia.

Travellers on scheduled (no-frill) or chartered flights to Majorca should not expect much in the way of luxury. It takes just over two hours to fly to Palma from London, and carriers do not usually feel obliged to offer great amounts of legroom and food or drink.

If you want to combine your trip to the island with some time on the Spanish mainland, Iberia offer flights to Majorca from various Spanish locations (Seville, Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante and Bilbao). Furthermore, they will allow you to fly into one Balearic Island and out of a different one, should you fancy a bit of island-hopping.

Majorca has just one airport, Palma de Majorca International (PMI) (see post on Palma Airport for more information). The island's small dimensions mean that you can usually be at your accommodation within an hour of picking up your hire car, depending on traffic. One last point: look out for the 14th -century Gothic cathedral as you come in to land. It's breathtaking.