East Midlands at a glance
East Midlands Airport sits between Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. Jet2, Ryanair and TUI all have aircraft based there, and between them they fly most of the routes. Ryanair carries roughly half of the airport's passengers.
The airport says it has 45 direct routes in 2026, a record. Almost all of them are short and medium-haul flights to Europe, North Africa and Turkey. There are no regular long-haul flights, so for the Caribbean, the USA or Asia, most people go from Birmingham or Manchester.
Routes change every season, so check the airport's A to Z of destinations and the airline's own timetable before you plan around a flight. We checked these routes in October 2026.
What's new for winter 2026/27
A few new routes are worth knowing about this winter:
- Agadir, Morocco (Jet2): a weekly flight from November 2026 to March 2027. Agadir is warm and sunny in winter, and only an hour ahead of the UK.
- Gdansk, Poland (Jet2): a short Christmas season, with flights on Mondays and Fridays from 27 November to 21 December 2026. Gdansk's Christmas market is one of the prettiest in Poland.
- Budapest (Ryanair): a new route for winter 2026/27, good for thermal baths and Christmas markets.
For summer 2026, Jet2 added Chania in Crete, Preveza and Thessaloniki in Greece, Pula and Split in Croatia, and the Costa de Almería. SunExpress arrived with flights to Antalya, and TUI brought back Sharm el-Sheikh and flies to Boa Vista in Cape Verde.
Winter sun
The Canary Islands are the backbone of the winter timetable from East Midlands. Between them, Jet2, Ryanair and TUI usually cover Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, with flights of around four hours. Expect highs of about 20 to 22°C in December and January.
Closer to home, the Costa del Sol (Málaga), Alicante and the Algarve (Faro) are about two and a half hours away. They are milder rather than hot in winter, at around 16 to 18°C, but often sunny, and good for walking, golf and city sightseeing.
For something more exotic, Agadir in Morocco joins this winter, with highs of around 21°C in December and a long sandy beach. TUI's Sharm el-Sheikh flights were part of its summer 2026 programme, so check whether they're running when you want to go.
Which airline flies each route, and how often, varies through the season, so compare before you book.
City breaks
East Midlands isn't only for beach holidays. The airport's list of destinations includes Barcelona, Prague and Dublin, and this winter adds Budapest and Gdansk. Most are two hours or less, so they work well for a long weekend.
In December, these cities come into their own with Christmas markets. Prague's Old Town Square and Budapest's Vörösmarty Square are famous, and Gdansk's market sits in a beautifully rebuilt old town. For help choosing, see our posts on Vienna or Prague at Christmas and Budapest or Krakow at Christmas.
Remember that many winter routes from regional airports only fly two or three times a week. The timetable may decide whether your trip is three nights or four.
Getting to East Midlands
There's no railway station at the airport, so most people drive, take a taxi or use the Skylink buses, which run around the clock to Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and nearby towns.
If you're being dropped off, the Rapid Drop Off zone outside the terminal went up to £8 for up to 10 minutes on 29 September 2026. It has no barriers: cameras read your number plate, and you pay online or by phone by midnight the next day, or risk a £100 charge. The long stay car park is free for up to an hour, but it's about a 10-minute walk to the terminal.
Ryanair is also changing its rules: from 10 November 2026, its bag drop closes 60 minutes before departure. Our guide to how early to arrive at Birmingham Airport covers timings at a similar-sized Midlands airport.
How to pick from the departures list
Start with how much travel time you want. From East Midlands, a city break is usually two hours or less, the Spanish mainland and Portugal about two and a half, and the Canaries and Agadir around four. On a short trip, every hour in the air eats into your holiday.
Then think about what the trip is for. For reliable warmth in winter, the Canaries and Agadir are the safest choices. For culture, food and Christmas markets, a European city is easier to fit in. In summer, the Greek islands, Croatia and Turkey come into play, with longer flights but hotter weather and warm seas.
Finally, look at prices across the whole week. On routes that only fly twice a week, the cheapest days may decide your dates for you.
Where could you go from East Midlands?
Ideas from our guides that you can reach directly from East Midlands, depending on the season:
For more inspiration, browse our winter sun ideas for December or our guide to how to decide where to go on holiday.
