Ibiza for American Travelers

Not yet, but it is coming: United Airlines has announced a nonstop from Newark / New York (EWR) to Ibiza starting May 31, 2027, four times a week, pending government approval. Until then every US departure connects once, usually in Madrid or Barcelona: 11 to 13 hours from New York, 15 to 18 from the West Coast.

No visa: a US passport gives 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area. As of September 15, 2026, US passport holders still enter Spain visa-free with no pre-registration. The EU's ETIAS authorization (a €20 online form valid 3 years) is not in force yet; the EU now points to 2027, with a transition period before it becomes mandatory.

Less than the reputation in some places, more in others. Club entry runs a median of €32 (about $35) a night across our live agenda, a cocktail at a beach club is in the high teens in euros, and a good dinner for two with wine is comparable to New York. A private boat day starts at €680 (about $790) (smallest motorboat, low season; a skipper is itemized per boat) and is the best value on the island split between six or eight people. A VIP table is a minimum spend and moves with the night.

Yes. Spain requires a US license to be accompanied by an International Driving Permit, rental desks can refuse the car without one, and a roadside check without it is a fine. AAA issues it in about 20 minutes for around $20. Get it before you fly; it cannot be obtained in Spain.

Lightly. Service is included and staff are salaried; 5 to 10 percent in a restaurant for good service, round up a taxi, and a discretionary tip for the person who ran your beach bed or table all day. Nobody expects 20 percent and a machine that pre-selects a tip percentage is not the custom here.

Visa and Mastercard contactless work almost everywhere; American Express is hit and miss. Prices include tax. When a terminal offers to charge in dollars, decline and pay in euros: the dollar option uses the merchant’s rate, three to six percent worse than your bank’s.

Late June and September: everything is open, the water is warm, and flights and rooms are cheaper than in July and August. The season runs May to October. If you want the Newark nonstop once it flies, it is a summer route, so check its calendar first.

Over WhatsApp, in English, with Simon, who has lived here since 2021. You send dates and group size; we come back with boats, official club tickets, tables and a car, at the operator’s price with no booking fee. Time difference is six hours from the East Coast, so a message sent after your lunch is answered in our evening.