Direct flights to Orlando

Orlando is America's great theme park and playground, where the city guarantees fun for all ages. Apart from the thrilling rides and movie adventure, Orlando also has a colourful arts scene with culturally lifting galleries and museums to visit as well as a number of music or theatre productions staged around the city.

Getting to Orlando

Orlando International Airport is one of the main gateways to Florida and the family holiday hotspot of Orlando, providing convenient access to the destination's famous attractions and the downtown area.

The base is located 11km south-east of the city centre, which can be reached via transport options including local buses, taxis and shuttle vans that also run to locations such as Lake Buena Vista and Walt Disney World.

Find a domestic flight to Orlando

Are you traveling to Orlando from another American airport, and prefer direct connections? Let us help you! By using the links below you can find direct flights from some of the largest airports in the US to Orlando.

• Direct flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Orlando (MCO)
• Direct flights from Newark (EWR) to Orlando (MCO)
• Direct flights from Charlotte (CLT) to Orlando (MCO)
• Direct flights from Chicago (ORD) to Orlando (MCO)
• Direct flights from Philadelphia (PHL) to Orlando (MCO)

Reach Orlando from around the world – direct flights

Even if the majority of the direct connections to Orlando are domestic, there are a number of airports around the world who offer direct flights here. In the following list we present some of the international airports with the most frequent direct connections to Orlando. Please use the links to see all flight options from each city.

• Direct flights from San Juan (SJU) to Orlando (MCO)
• Direct flights from Toronto (YYZ) to Orlando (MCO)
• Direct flights from Panama City (PTY) to Orlando (MCO)
• Direct flights from Cancun (CUN) to Orlando (MCO)
• Direct flights from Santo Domingo (SDQ) to Orlando (MCO)

Get to know Orlando

Orlando is the most visited holiday destination in the United States. It attracted a record-breaking 51.5 million tourists in 2010, becoming the first location in the country to welcome more than 50 million people in a single year.

The Greater Orlando area - which encompasses Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake counties - has a population of more than 2.1 million residents in an area of some 2.2 million acres. Orlando has existed in its current form since the 1830s, when European settlers arrived and established a town in the area.

Arguably one of the most important events in the city's history came in 1965, when Walt Disney opened his new Walt Disney World theme park in the area. Over the following decades, the park became the world's most visited entertainment resort and tourism grew into the cornerstone of the local economy.

Orlando is now home to some 450 hotels and more theme parks and entertainment attractions than anywhere else in the world.

Five must sees in Orlando

No trip to Orlando is complete without a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, 34 km south-west of the city centre. The resort comprises four theme parks where visitors can encounter their favourite Disney characters and try all sorts of rides. There are also water parks, spas, golf courses and much more to explore.

One of Disney World's main competitors is the Universal Orlando Resort, which consists of the Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure parks. Here, visitors can experience everything from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Marvel Super Hero Island.

Orlando also provides plenty of highlights for animal lovers, such as SeaWorld. This park presents regular shows featuring killer whales, sea lions and more, and is also home to thrill rides like Kraken and Manta.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the sprawling theme parks, Orlando visitors can find attractions offering culture and some peace and quiet. The Arboretum at the University of Central Florida boasts a collection of more than 600 plant species, including over 100 bromeliads, in an area spanning 80 acres.

Holidaymakers can also spend some time at the Orlando Museum of Art, which presents about a dozen exhibitions every year. The institution also has permanent collections covering topics such as African art and contemporary American graphics, with the latter including pieces by Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Ed Ruscha.

Direct flights travel tip

Nature lovers can head to Big Tree Park in central Florida to see 'The Senator' - the world's oldest and largest bald cypress tree, standing at a height of 42 metres.

When to go to Orlando

Orlando's climate is defined by two major seasons. The months from May to September bring humid weather, with temperatures regularly climbing into the 30s in degrees C and fairly heavy rainfall.

The period from October to April offers more comfortable conditions for holidaymakers, with less rain and lower temperatures.