How to find cheap flights to Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI)
184 € is currently the cheapest price for a round-trip flight to Nelson Mandela International Airport. For a one-way plane ticket to RAI, the lowest fare is 95 €.
Book when the time is right with Price Alerts. You'll receive an email or a notification through the app if the price of tickets to RAI rises or falls.
Score a bargain on tickets to Praia, where Nelson Mandela International Airport is located, by booking early. You're more likely to discover a great deal and have a wider range of departure options.
Choose 'Add nearby airports' when searching for a better chance of scoring cheap flights to Praia. Doing this will give you more options for where to start and end your journey, along with different prices.
If you aren't in a hurry to travel to Praia, consider going the long way round. You could find cheaper plane tickets to Nelson Mandela International Airport if you book a flight with one or more stops.
Best time to go to Praia
May is typically the cheapest month to hop on a flight to Praia.
To find the cheapest month or even day for flights to RAI, use the 'Whole month' tool. If your travel dates are flexible, search for the green prices on the calendar — they highlight the lowest available fares.
Fly to Praia in June if you want to be there when it's busy. This is the most popular month for flights to RAI, but also when fares are likely to cost more.
Travel in April if you'd prefer to avoid the crowds. This is the quietest period of the year and also when plane tickets to Praia are often cheaper.
With averages of between 24ºC (75ºF) and 30ºC (86ºF), October is when Praia is at its warmest. Plan your visit around your preferred weather conditions to get the most out of your time here.
Ranging from 19ºC (66ºF) to 26ºC (79ºF), March is when temperatures are at their lowest.
January is the driest month in Praia. Leave your rain jacket behind and get ready for sunny days.
September brings the wettest weather. You can expect around eight days of rainfall if you're heading there then.
Travelling to Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI): What you need to know
Avoid the layovers and get to Praia quickly. Lock in a direct flight to Nelson Mandela International Airport with one of these airlines:
Transavia France has the best track record for punctuality. Up to 67% of its flights into this airport land without being late, making it a smart pick when booking your RAI plane ticket.
The local timezone at RAI is UTC-1.
Be tucked up in bed shortly after your flight to RAI. Choose one of these hotels close to Nelson Mandela International Airport and you'll be snoozing in no time:
You can secure a car hire in RAI with leading providers such as Fernando Rent a Car, Route 238 and Alucar. Get behind the wheel and get ready to discover Praia and beyond.
Flights out of Nelson Mandela International Airport reach their destination as scheduled 51% of the time. This measure helps measure the airport's overall punctuality.
Nelson Mandela International Airport is located in Praia, Praia, Cape Verde.
Getting to central Praia from Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI)
The distance from RAI to central Praia is about 5 kilometres.
After touching down from your flight to RAI, driving to the centre will take around 5 minutes.
Your hotel should feel like part of the trip, not just a place to sleep. Grab a room at one of these guest-approved picks in Praia:
Praia highlights
These leading attractions should be high on your itinerary after stepping off your flight to Praia:
Prainha Beach: The perfect spot to begin sightseeing, this landmark is around 2 kilometres south of the city centre.
Farol de D. Maria Pia: This will also make the highlight reel of your holiday. A top landmark, it's around 2 kilometres south of the heart of Praia.
How to get to Assomada from Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI)
The nearby city of Assomada is about 40 kilometres from RAI. Heading into the centre by cab or ride-share takes around 50 minutes.
Travelling from Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI) to Tarrafal
Tarrafal is around 48 kilometres from Nelson Mandela International Airport if you're going in that direction.
The drive time to Tarrafal is roughly 1 hour 25 minutes.
Explore more of Cape Verde
Up for more exploring? Mindelo will keep things interesting on your trip through Cape Verde. It's around 274 kilometres north-west of Praia and features Torre de Belem, Piscinas Naturais da Fajã Grande and Praia da Laginha.
Another city in Cape Verde that earns its place on your itinerary is Santa Maria. From Praia, it's roughly 193 kilometres north and offers highlights like Scuba Team Cabo Verde - Diving Club and Ponta Preta Beach. Swing by Kite Beach Coastline too.
Roughly 113 kilometres west of Praia, Sao Filipe brings even more to your adventure. Some of the best reasons to visit include Praia da Bila, Igreja Nossa Senhora da Conceicao sao filipe and Casa Da Memoria.