Dreaming of wandering ancient Rome, sipping wine in Tuscany, or exploring the colorful canals of Amsterdam? A European vacation is at the top of many travel bucket lists. But with airfare being one of the biggest trip expenses, how can you make those dreams a reality without blowing your entire budget on plane tickets?
As someone who has crossed the Atlantic more times than I can count, I’m here to share my tried-and-true strategies for finding shockingly cheap flights to Europe. Get ready to kiss those overpriced airfares goodbye!
Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Book
First things first – timing is everything when it comes to scoring cheap European flights. Procrastinators, listen up! The sooner you book, the better. Airlines regularly raise prices as travel dates approach and seats fill up.
Think of it like this – airfare pricing follows the law of supply and demand. As more seats get booked on a given flight, the number of remaining seats (the supply) decreases while demand stays constant or increases. Just like any product, limited supply combined with steady or rising demand means higher prices.
The Ideal Booking Window for Europe Flights
Generally speaking, the prime booking window for affordable flights to Europe falls between 4-8 months prior to departure. Any earlier and you risk prices changing before travel. Any later and you’ll get slapped with premium last-minute rates.
I’ve had the most success consistently finding rock-bottom fares when monitoring prices and pulling the trigger around 6 months out. For example, I scored round-trip flights from Boston to Paris this past October for just $380 – not too shabby!
Be Flexible Like a Bargain-Hunting Ninja
Want to know one of the easiest ways to expand your cheap flight options exponentially? Stay flexible, grasshopper. Flights with rigid travel dates and times tend to cost far more than their flexible counterparts.
Flexible Travel Dates
Being open to different departure and return dates is the simplest form of flexibility. Most search engines allow you to explore fares across an entire month or travel period. I’ve seen price differences of $200+ just by shifting my dates by a day or two.
Flexible Travel Days
Similarly, having a open schedule in terms of which days you depart and return can mean huge savings. Flying out on a Wednesday and back on a Tuesday is almost always cheaper than leaving on a Friday and returning Sunday, for example.
Pro Tip: Google Flights has a nifty feature that shows you the cheapest dates to fly for your route over the next 6 months or so. Get familiar with it!
Flexible Destinations
Taking destination flexibility one step further, you might want to consider airports beyond your original city. Nearby airports, whether domestic or international, are frequently much cheaper than the main hub you originally searched.
For example, I once scored $400 round-trip flights to Dublin by flying into Shannon Airport instead of Dublin Airport directly. That represented $300+ in savings! The 3-hour shuttle bus ride was more than worth it.
Open-Jaw Routing
Speaking of airport flexibility, another super useful money-saving strategy is open-jaw routing. Rather than a basic return flight from A to B and back, you could fly into one city and out of another.
This is perfect for trips where you’ll be traveling between multiple cities or countries anyway. For instance, you could fly into Paris, then book a separate flight home from Barcelona after hitting multiple destinations in between overland. Many search engines allow you to hunt for these creative routings.
Consider Budget Airlines (But Read the Fine Print)
No discussion of cheap flights to Europe would be complete without mentioning ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs) like Norwegian, PLAY, Condor, French Bee and the like. These no-frills airlines frequently offer shockingly cheap base fares for transcontinental routes that legacy carriers can’t touch.
For instance, I’ve seen $300 round-trip fares from the U.S. to major European cities popping up from disruptive ULCCs like PLAY quite regularly as of late. These bargain-basement prices could easily cover your entire flight AND accommodation budget for a quick 4-5 day getaway!
However, be sure to read the fine print carefully. ULCCs make up for their minuscule base fares with fees for everything from carry-on bags to water bottles. What may seem like an unbeatable deal at first glance can quickly skyrocket once you start adding amenities and baggage allowance back in.
Watch Out for “Tortuous” Routes
One sneaky way budget carriers keep their costs down is by operating tortuous routings with multiple connections. A “cheap” flight from New York to Berlin may actually involve Touch & Go stopovers in Reykjavík, Warsaw, and Basel before reaching your final destination – often with lengthy layovers in between.
While I’m all for embracing the adventure of an extra stop or two to save big, there’s a point where these ridiculous routings simply aren’t worth the headache. Avoid anything with more than two connections and assess the total travel time. Taking 20+ hours to reach your destination may leave you too depleted to actually enjoy your European vacation!
Be Prepared for Basic (But Not Abysmal) Service
If you’re accustomed to full service from carriers like Delta or British Airways, the ultra-low-cost model is going to feel quite bare bones. From limited seat pitch and nickel-and-diming for extras to minimal in-flight entertainment and service – you get what you pay for.
Pack your own snacks and entertainment, and make sure your knees can withstand a regional jet-style configuration for 6+ hours. But if you’re reasonably comfortable in economy on standard flights, the ULCCs will likely satisfy your basic needs just fine. At the end of the day, you’re still getting incredible value by stretching your hard-earned travel money further.
Cash In Points & Miles
For frequent flyers with flexible points currencies like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards, redeeming points can often scoop up business class seats to Europe at reasonable rates.
I’ve booked $4,000+ business class flights to Italy for just 88,000 Chase points transferred to United. That’s less than I would have paid for a dirt-cheap economy ticket while enjoying the utmost comfort and luxury!
Even if you’re not swimming in a huge reserve of points, it’s often worth spending a relatively modest amount on cheaper economy seats using points or miles. Cash prices for the cheapest economy fares to Europe can still top $600+ round-trip from major US gateways.
Monitor Fare Prices Like a Hawk
The single most important step for finding the lowest fares to Europe? Being vigilant and monitoring pricing trends like a hawk! Popular routes and travel periods can see prices fluctuate significantly on a daily or even hourly basis.
Sign up for fare alert services (many of which are free) to receive notifications anytime prices change on your desired route. Sites like Scott’s Cheap Flights are also invaluable for quickly notifying you of flash sales and mistake fares to Europe.
But the key is being ready to pounce on a great deal immediately rather than hesitating. Once those rock-bottom prices are gone, they’re gone for good!
Europe Flight Booking Ninja Tips: Key Takeaways
- Book 4-8 months out, generally around the 6 month mark
- Be extremely flexible on travel dates, days, airports, routings
- Consider budget airlines but account for fees & tortuous routes
- Use points/miles for deeply discounted premium fares
- Vigilantly monitor price trends and sign up for fare alerts
With some diligent travel hacking, a European dream vacation can be far more affordable than you might think. Cheap tickets to Europe are out there just waiting to be snagged! Where in Europe will your travel rewards take you?
Conclusion
By employing these tried-and-true strategies from avid travelers in the know, you’ll be well on your way to finding unbeatable deals on flights to Europe. Whether you prefer the comfort and amenities of full-service carriers or the no-frills affordability of ULCCs, there are plenty of options for stretching your budget.
With flexibility, persistence, and a bit of creative ingenuity, scoring jaw-droppingly cheap tickets to Europe is far from impossible. It just requires diligent research and being prepared to take action when an amazing fare sale pops up. Get ready to pack your bags and explore the rich history, vibrant cultures, and stunning scenery of the Old World for a fraction of what you might expect!
FAQs
1. What’s the cheapest time of year to fly to Europe? Generally, the late fall, winter, and early spring (Nov-March) offer the cheapest flights. Summer is the most expensive peak season.
2. Should I fly to a bigger airport or smaller regional airport? Smaller airports like Shannon or Václav Havel tend to have cheaper fares than major international hubs like Dublin or Prague. Don’t overlook nearby alternate airports.
3. Is it better to book directly with the airline or through a travel site? Check both – sometimes the airline’s site has better deals, but travel sites are great for searching across multiple airlines quickly.
4. How much can I really expect to save with budget airlines? For bare-bones economy, savings of $200-500 per round-trip are common compared to full-service carriers. Just account for fees.
5. What’s considered a “good” price for flights to Europe? From the US, anything under $600 round-trip is a solid deal. Anything under $400 is an absolute steal!
