Airfare is typically the single largest expense of any European trip, but it does not have to be. With the right tools, timing, and strategies, you can regularly find flights to Europe at a fraction of the full retail price. Whether you are looking for a long weekend in Barcelona or a month-long adventure across the continent, this guide will teach you everything you need to know about scoring affordable flights.
The Best Flight Search Tools
The flight search landscape has evolved dramatically over the past decade. Today, there are specialized tools that can search hundreds of airlines simultaneously, track price trends, and alert you when fares drop to unusually low levels. Understanding the strengths of each platform is the first step toward consistently finding great deals.
Google Flights
Google Flights has become the go-to starting point for most flight searches, and for good reason. Its interface is fast, intuitive, and packed with features that make comparison shopping effortless. The Explore feature allows you to search for flights to anywhere in the world from your departure city, displaying a map with the cheapest fares to each destination. This is invaluable when you are flexible about where to go and want to find the best deal.
The date flexibility tools are among the best in the industry. The calendar view shows the cheapest fare for each day of departure, and the price graph reveals seasonal trends so you can identify the cheapest months to travel. Google Flights also tracks prices after you search, sending you email notifications if fares drop. However, it does not include every airline, notably missing some European budget carriers and certain online travel agencies.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner excels at finding the lowest possible price by searching a broader range of airlines and booking platforms than Google Flights. Its Everywhere search feature lets you enter your departure city and see the cheapest destinations sorted by price. The Whole Month and Cheapest Month search options are perfect for flexible travelers who can adjust their dates to save money.
One of Skyscanner's most powerful features is its multi-city search capability, which allows you to build complex itineraries visiting multiple European cities. It also includes results from smaller online travel agencies that sometimes offer lower prices than booking directly with airlines, though you should verify the reputation of unfamiliar booking sites before purchasing.
Kiwi.com
Kiwi.com takes a unique approach to flight search by combining flights from different airlines into single itineraries, a strategy known as virtual interlining. This means it might route you on a Ryanair flight from London to Milan and then an easyJet flight from Milan to Athens, even though these airlines do not have any partnership or interline agreement. The result is often significantly cheaper than booking a traditional connecting flight on a single airline.
The Nomad feature is particularly interesting for travelers planning multi-city European trips. You input the cities you want to visit and your travel dates, and Kiwi optimizes the route and connections to find the cheapest overall itinerary. The trade-off is that self-connecting flights carry more risk since missed connections are your responsibility, but Kiwi offers a Guarantee product that provides rebooking and refund protection.
Momondo
Momondo, now part of the Kayak family, is known for its flight insight feature that analyzes historical pricing data to tell you whether the current price for your route is above or below average. This information helps you decide whether to book immediately or wait for a potential price drop. Momondo also searches a wide range of sources and occasionally surfaces deals that other search engines miss.
Secret Flying and Error Fare Sites
Dedicated deal sites like Secret Flying, The Points Guy, and Jack's Flight Club aggregate flight deals and error fares from across the internet. Error fares occur when airlines accidentally publish incorrect prices due to currency conversion mistakes, decimal point errors, or technical glitches. These fares can offer discounts of 50 to 90 percent off normal prices, though they are unpredictable and may be canceled by the airline.
Subscribing to these services via email or push notifications ensures you hear about deals quickly, which is important because error fares and flash sales often last only a few hours. Many offer both free and premium tiers, with premium subscribers receiving alerts faster and accessing exclusive deals.
Best Booking Windows and Timing
Timing your flight purchase correctly can save you hundreds of euros. While there is no single perfect booking window for all flights, data analysis across millions of fares reveals clear patterns that you can use to your advantage.
| Trip Type | Optimal Booking Window | Peak Season | Off-Peak Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transatlantic (US/Canada to Europe) | 2 - 3 months before | Jun - Aug, Dec | Jan - Mar, Nov |
| Intra-European (short-haul) | 4 - 8 weeks before | Jun - Sep | Jan - Mar, Nov |
| Long-haul to Europe (Asia, Oceania) | 3 - 5 months before | Jun - Aug, Dec | Feb - Apr, Oct - Nov |
| Budget airline flights | 2 - 3 months before | Jul - Aug, Easter | Jan - Feb, Nov |
The Booking Sweet Spot
For transatlantic flights to Europe, the sweet spot for booking is typically 2 to 3 months before departure. Booking too far in advance, say 6 months or more, rarely yields the best prices because airlines have not yet begun their competitive pricing. Booking too close to departure, within 2 weeks, almost always results in premium prices unless you stumble upon a last-minute deal.
For intra-European flights on budget carriers like Ryanair and easyJet, booking 4 to 8 weeks ahead often yields the best prices. These airlines use dynamic pricing that starts low to fill seats and gradually increases as the departure date approaches. Once a flight reaches around 70 percent capacity, prices typically jump significantly.
Day of the Week Matters
Departure day significantly impacts pricing. Tuesday and Wednesday departures are consistently the cheapest days for both transatlantic and intra-European flights. Friday and Sunday departures are the most expensive due to high demand from both leisure and business travelers. If you can shift your departure by even one or two days, the savings can be substantial.
The day you search for flights matters less than conventional wisdom suggests. The old advice to search on Tuesdays for the cheapest fares has been largely debunked by data analysis. Airlines adjust prices continuously based on demand, and there is no consistently cheaper day to search. Instead, focus on setting up price alerts and booking when you see a good price rather than trying to time your search.
Mastering Flexible Date Searches
Flexibility is the single most powerful tool for finding cheap flights. Being open to different dates, nearby airports, or alternative destinations can dramatically reduce your airfare. Here are the key strategies for leveraging flexibility.
Use Calendar Views
Most flight search engines offer calendar views showing the cheapest fare for each day. On Google Flights, click the date fields and switch to the price graph view to see an entire month of pricing at a glance. On Skyscanner, select Whole Month to see a calendar with daily prices. This visual approach makes it easy to spot the cheapest departure and return dates.
Try Nearby Airports
European cities are often served by multiple airports, and prices can vary significantly between them. London has six airports, Paris has three, and Milan has three. Searching all nearby airports can reveal dramatic price differences. A flight to London Stansted on Ryanair might cost half the price of a flight to London Heathrow on a legacy carrier for the same travel dates.
Also consider flying into one city and out of another. An open-jaw itinerary where you fly into Rome and out of Barcelona, for example, can be cheaper than a round trip to either city while also allowing you to cover more ground. This strategy works particularly well for multi-city European trips.
Consider Shoulder Seasons
The cheapest flights to Europe are almost always during shoulder seasons: April to May and September to October. Weather is generally pleasant, tourist crowds are smaller, and flight prices can be 30 to 50 percent lower than peak summer months. November through March offers the lowest fares but comes with shorter days and colder weather in most of Europe.
Budget Airlines in Europe
Europe's budget airline market is the most competitive in the world, and understanding how to navigate it can save you enormous amounts on intra-European travel. Low-cost carriers have fundamentally changed the economics of European air travel, making it possible to fly between major cities for less than the cost of a train ticket.
Major European Budget Airlines
| Airline | Hub Cities | Destinations | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | Dublin, London Stansted, Milan Bergamo | 230+ destinations | Lowest base fares, strict baggage rules |
| easyJet | London Gatwick, Milan Malpensa, Paris CDG | 150+ destinations | Primary airports, flexible fares available |
| Wizz Air | Budapest, Warsaw, Vienna | 190+ destinations | Strong Eastern Europe network |
| Vueling | Barcelona, Rome | 130+ destinations | Avios earning, Southern Europe focus |
| Transavia | Amsterdam, Paris Orly | 100+ destinations | KLM/Air France group, reliable service |
Hidden Costs to Watch For
Budget airline base fares are enticingly low, but the final price can balloon quickly if you are not careful. Checked baggage typically costs 15 to 40 euros each way, and even carry-on bags beyond a small personal item may incur fees on carriers like Ryanair and Wizz Air. Seat selection usually costs extra, and some airlines charge for priority boarding, airport check-in, and even printing boarding passes at the airport.
To get genuine value from budget airlines, travel with only a personal item when possible, check in online, and skip seat selection. If you need checked luggage, add it during booking rather than at the airport where fees are significantly higher. Consider whether the total cost including extras is still cheaper than a legacy carrier fare that includes baggage and seat selection.
Setting Up Price Alerts
Price alerts automate the monitoring process, ensuring you never miss a good deal on your target routes. Setting up alerts across multiple platforms maximizes your chances of catching price drops. Here is how to set up effective price alerts on the major platforms.
On Google Flights, search for your route and dates, then toggle the Track Prices switch. Google will email you when fares change significantly. On Skyscanner, search for your route and click Get Price Alerts. Skyscanner sends notifications when prices drop below the historical average. On Hopper, a mobile app that uses machine learning to predict price movements, you can set alerts and receive recommendations on whether to buy now or wait for a predicted price drop.
For the most comprehensive monitoring, set up alerts on all three platforms simultaneously. Each uses different algorithms and data sources, so one might catch a deal that others miss. Set alerts for multiple date combinations if you have flexibility, and include nearby airports in your search. The small effort of setting up these alerts can pay off enormously when a particularly good fare appears.
Advanced Strategies for Cheap Flights
Hidden City Ticketing
Hidden city ticketing involves booking a flight with a layover at your actual destination and skipping the final leg. For example, a flight from New York to Berlin via Paris might be cheaper than a direct flight from New York to Paris. By booking the Berlin flight and deplaning in Paris, you pay less. However, this strategy carries risks: airlines can cancel return flights, frequent flyer accounts can be penalized, and you cannot check luggage to a connecting destination. Use this technique only for one-way flights and carry-on travel.
Positioning Flights
Sometimes the cheapest flight to Europe departs from a nearby city rather than your home airport. A positioning flight is a cheap domestic or regional flight that gets you to the departure city with the best international fare. For example, if flights from Manchester to Athens are 200 euros cheaper than from London to Athens, and you can fly Manchester to London for 30 euros, you save 170 euros with a positioning flight. Just ensure you allow adequate time between flights and consider the hassle factor.
Points and Miles
Accumulating airline miles and credit card points can fund entire European trips. The key is understanding which programs offer the best value for European redemptions. Star Alliance partners, oneworld partners, and SkyTeam partners each have different sweet spots for European routes. Combine point earnings from travel credit cards with airline loyalty programs to accelerate your earnings.
Business class redemptions often offer particularly outsized value. While a cash ticket for business class on a transatlantic route might cost 3,000 euros, the same flight might be available for 50,000 to 70,000 miles, making each mile worth 4 to 6 cents rather than the typical 1 cent value in economy. If luxury travel is your goal, strategic use of points can make premium cabins accessible.
Booking Multi-City and Open-Jaw Flights
If your European trip involves multiple cities, resist the urge to book simple round-trip flights. Multi-city and open-jaw booking strategies can save both money and time while allowing you to see more of the continent.
An open-jaw flight means flying into one city and departing from another. For example, you might fly into Lisbon and out of Amsterdam, traveling overland between the two. This eliminates the need to backtrack to your arrival city and often costs no more than a standard round trip. Most airline websites and all major search engines support open-jaw searches.
For trips involving three or more cities, use the multi-city search function on Google Flights or Kiwi.com. Enter all your flight segments and the search engine will find the cheapest combination. Sometimes it is cheaper to book separate one-way flights on budget airlines between European cities rather than a single multi-city itinerary on a legacy carrier. Compare both options to find the lowest total cost.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced travelers make costly flight booking mistakes. Avoid these common pitfalls to ensure you are getting the best possible deal on your European flights.
First, do not fixate on a single airline or alliance. Loyalty is valuable when you fly frequently, but blind loyalty can cost you hundreds of euros per trip. Always compare across airlines and be willing to book with whoever offers the best fare for your specific route and dates.
Second, do not ignore indirect routing. A flight with one stop is often dramatically cheaper than a direct flight, and the extra travel time may be a worthwhile trade-off. A two-hour layover in a major European hub can even be a pleasant break with access to an airport lounge.
Third, do not forget to check the airline's website after finding a deal on a search engine. Sometimes airlines offer lower prices or better conditions when you book directly, and booking directly provides better customer service options if your flight is disrupted.
Fourth, do not book without checking baggage policies. A flight that appears 50 euros cheaper may end up costing more once you add baggage fees. Always calculate the total cost including all extras before comparing fares.
Finally, do not panic book. If you see a reasonable fare but are not sure about your plans, set a price alert and monitor for a few days. Fares rarely spike overnight for future travel, and taking time to research properly usually results in a better overall deal. The exception is genuine error fares, which should be booked immediately as they can disappear within hours.
Putting It All Together
Finding cheap flights to Europe is not about any single trick or hack. It is about combining multiple strategies, tools, and a flexible mindset to consistently find fares well below the average. Start by setting up price alerts on Google Flights and Skyscanner for your preferred routes. Subscribe to deal alert services for error fares and flash sales. Be flexible with your dates, airports, and even destinations. And when you see a great fare, do not hesitate to book it.
The money you save on flights can be redirected toward the experiences that make European travel truly memorable: a cooking class in Tuscany, a night at a historic hotel in Prague, or an extra week exploring the Greek islands. Smart flight booking is not about being cheap; it is about maximizing the value of every euro you spend on travel.
Once you have your flights sorted, do not forget to protect your investment with the right travel insurance and start building your Europe packing list to prepare for an incredible trip.
