How to Find Cheap Flights to Europe

The Quick Answer

You can fly to Europe from the US for $300-$500 round trip if you're flexible on dates, willing to fly budget carriers, and strategic about which airports you fly into. The cheapest fares show up on Tuesday and Wednesday departures during shoulder season (January-March, September-November), booked 2-4 months ahead.

Start with the Right Search Tools

Don't just check one site. The trick to finding cheap transatlantic flights is layering multiple tools.

• Google Flights is your starting point. The calendar view and "Explore" map let you see the cheapest dates and destinations at a glance. Set up price tracking for your route and Google will email you when fares drop.
• Skyscanner searches budget carriers that Google sometimes misses, especially European low-cost airlines. Use the "Everywhere" destination feature to find the cheapest city to fly into.
• Momondo consistently surfaces lower fares because it partners with more online travel agencies and consolidators. It's worth a final check here before you book.
• Scott's Cheap Flights (Going.com) and similar deal alert services send you mistake fares and flash sales. These services have found round trips to Europe for under $250. The free tier is limited, but the premium version pays for itself with one deal.

Use these tools to search, then book directly on the airline's website. You'll get better customer service and easier changes if something goes wrong.

The Cheapest Airports to Fly Into

Where you land in Europe matters more than you'd think. Some cities have fierce airline competition that drives fares down. Others are served by a single carrier charging whatever they want.

Budget-Friendly Entry Points

• Reykjavik (KEF): PLAY Airlines and Icelandair offer fares from the East Coast starting under $150 one-way. Icelandair's free stopover program lets you add up to 7 nights in Iceland at no extra flight cost on transatlantic bookings. This is consistently the cheapest gateway to Europe.
• Dublin (DUB): Aer Lingus runs aggressive pricing from East Coast cities. Once you're in Dublin, Ryanair connects you to the rest of Europe for $20-$50.
• London (LHR/LGW/STN): Six airports mean maximum competition. Norse Atlantic, Virgin Atlantic, and legacy carriers all fight for your dollar. Check all London airports since Gatwick and Stansted often have lower fares than Heathrow.
• Lisbon (LIS): TAP Air Portugal offers some of the lowest transatlantic fares, often $350-$450 round trip from Newark or Boston. Lisbon also connects cheaply to the rest of Europe via budget carriers.
• Barcelona (BCN): LEVEL and Vueling (both budget carriers) fly direct from several US cities. Fares from New York or DC regularly dip below $400 round trip.

The general rule: fly into a budget hub, then use Europe's low-cost carriers to reach your final destination. A $300 flight to Dublin plus a $30 Ryanair hop to Rome beats a $700 direct flight to Rome every time.

Budget Airlines That Cross the Atlantic

Transatlantic budget airlines have transformed what "cheap" means for Europe trips. Here are the ones worth knowing about.

• PLAY Airlines: Based in Iceland, flies from Baltimore, Boston, New York, and other East Coast cities. Base fares start around $150-$250 one-way. You'll pay extra for bags and food, but even with add-ons, it's cheaper than legacy carriers.
• Norse Atlantic Airways: Operates wide-body Dreamliners from New York, Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando to London, Oslo, Berlin, and Athens. Economy fares from $150-$350 one-way.
• French Bee: Flies from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami to Paris. Fares start around $200 one-way in economy. The planes are newer A350s with decent legroom.
• Icelandair: Not quite "budget" but regularly runs sales with round trips under $400. The free Iceland stopover is a massive perk.
• TAP Air Portugal: Competitive pricing from East Coast cities to Lisbon with easy connections throughout Europe and beyond.

Important: budget airlines charge for everything. A $150 base fare can become $350 after you add a carry-on bag, seat selection, and a meal. Always price out the total cost with bags before comparing to legacy carriers.

When to Book and When to Fly

Best Booking Window

For transatlantic flights, the sweet spot is 2-4 months before departure. Book too early and you'll pay the "planning ahead" premium. Book too late and you'll pay the desperation premium. For peak summer travel (June-August), push that to 4-6 months ahead since those flights fill up fast.

Cheapest Months to Fly

• January-March: The cheapest period, excluding the holidays. Expect fares 30-50% lower than summer. Yes, it's cold, but cities like Lisbon, Barcelona, and Athens are pleasant even in winter.
• September-November: Shoulder season with great weather and fares dropping as summer crowds thin out. October is the sweet spot for many destinations.
• April-May: Prices start climbing but aren't at peak levels yet. Great weather across most of Europe.
• June-August: Peak pricing. Expect to pay 40-60% more than shoulder season. If you must fly in summer, departing on a Tuesday or Wednesday saves $50-$150 over weekend departures.

Best Days to Fly

Tuesday and Wednesday departures are consistently the cheapest. Friday and Sunday are the most expensive. A mid-week departure and return can save $100-$200 on the same route compared to a weekend schedule.

Use Nearby Airports and Positioning Flights

If you live near multiple airports, always check all of them. A $40 bus ride to a different airport can save $300 on your transatlantic fare. Google Flights lets you search nearby airports automatically.

For example, if you're in Philadelphia, check fares from PHL, EWR, JFK, and even BWI. The difference between airports on the same route can be staggering.

On the European side, the same logic applies. Flying into Milan Bergamo instead of Milan Malpensa, or London Stansted instead of Heathrow, often saves $50-$150.

The Connecting Flight Strategy

Direct flights are convenient but expensive. Adding one stop can slash your fare dramatically.

• Connect through Reykjavik: Icelandair and PLAY use Iceland as a hub between North America and Europe. Often the cheapest routing.
• Connect through Dublin: Aer Lingus funnels US-Europe traffic through Dublin with US preclearance, so you clear customs in Ireland and arrive in Europe as a domestic passenger.
• Connect through Lisbon: TAP Air Portugal routes through Lisbon to dozens of European cities at competitive prices.

A connection adds 2-4 hours to your travel time but can save $200-$400. For a vacation where you're spending a week or more in Europe, that trade-off is usually worth it.

Fare Alerts and Mistake Fares

The absolute cheapest transatlantic flights are mistake fares and flash sales. Airlines occasionally publish fares at a fraction of the intended price due to human error or currency conversion glitches. These deals last hours, not days.

To catch them, sign up for:

• Going.com (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights): The gold standard for deal alerts
• Secret Flying: Aggregates mistake fares and deals from around the web
• Google Flights price tracking: Free and effective for specific routes
• The Points Guy and One Mile at a Time: Cover major fare sales

When you see a mistake fare, book immediately. Use a credit card, don't call the airline, and book the flights before adding hotels or other plans. Most mistake fares are honored, but they disappear fast.

Use Points and Miles Strategically

If you're not earning airline miles or credit card points, you're leaving free flights on the table. A single sign-up bonus from a travel credit card (typically 50,000-80,000 points) can cover a round-trip to Europe in economy.

• Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve: Transfer points to United, British Airways, Air France, and others
• Amex Platinum/Gold: Transfer to Delta, British Airways, ANA, and others
• Capital One Venture X: Transfer to Air France, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, and others

The key is transferring points to airline partners rather than booking through the credit card portal. Transfer to the right airline and a 60,000-point sign-up bonus can get you a business class seat to Europe worth $3,000+.

Budget Airlines Within Europe

Once you're in Europe, getting around cheaply is easy thanks to a massive network of budget carriers.

• Ryanair: The king of European budget flying. Flights from $10-$50 between major cities. Ruthless on baggage fees, so pack light.
• EasyJet: Slightly more comfortable than Ryanair with a bigger route network. Fares from $20-$80.
• Wizz Air: Strong in Eastern Europe with rock-bottom fares. Great for reaching Budapest, Warsaw, Bucharest, and similar cities.
• Vueling: Spain-based with good coverage of Western Europe and the Mediterranean.
• Transavia: Air France's budget arm. Solid for connections from Paris and Amsterdam.

Book directly on these airlines' websites since they rarely show up on US-based search engines. And always check bag allowances before booking. A "free" flight that charges $60 for a carry-on isn't really free.