Flights to Europe from the U.S. are at their lowest in years.
We are seeing tremendous deals to Europe this fall, from cities across the U.S. How good are they? A colleague in Los Angeles just found tickets to Copenhagen, London and Madrid that she swears are significantly cheaper than a ticket she found last spring to Cincinnati!
Of course, autumn is always a cheap season, particularly for European travel, but the fall of 2018 is shaping up to be extra-special; it appears to be one of the least-expensive European travel periods in years. The fares mentioned above? All were under $400 round-trip, and some are even cheaper. Here are some more examples found last week (and remember, prices can change without warning).
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Atlanta-Amsterdam, $444
Boston-Madrid, $285
Chicago-London, $359
Denver-London, $395
Ft. Lauderdale-Paris, $321
Los Angeles-Rome, $372
New York-Paris, $268
San Francisco-Zurich, $308
Try these strategies for biggest savings on a trip to Europe.
Shop for maximum flexibility: Use an airfare tool like the one on my site (there are others) that allows searches by month or season; set the parameters of your travel dates to ‘fall’ and the tool will find you the cheapest dates to fly.
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Don’t be afraid of the cold: October, November and even early December are apt to be chilly but that’s when the deals are. Bring a coat, and enjoy the smaller crowds and shorter lines at attractions. Tip: Many hotels also have deals on room rates in the off-season.
Get to a bigger city: If you don’t live in a town with a big hub-type airport like those shown above but there is a large airport within driving distance, compare fares to both; if flights from the large airport are cheap enough, the longer drive may be worth it.
Do some driving (maybe): The flights from Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York are nonstop flights but often the best deals are on connecting flights (flights with a stop or two). Again, compare both kinds of itineraries – flights with and without stops – to see if a longer, less convenient travel day is worth the savings.
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Do not bring a big suitcase: I always bring a carry-on to Europe for two reasons; it’s often free, and since a carry-on travels by my side, the airline can’t lose it. Tip: Traveling by train in Europe is much easier with a carry-on than a big bag.
Finally, if you haven’t been abroad in a while – or ever – the first thing to do is check to be sure your passport is valid. Tip: Some countries require a visitor’s passport be valid for six months after the end of a trip. Need a new passport or need to renew? Go to the U.S. State Department’s travel section.
Rick Seaney is an airline travel expert and the co-founder of FareCompare.com, an airfare comparison shopping site.
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