Traveling from the United States to Europe on a budget is feasible if you use a few essential tips and tricks to keep your travel expenses low. From airline discounts to knowing where to fly in and out of, savvy travelers met in an online discussion to reveal the best ways to score the most affordable flights en route to your next European adventure. Here is their best advice.
1. Fly Budget Airlines
The most common and popular tip for making your trans-Atlantic flight more affordable is to seek out flights from budget carriers. For example, Norse Airlines consistently garners rave reviews for its increasingly affordable flights from the East Coast of the U.S. to major hubs in Europe. Although you’ll miss out on many amenities by flying budget carriers, your wallet will thank you for it in the long run!
2. Hunt for Cheap Flights Constantly
Let me say this clearly: Never stop scouring for cheap flights. It doesn’t matter if you have a full-time job that takes up most of your time or a family that needs attention; when planning a European adventure, your top priority is constantly searching for the most affordable flights! Your relationships will suffer, and your mental health will go down the drain, but in the end, you will save money on your trip. Thank me later.
3. Don’t Bring a Checked Bag
It’s becoming prohibitively expensive to bring a checked bag with you on your travels in 2023, so take the initiative and keep your large luggage at home! With the right travel baggage, you won’t miss lugging along a checked bag. “Get yourself an Osprey Farpoint bag that zips in half,” advises one frequent traveler. “Use both as a carry-on and personal item. That’s my go-to for no-luggage traveling.”
4. Fly Out of New York
While many travelers assume large airports in cities like Chicago, Orlando, and Atlanta are the best places to fly out of, they’re sorely mistaken. Flying out of any of the major airports in the New York City area is the best course of action if saving money is your goal! For my most recent trips, I’ve found that flying out of Newark, New Jersey, is the most cost-efficient way to travel to Europe.
5. Fly Into Western Europe
It makes sense that location matters when deciding where to fly into Europe. Coastal cities like Lisbon, Portugal, and London, England, are no-brainer destinations when booking your travel since they’re the closest major cities to the U.S. coast. As a bonus, many of these cities are European travel hubs in their own right, offering subsequent flights to countless cities at a fraction of the price of a full trans-Atlantic ticket.
6. Find a Reputable Website That Tracks Cheap Airfare
Although the general airline industry looks down upon websites specializing in keeping tabs on inexpensive, cheap airfare, they can still be invaluable tools for anyone looking to save money. Countless websites make it easy to search for the cheapest flights from any origin location (and destination) worldwide. Utilizing travel sites like these can yield impressive results for people who are simply looking for the most affordable way to get to Europe.
7. Don’t Overthink Things
Depending on where you live, it can be tempting to travel to a cheaper origin airport to take advantage of a cheaper flight. Many experts think that’s not how you should go about it. “If you’re not on the East Coast, don’t focus on getting the cheapest overseas flight,” advises one woman. For example, I’m in Seattle, and I would rather pay an extra $100 to fly from Seattle to Europe than pay $300 to get from here to New York before I’ve even boarded the overseas flight.
8. Use a Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus
Opening a credit card is one of the savviest ways to make your European trip more affordable. Assuming you are responsible with your money, opening up a new credit card from companies like American Airlines or United means you can take advantage of sign-up bonuses. I recently signed up for an American Airlines Mastercard that awarded me enough frequent flier points for two roundtrip flights from Newark to Lisbon! The deals are out there; you just have to know where to look.
9. Choose the Most Basic Economy Fare Available
One of the most straightforward ways to save money on your way to Europe is to purchase the cheapest, most basic airfare available, usually called “Basic Economy.” Remember that by employing this strategy, you will most likely not be able to sit next to your travel buddy on the plane. However, for solo travelers, there’s no downside to purchasing the most bare-bones flight ticket available.
10. Consider a Travel Agent
Believe it or not, many frugal travelers confess that their local travel agent got them a much better deal for a European vacation than they could have done alone. I would never think to enlist the services of a travel agent, but when it comes to easing the load on the wallet when Europe is concerned, I’ll take any savings I can get.
11. Travel During Off-Peak Months
There are many advantages to traveling to Europe during off-peak months. By avoiding travel during the busy summer seasons, you’ll save a lot of money on your flights and enjoy a far less congested experience once you arrive. Think about it: Doesn’t the prospect of seeing the Eiffel Tower without thousands of tourists fighting over the perfect photo speak to you? Nothing’s more stressful than being around countless tourists at the more popular tourist attractions.
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