Cheap Airline Tickets to Europe

**craftypam** · 06-11-2011, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by BertineC

How are you doing on your travel planning?

Airfares are way up this year due to the airlines removing capacity and fuel starting to go up again so it may be a challenge to find cheap fares. Keep an eye on flyertalk.com - sometimes some screaming good deals show up on there that are very limited. If you have some flexibility you can get a good deal to Europe especially if you are out of a major market.

Also, you may want to avoid London Heathrow. The taxes and fees are jacked up on that airport so they are almost half the cost of the ticket. You can still get to London on the Eurostar (very comfortable) if you decide to head that way.

Finally, check out airbnb.com for potential flat/room shares for even cheaper lodging costs. I used that site to find a $50 a night whole apartment to rent in Chicago for March. There ought to be a lot of options for places like Paris and London!

We've been going to Mexico and I just looked up room rates @ airbnb.com and want to say THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

**madhen** · 09-10-2011, 11:17 AM

This thread just caught my eye, because I have a good friend who moved to England a few years back, and we lost touch. We just reconnected (via Internet) last year, and she recently invited me to spend some time next summer with her. I am hoping to go some time in July, so this thread was very interesting to me! (And I was wondering if bunnys ever made it to *her* anticipated trip!)

Happily, I'll be staying with my friend, so no lodging necessary, but I was trying to estimate the cost of flying out, as well.

One thing that was recommended to me by some friends who travel a lot was to get travel insurance, which basically covers you if you get one of those really cheap, non-refundable tickets, but then things change and you can't go. They felt it was worth the extra money for the peace of mind.

**daisymay1960** · 09-11-2011, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by The Muse

Scandinavia is beautiful and I'm fortunate to live here, but Scandinavia is also one of the most expensive regions in Europe. We have a high VAT and are not part of the Eurozone. So if you're hoping to travel on the cheap, look outside of Scandinavia.

I adore Italy!!! I went to Rome and Tuscany in November and it's possible to travel quite inexpensively there if you plan ahead.

I have to agree with Scandinavia being very expensive ! I love Stockholm , Italy can also be very expensive , but then the whole of Europe is pretty expensive these days . I'm English and we are very spoilt that there are so many countries we can visit just 1- 2 hours away , and cheap flights can be found .

One year my brother went inter railing , I now at the time it was very cheap , try this link ..InterRail Europe Train Pass, European Train Travel & Europe Train Tickets

I am off ot Lake Garda , Italy next friday , thanks to British Airways air miles

**Squidge** · 09-11-2011, 05:23 PM

I'd love to hear if bunnys holiday got off the ground and went well, too.

Daisymay, I feel the same way about being in Ireland. Having the rest of Europe so accessible is wonderful. My SO and I travelled from Amsterdam to Berlin to Bavaria (specifically Regensburg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber) this summer and had a blast. I'll tell you something surprising: We had intended on travelling via rail, but it was in fact much cheaper, not to mention quicker, to fly to each destination (we went to Munich to reach the Bavarian towns). A friend of mine recently had a similar experience travelling through France and Italy. The trains were expensive. I am not sure if this was because of the time of year or what.

Research definitely pays off when planning trips like this because we certainly wouldn't have guessed that would be the case!

Hope you have a great time in England, Madhen. What part is your friend in?

**madhen** · 09-11-2011, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by Squidge

Hope you have a great time in England, Madhen. What part is your friend in?

The sad thing is that I don't even know. I don't have a mailing address for her. We totally lost touch while she was in Berkeley, and she moved to England some time after that. I just recently did a search for her on FB and found her again. She lives in Hitchin, but I don't know where that is.

**Debbie-cat** · 09-11-2011, 11:30 PM

Madhen - definitely get the travel insurance!!! So worth the cost. When we flew to Amsterdam there was a mix up and because of the travel insurance we were bumped up to a better flight time.

We were also lucky on airfair. Round trip ticket from Minneapolis to Amsterdam....$220 each.

**Squidge** · 09-17-2011, 09:37 PM

The only thing I know about Hitchin is that it is in Hertfordshire (which I learned from Google) and thus it is in the South.

It's North of London, East of Oxford, but I'm sure that's not much use to you as Google Maps will tell you just the same.

You peaked my interest and I came across this website about Hitchin. It has a picture gallery and virtual tour of the town (wouldn't open on my PC though). Looks like a lovely, quaint place. If you do go next summer, please take photos!

**madhen** · 09-17-2011, 09:57 PM

I am really hoping to go. My friend is already telling me that we'll be hitting Paris and Amsterdam, and thus far, the furthest I've travelled from the U.S. is Canada (and only to Ontario), so it will be a whole new experience.

And I will be taking a LOT of photos, I am sure! Not sure if I can get internet out there, but I'm going to try!

**Squidge** · 09-18-2011, 09:08 AM

That'd definitely be amazing.

My sister lived in Paris for about seven years and she settled in west coast France - been in the country about twenty years now - and it's just such a beautiful place. I wish I could go to see her more often.

Hope you get to do it soon, Madhen. You'll have such a brilliant time, plus then you can share all the photos and we can enjoy it vicariously.

**wanderlusting** · 09-18-2011, 04:16 PM

Madhen- I hope you make it to England. We spent 4 years living in Harrogate (an hour from the Scottish border) and absolutely loved it there. The military had to make us leave kicking and screaming

**madhen** · 09-22-2011, 11:34 PM

Ironically, I just heard a radio program where the guy was going to Hitchin. Weird coincidence. (Especially since it was a suspense program and he ended up on a train that was going to the afterlife!!) MWAAH HA HA HA!!! (Maybe I SHOULDN'T try to go to Hitchin!!)

**bunnys** · 10-23-2011, 03:33 PM

BunnyS here. Well, the trip this past summer never flew (literally or figuratively.)

However, I've come to the realization that the cheapest ticket to Europe for a poor (and frugal) teacher is a FREE ticket to Europe.

And so, I've gotten another student trip together for this coming (2012) spring break.

This will be my 6th trip and this time we're going to London (been several times) and Scotland (never been.)

Very psyched to be going to Scotland as I've always wanted to go there.

I know, it's dragging a bunch of kids along. But they're very excited and very sweet and it's nice to see them experience something new and different. (I really do like them.) I know I could have worse problems than to have to go on a free to Europe with a bunch of teenagers. It would be nice to go once without the kids. I can always dream...

Already beginning to think about Spring 2013. Maybe Germany or Spain...

**NicJean** · 10-29-2011, 05:10 AM

"Grew up" all over Europe (ARMY Brat). Nederlands, Germany, Belgium, France, etc. I must say, cheapest tickets are to Greenland, then Europe. Spend a day there, or just a layover. Helps lots with the bottom line.

**allisha** · 04-10-2012, 05:48 AM

Originally Posted by bunnys

A friend and I want to go to Europe this summer.

She knows a little about buying cheap airline tickets, but I know NOTHING!

I know about Kayak.com. But is this the only place I can go to get cheap tickets?

I am a school teacher and my summer is wide open. I could leave or return any day of the week. I know there are rules regarding traveling certain days of the week, over the weekend, and staying a certain amount of time that can drastically cut your airfare cost.

Does anyone know any of the ins and outs so we can find cheap rates? We are wide open as far as where in Europe we want to go. But this must be a FRUGAL trip and the biggest part of the cost is the airfare.

Thanks in advance.

With considerable reduction in flight ticket, more and more people are preferring air journey. Nowadays people can easily book airlines tickets as wide number of airline agencies are available these days.