Fly to Europe For Cheap - Best Ways to Travel to Europe on Points

Travel credit cards are a fantastic way to accumulate points and miles that can be redeemed for flights. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, American Express® Gold Card, and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offer generous sign-up bonuses that can cover a significant portion of your flight costs.

Most major credit cards allow you to transfer points to airline partners. For example, Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to airlines like United, British Airways, and Air France-KLM. By transferring points, you can often find better value and fly to Europe for cheap.

Airline alliances, such as Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam, allow you to use miles from one airline to book flights with partner airlines.

This flexibility can help you find cheaper flights and better routes to Europe.

While it’s common to say that booking early can get you the best deal, sometimes last-minute deals can also offer significant savings, especially if airlines are trying to fill seats.

Europe is beautiful year-round, but if you want to save some bucks, consider flying during the shoulder seasons—spring and fall.

Not only will you find fewer crowds, but flights are often cheaper.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are generally the cheapest days to fly.

Airlines tend to lower prices midweek to encourage travel during these slower days.

Although they have reduced routes post-pandemic, Norwegian Air was once the king of cheap transatlantic flights. Keep an eye out for any re-emergence in their routes.

A great option if you don’t mind a layover in Iceland. They often offer competitive rates, and who knows? You might even get to sneak in a short Icelandic adventure.

Ryanair and EasyJet are famous for their dirt-cheap intra-European flights.

If you can fly into one of their hubs, you can often find connecting flights to your final destination for a fraction of the cost.

Known for having some of the cheapest flights from the USA. Dublin is a great gateway to Europe, and you can find budget connections to the rest of the continent.

Often one of the cheapest options, especially if you’re flying from the East Coast. Lisbon offers a beautiful starting point for your European adventure.

As mentioned earlier, Reykjavik can be a budget-friendly option, especially with Icelandair’s layover deals.

Spain is often a cheaper destination compared to Northern European countries. Both Barcelona and Madrid are great starting points for a European trip.

If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting the ancient ruins of Greece, you’ll be happy to know that flights to Athens are often more affordable than to other parts of Europe.

These cities frequently offer lower airfare compared to other major European hubs. Plus, you’ll be surrounded by incredible food and history!

Consider flying with Delta or British Airways. These airlines offer more amenities and comfortable seating options, which can make a long-haul flight much more bearable.

Norwegian Air, WOW Air (if they ever make a comeback), and Icelandair often have some of the lowest fares for transatlantic flights.

Use services like Google Flights or Skyscanner to set up alerts for price drops. This way, you’ll be the first to know when prices dip.

Don’t just search for flights from the biggest airports near you. Sometimes smaller regional airports have cheaper fares, especially when flying with low-cost carriers.

Don’t be afraid to book one-way flights with different airlines. Sometimes, the best deal is flying out on one airline and back on another.