22 Cheapest European Cities & Airports to Fly into in 2023
It’s very common for those of us visiting Europe from the US or Canada to visit a few different cities throughout our visit. Luckily, we have the option to fly into lots of different cities, which helps one to really customize a trip to their liking. But with the airline business constantly changing, how do we know which are the cheapest cities to fly into?
A few years ago, the cheapest flights into Europe were almost always into the largest and busiest airports, which are stationed in London, Frankfurt, Paris, and Amsterdam. Nowadays, these airports can sometimes serve as the more expensive airports to fly into, meaning that savvy travelers on multi-stop trips might want to think about starting elsewhere.
This article was last updated in May, 2023
How Was The Test Done?
For each and every city that we tested, we searched for the cheapest fare starting from the 5 largest cities in the US (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta) and Canada’s largest city (Toronto) in early August, and the cheapest fare in mid October. After finding the cheapest fares for both those dates, we averaged the two fares together and then averaged the fares into all 6 cities into on Index number. The cheap flights to Europe from the USA are mainly from the east coast, but there are many great deals from other regions as well.
The rankings starting in individual cities can vary from the combined list, but generally they aren’t very far apart. Only a handful of the cheapest flights were non-stops, and because of this, almost everyone will be changing planes exactly once in each direction over the Atlantic. The cheapest flights from New York to Europe are most often non-stops, but from a lot of other cities you have to change planes indoor to get a decent fare.
How To Use The List Below
Because a lot of the cheapest cities to fly into are remote and out of the way, the best way for you to use this list is to continue to scroll through until you find one of the cities you are planning a visit to. Hopefully you can then find a cheap flight and use that as the hub to explore other cities by rail or low-cost airlines.
Overall, the differences in fares from the top to the bottom of this list are not large enough to justify flying into one and then booking another separate round-trip to your final destination on a low-cost airline.
Related information
- Cheapest European cities for backpackers (54 cities ranked by price)
- Cheapest European cities for 3-star travelers (54 cities ranked by price)
22 Cheapest European Cities & Airports to Fly to in 2023
(prices shown below are listed for cheapest summer/autumn – average)
Paris, France
City code: PAR
Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Orly Airport (ORY)
Charles de Gaulle Airport is another of Europe’s largest and best connected airports and is considered the main hub of Air France. While conducting our tests, we found some competitive flights that start from some cities (New York, Chicago, and Toronto), but more expensive from others. Because of this, you might find that flying into another city and then moving on to Paris is a cheaper option unless you are starting from either NYC or Toronto.
- New York City: $938/$401 – $670
- Chicago: $975/$547 – $761
- Los Angeles: $1,059/$835 – $947
- Houston: $1,190/$835 – $1,013
- Atlanta: $1,090/$600 – $845
- Toronto: $781/$343 – $562
- Index average: $800
London, England
City code: LON
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Gatwick Airport (LGW)
London Stansted Airport (STN)
Luton Airport (LTN)
London currently is home to 4 large airports (plus the London City Airport for short-haul flights) and the cheapest trans-Atlantic fares could be into any one of them. Heathrow is the busiest, but you’ll often find that Gatwick is the cheapest. If you’d like to start your vacation in London, then this year you should be able to get a fairly cheap flight.
- New York City: $1,006/$438 – $722
- Chicago: $978/$549 – $764
- Los Angeles: $786/$628 – $707
- Houston: $867/$640 – $754
- Atlanta: $828/$614 – $721
- Toronto: $746/$422 – $584
- Index average: $709
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
This is Europe’s 4th busiest airport and because of that, offers nonstop connections to destinations around the world as the main hub of KLM. Amsterdam is once again a good airport for bargains.
- New York City: $1,052/$425 – $739
- Chicago: $1,157/$517 – $837
- Los Angeles: $1,103/$714 – $909
- Houston: $1,188/$838 – $1,013
- Atlanta: $1,105/$727 – $916
- Toronto: $659/$396 – $528
- Index average: $824
Brussels, Belgium
Brussels Airport (BRU)
This is the home of Brussels Airlines, which flies nonstop to New York-JFK. This airport is also served by most of Europe’s majors so fares are pretty competitive.
- New York City: $828/$403 – $616
- Chicago: $1,165/$656 – $911
- Los Angeles: $1,252/$782 – $1,017
- Houston: $1,578/$916 – $1,247
- Atlanta: $1,600/$838 – $1,219
- Toronto: $927/$558 – $743
- Index average: $790
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich Airport (ZRH)
Zurich Airport is the main hub of Swiss International AirLines (aka SWISS), and it’s quite surprising that they offer fairly competitive fares on incoming flights, including many destinations in Germany. You’ll just want to note that everything else in Zurich is incredibly expensive once you are through security.
- New York City: $828/$562 – $695
- Chicago: $1,201/$567 – $884
- Los Angeles: $1,112/$789 – $951
- Houston: $1,583/$845 – $1,241
- Atlanta: $1,074/$779 – $927
- Toronto: $1,261/$941 – $1,101
- Index average: $967
Madrid, Spain
Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD)
Here you’ll find Spain’s busiest airport and Europe’s 4th busiest, but being home to Iberia Airline doesn’t mean it’ll always have cheap non-stop trans-Atlantic flights.
- New York City: $1,018/$523 – $771
- Chicago: $1,232/$735 – $984
- Los Angeles: $1,410/$743 – $1,077
- Houston: $1,458/$795 – $1,127
- Atlanta: $1,333/$658 – $996
- Toronto: $933/$729 – $831
- Index average: $964
Oslo, Norway
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (OSL)
For those flying from the US or Canada to Norway, you’ll find that flights into Oslo are strangely cheap from major North American cities. The bad news is that certain things like food and drinks once you are there are on the expensive side.
- New York City: $658/$445 – $552
- Chicago: $977/$504 – $741
- Los Angeles: $1,087/$536 – $812
- Houston: $1,085/$845 – $965
- Atlanta: $938/$690 – $814
- Toronto: $1,009/$628 – $819
- Index average: $784
Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS)
The city of Lisbon is a very good travel bargain once you get there and the inbound flights are now fairly expensive, that is unless you are starting in Toronto.
- New York City: $1,158/$570 – $864
- Chicago: $1,350/$651 – $1,001
- Los Angeles: $1,292/$801 – $1,047
- Houston: $1,341/$836 – $1,049
- Atlanta: $1,132/$757 – $945
- Toronto: $1,096/$587 – $842
- Index average: $958
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague Václav Havel Airport (PRG)
Prague Airport is the hub of Czech Airlines, but few of the cheapest trans-Atlantic flights are on the carrier. Over the years, this airport has become more and more expensive.
- New York City: $941/$623 – $787
- Chicago: $1,224/$588 – $906
- Los Angeles: $1,371/$802 – $1,087
- Houston: $1,447/$828 – $1,138
- Atlanta: $1,304/$832 – $1,068
- Toronto: $947/$719 – $833
- Index average: $970
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen Airport (CPH)
Scandinavian Airlines which is also known as SAS, operates the largest of its three hubs in the city of Copenhagen, and that leads to low airfares, especially on its non-stop flights from New York, Chicago, and Toronto.
- New York City: $766/$302 – $534
- Chicago: $974/$517 – $732
- Los Angeles: $1,134/$623 – $879
- Houston: $1,094/$666 – $880
- Atlanta: $1,070/$829 – $950
- Toronto: $619/$335 – $447
- Index average: $737
Milan, Italy
City code: MIL
Malpensa Airport (MXP)
Linate Airport (LIN)
The smaller of the two hubs of Alitalia, Milan’s tends to be cheaper than flying into Rome, but if you don’t plan to visit Milan then flying into Rome is a better option. Strangely, Alitalia never seems to have the best fares.
- New York City: $1,009/$409 – $709
- Chicago: $1,447/$549 – $998
- Los Angeles: $1,419/$811 – $1,115
- Houston: $1,487/$842 – $1,165
- Atlanta: $1,317/$680 – $999
- Toronto: $1,140/$845 – $993
- Index average: $997
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona–El Prat Airport
A little bit smaller and noticeably quieter than Madrid, the Barcelona Airport has a few trans-Atlantic flights of its own. It is serviced by all of Europe’s major airlines, which makes it a good option.
- New York City: $855/$441 – $648
- Chicago: $1,111/$702 – $907
- Los Angeles: $947/$779 – $863
- Houston: $1,481/$800 – $1,141
- Atlanta: $950/$673 – $812
- Toronto: $863/$702 – $783
- Index average: $859
Dublin/Shannon, Ireland
Dublin Airport (DUB)
Shannon Airport (SNN)
The Dublin and Shannon airports are on complete opposite sides of Ireland, with both being busy hubs of Aer Lingus, which offers cheap flights. You’ll also find that both are similar in airfare price (with Dublin usually being just a bit cheaper) so we’ve combined them both here. Basically, if you want to start your Ireland visit in Dublin, fly into Dublin, and if you want to start your visit elsewhere, then you’ll want to fly into Shannon.
- New York City: $963/$325 – $644
- Chicago: $1,002/$627 – $815
- Los Angeles: $1,098/$613 – $856
- Houston: $1,092/$766 – $856
- Atlanta: $1,044/$656 – $850
- Toronto: $887/$376 – $632
- Index average: $776
Stockholm, Sweden
City code: STO
Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
Stockholm Bromma Airport (BMA)
Scandinavian Airlines operates its second busiest hub out of Arlanda Airport so fares there are usually cheapest there. However, Bromma Airport is closer to the city center and its fares are usually only a bit higher.
- New York City: $790/$434 – $612
- Chicago: $993/$527 – $760
- Los Angeles: $1,091/$581 – $836
- Houston: $1,157/$809 – $983
- Atlanta: $1,072/$641 – $857
- Toronto: $931/$661 – $796
- Index average: $807
Munich, Germany
Munich Airport (MUC)
Munich’s airport is busier than the one in Berlin, which makes it Germany’s number two for flights. Fares tend to be a bit more expensive than the other German airports, but it can still make the most sense if you want Munich to be part of your trip.
- New York City: $1,274/$423 – $849
- Chicago: $1,267/$751 – $1,009
- Los Angeles: $1,239/$730 – $985
- Houston: $1,133/$812 – $973
- Atlanta: $1,134/$733 – $934
- Toronto: $/1,192/$790 – $991
- Index average: $957
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD)
The cheapest fares into Budapest are often those that change planes in Moscow or Helsinki. However, SWISS isn’t that much more expensive for a change in Zurich.
- New York City: $1,017/$516 – $767
- Chicago: $1,317/$551 – $934
- Los Angeles: $1,269/$807 – $1,038
- Houston: $1,168/$824 – $996
- Atlanta: $1,001/$678 – $839
- Toronto: $884/$770 – $827
- Index average: $900
Rome, Italy
City code: ROM
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
Italy’s largest airport and the home of Alitalia, Rome isn’t exactly known for cheap trans-Atlantic flights, though you’ll still find that it’s a good choice for anyone starting in Rome and then heading north on a larger tour of Europe.
- New York City: $1,243/$498 – $871
- Chicago: $1,245/$644 – $945
- Los Angeles: $1,444/$771 – $1,108
- Houston: $1,585/$708 – $1,147
- Atlanta: $1,327/$721 – $1,024
- Toronto: $1,247/$879 – $1,063
- Index average: $1,026
Athens, Greece
Athens International Airport (ATH)
This airport is the hub of both Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air, and prices for hotels have come down a bit, but incoming flights aren’t know to be bargains. If you will be touring Greece along with some other European countries, it’s probably a better idea to first land somewhere else and hop over to Greece somewhere along your trip.
- New York City: $909/$595 – $752
- Chicago: $1,069/$798 – $934
- Los Angeles: $1,376/$687 – $1,032
- Houston: $827/$687 – $757
- Atlanta: $1,532/$732 – $1,132
- Toronto: $903/$796 – $850
- Index average: $910
Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW)
Warsaw is the home of LOT Polish Airlines, but that one is rarely the cheapest option for trans-Atlantic flights. Once upon a time, it used to be one of the cheaper cities to fly into Europe.
- New York City: $862/$506 – $684
- Chicago: $1,405/$517 – $961
- Los Angeles: $1,139/$519 – $829
- Houston: $1,537/$857 – $1,197
- Atlanta: $1,211/$822 – $1,017
- Toronto: $926/$608 – $767
- Index average: $909
Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
Frankfurt Airport is the 3rd busiest airport in the entirety of Europe, making it the busiest in Germany, and it’s also home to Lufthansa. And these days its trans-Atlantic flights are trending a bit pricier than those to Berlin, though the city itself isn’t much of a tourist hub so if you do fly there, you might be leaving shortly after.
- New York City: $841/$425 – $633
- Chicago: $1,911/$613 – $1,262
- Los Angeles: $1,310/$1,097 – $1,204
- Houston: $1,145/$1,103 – $1,124
- Atlanta: $1,326/$931 – $1,129
- Toronto: $881/$640 – $761
- Index average: $1,019
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST)
Regardless of the greater distance, Istanbul once offered cheap fares. There is another airport in the Asian suburbs (SAW) but the cheap flights there tend to be from nearby.
- New York City: $878/$612 – $745
- Chicago: $1,302/$906 – $1,104
- Los Angeles: $1,429/$776 – $1,103
- Houston: $1,192/$1,104 – $1,148
- Atlanta: $1,321/$886 – $1,104
- Toronto: $1,411/$1,040 – $1,226
- Index average: $1,072
Berlin, Germany
City code: BER
Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL)
Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF)
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
With the rise of Air Berlin and a greater popularity for Berlin itself, it’s now a bit cheaper in fares compared to flying into Frankfurt. Because there is a lot to do and see within the city, flying here is a great option for all.
- New York City: $725/$417 – $571
- Chicago: $1,233/$583 – $908
- Los Angeles: $1,480/$670 – $1,075
- Houston: $1,112/$820 – $966
- Atlanta: $1,475/$972 – $1,223
- Toronto: $1,070/$636 – $853
- Index average: $933
NOTE: This post was originally published in May, 2013 with 2013 data. It’s been totally updated in in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and most recently in May 2023 with current fare data.
Great site! Hope you can help me. Planning to go to Spain (Camino to Santiago, the Ingles Way from the north) Also want to see Avila, but not play tourist. Have to go to Rome at some point, either fly in or out of but no set plans. Traveling cheap. Probably in March or April, 2015 and leaving out of St Louis, MO. Any suggestions on how to plan, when to leave, where to start/stop would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rosanne,
That sounds like a really great trip you are planning. Unfortunately I can’t be of much help because that’s a part of Spain I don’t know too well. The one thing I can recommend is that you’ll want to fly between Spain and Rome, as the train takes a LONG time and isn’t cheap either. The earlier you book the flights, the cheaper it will be for those shorter hops within Europe. Best of luck, and sorry I don’t have more info for you. -Roger
Want to go to croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia. Italy? Circle tour or fly in and out of different cities. Renting a car for entire trip. Where should we fly to, from. Starting in Minneapolis, MN. Nothing written in stone. We have three weeks.
Leanne,
There are no major airports in Croatia (for international travel) or Bosnia, so you will almost certainly be best off flying into Rome or Milan. You can take a ferry from several different cities in eastern Italy to a few different cities in Croatia. The trains in Croatia are slow and don’t go to most beach areas, so the ferries and buses will be best. -Roger
Roger, we took your advice and flew from Chicago to Munich in route to Zagreb, Croatia. We really got the lowest price for flying in July.
Thanks for your research effort. With 5 of us traveling small fees add up
Kathleen,
I’m glad it worked out for you, and I appreciate you taking the time to follow up. Thank you. -Roger
Wow! Great site. Thanks. Maybe you can help me.
I have accepted a two week teaching assignment in Rezekne, Latvia in late September 2015 (over a year from now). I live in San Diego.
I am thinking I’ll have someone drive me to LAX if cheaper airfare.
I’m trying to figure out how to get to Rezekne, without LAX to Moscow to Riga on Aeroflot, and then 4-hour train to Rezekne, which would leave me exhausted.
One thought is to book round trip to another nearby city I’d like to see for two or three days on the way. Maybe Prague, Copenhagen, or Stockholm? Then take the short flight from that city to Riga and hop a train. Reverse it on the way back to catch the return leg without the overnight stay.
Do you have any thoughts? I can’t seem to find anyone with much Baltic states experience.
Thanks.
Thomas
Thomas,
Thank you for the kind words. Interestingly, I’m currently planning my own first trip through those Baltic countries, so I’ve actually done quite a bit of research even though I’ve yet to visit.
For one thing, everything I’ve read says that train service in that whole region is still terrible and very spotty. The train from Riga to Rezekne might be your best bet, but most people seem to agree that bus service is much better and more thorough. There are frequent normal buses between the cities, and also quite a few “VIP” buses with only 3 seats across for only a bit more than the others. If you buy in advance, they seem to be under US$20 even for the luxury ones.
The other complication, as you’ve discovered, is that none of those Baltic cities seems to have decent airfares from anywhere. Warsaw seems to be the closest large airport, and that’s not very close at all. If you flew into Stockholm (which DOES have cheap flights) then you could even take a ferry to Riga. Or you could get a cheap flight from Copenhagen, although the city itself (along with Stockholm) is so expensive that you might use up your savings with a few meals and a night in a hotel. Prague is probably a better tourist city and it’s cheaper as well, so that idea seems worth pursuing.
By the end of September, 2014, I will have toured that whole area so I might have more ideas for you at that point. Best of luck, and feel free to write back at any point. -Roger
Thank you for this very valuable information. My wife and I are planning a trip to Europe (Germany or France)leaving LA in mid April 2015. Would you suggest we wait on purchasing the flights or buy them now?
Douglas,
According to the data as well as my personal experience, you’ll be better off waiting. I’d think you’d get the best fares starting around next January, and since April isn’t really high season, there is no risk of fares shooting up and planes being full. Time is on your side, for now. -Roger
We’re planning to go across the pond soon and I was hoping to find some info from Miami to London (2 adults, 2 kids 9, 13). We plan to take Eurostar to Paris, then possibly Italy(Tuscany), and Santorini and possibly Latvia. We plan on staying 3 weeks +- some days and probably will rent a car in Paris to explore the surrounding areas. Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thank you!
Irina,
I’d be happy to try to help, but I don’t quite understand what advice you are looking for. Latvia and Santorini are not often found on the same itinerary for a 3-week trip, and including both will require several extra flights. If you give me an idea of what help you are looking for, I’ll be happy to try. -Roger
How about Birmingham UK
eileen,
I tried to limit this test to the cheapest and most popular European cities and airports. It appears that flights into the London airports are almost always quite a bit cheaper than those into Birmingham, and there also doesn’t seem to be much demand to fly into Birmingham for tourists from the US and Canada. -Roger
Hi Roger,
WOW, what a great tool, a bit confusing but I am sure “eventually” I will get it for future travel. I am planning a trip in July 2014 to Europe, back packing and staying at Hostels. I live in Vegas and since its just me I am VERY flexible as to where and when I arrive. My dates would be July 1st to arrive somewhere in the EU and be back to LV sometime July 27 or so. I have looked at a map of the EU and thought of doing a letter O starting in London. Some of my prime choice cities are as follows: London, Paris, Rome, Athens, Odessa/Dnepropetrovsk Ukraine(visit friends so 4 days), Moscow/St. Petersburg RU, Berlin and back to London. I am thinking of night time travel by train and sightseeing during day anywhere from 24-48hrs. I thought of “bidding” for my airfare as to keep costs low, staying at hostels or even sleeping on trains overnight. Can you give some great travel ideas for a first time back packer who wants to do the EU on the cheap!
Francisco,
I’m glad you find this helpful. I think your plan sounds pretty good, although be aware that from Rome to Athens you’d want to fly (quite cheap if you book way in advance), or take a train to a ferry. From Athens to Odessa you’d also want to fly because there is basically no train service in Greece these days. The other option would be a bus to Sofia and then another bus (or perhaps train) to Odessa.
When you discuss “bidding” on airfare, I assume you are talking about Priceline? If so, I’ve heard that getting good deals that way has gotten harder and harder. The thing is, pretty much all airlines now fly most flights totally full, so it’s very rare that you’d find a half-full flight where they are ready to accept a low bid just to fill one more seat. Also, night trains aren’t often a good way of saving money, because usually the bunk (couchette) on a night train is going to cost a supplement of €20 or so, which is about the same as a hostel dorm bed.
Honestly, the cheapest way of getting around will be by bus. Go to eurolines.com (it’s confusing at first) and you’ll find that they offer some really amazing promotional fares on long-distance buses. In some places they are almost as fast as trains, and they are usually pretty comfortable as well.
As for budget tips, it’s mostly about going to the cheaper places. London, Paris, and Rome are all among the most expensive cities in the world. Check the Europe Backpacker Index for ideas on cheaper cities that are also great. Krakow and Budapest are probably the best bargains.
Otherwise it’s too big of a question to try to answer here. If you have more specific questions, I’ll be happy to try to answer them. Good luck. -Roger
Hi Roger,
This is a really useful article. Thanks for posting! I am trying to decide whether I want to start and end my trip in the same airport or if I can do an open jaw trip for relatively cheap.
While finding a decently priced one way flight from NYC to LON is pretty simple, I’m having a hard time trying to figure out where would be a good ending place. Do you have any suggestions?
Catherine,
Always happy to hear that this information is useful. All of my testing with these European airfares actually demonstrated that it’s difficult to save money by flying in and out of specific cities there. What I mean by that is, it’s hard to save enough money by flying in or out of a city you don’t really want to visit, to justify doing it. In other words, you are most likely to have the best trip by just flying out of the farthest place you want to visit on that trip. So the real question is, where do you want to go?
You might save a bit of money by flying out of Copenhagen, which is a lovely city with surprisingly cheap flights, or by flying out of Lisbon, which is another really nice destination that is at one of Europe’s edges. Amsterdam and Berlin could also be good choices if you want to visit them.
In the end, I think you might find the best deal by booking a round-trip to Europe, and then flying back to your landing airport at the end of the trip. As in, fly into London, take the Eurostar to Paris, then take a train down to Nice, then another one over to Barcelona, then Madrid, then Lisbon, and have a cheap flight from Lisbon back to London booked so you can get back on the flight home from there. In my experience, that will usually be cheaper than a one-way flight to London and then a one-way flight from Lisbon back to NYC. Of course, you should try all the main options before booking.
So again, it mostly depends on your desired itinerary, and I’ll be happy to help you choose that if you like. -Roger
Hi Roger, Thanks for the response.
I’ve honestly never been to Europe at all so I am very open to most places. I am still eligible for the Youth pass for Eurail and I am considering getting the Select Pass for this trip and figuring out how to best utilize that.
I’ve read that France and Italy don’t really like the pass and end up charging large amounts in addition to the cost of the Eurail pass. That being said, I’m thinking of saving one or the other for a future trip. I’m planning for 3 weeks, give or take 2-3 days. The itinerary isn’t set but I am considering something like the following:
-Fly into London
-Fly to Italy (Can swap in France) and either travel north by train or flight
-Use the rail pass to continue north to some combination of these countries (2-4 countries is likely)
-Austria, Czech, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark
I’ll look into flying out of Amsterdam, Berlin, and Copenhagen, as well as just doing a RT flight in London as you suggested.
Any thought on the use of the Select Pass with Eurail? Do you think I’m trying to tackle too many places? Any advice is greatly appreciated. 🙂
Thanks again,
Catherine
Catherine,
A Eurail Select Pass can be a great tool for some itineraries, as long as you are traveling enough within 4 bordering countries.
Before we go on, the only thing to be careful of with a Select Pass is that France charges like €30 or even a bit more for a seat reservation on a few of their most popular high-speed trains, and they also have a quota of how many they allow on each train, so you sometimes have to make those reservations well in advance. There is also a high seat reservation for booking a bunk on overnight trains from France to Italy, but otherwise it’s easy and cheap to reserve seats on trains in Italy.
So you could use a Select Eurail Pass for France, Italy, or both, as long as you are prepared to deal with a possible seat or bunk shortage on a few of their trains. A rail pass is a better deal in France than in Italy because France charges much more for train rides, especially on or just before the day of travel.
You could do France, Germany, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg count as one country for rail passes), and Denmark. That way you could visit Nice, Paris, Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Copenhagen, just to name a few. You could visit Munich and/or Berlin in Germany as well. In other words, you’ll really want to sort out a proposed itinerary to know whether a rail pass is a better deal than buying individual tickets online in advance.
I’d recommend at least 3 days in London. From there you’d have about 18 days left, and I’d recommend no more than 6 additional stops, making it a total of 7 in those 3 weeks. You could push it to 8 total stops, but if you tried to do more than that then you’d be spending nearly half your time going between places rather than actually seeing the sights.
Of course it also helps to choose cities that are easy to reach from one another. If you wanted to spend time in France or Italy, then you’d also have time for Salzburg, Vienna, Prague, and Berlin OR you’d have time for Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam, Hamburg (or Berlin), and Copenhagen, but you probably wouldn’t want to mix the lists. So think about which group of cities you are most drawn to, and then your method of transport between them should become clear. I’ll be happy to help with that if you need it. -Roger
I’ll be travelling mid July with my two kids to Madrid wondering if I can get any flights cheaper than $1,500. I’m will to go to another city to save. Help! Any suggestions?
Charms,
It would help to know where you were starting from and also where else you are planning on visiting on that trip. Spain is a tricky one for inbound flights because Madrid and Barcelona both tend to be relatively expensive, and there are no close alternatives that work well. For example, Lisbon has some cheap flights from some cities, and it’s a really interesting city on its own, but the easiest way to get from Lisbon to Madrid is by night train, and those aren’t a great choice for many people.
If you are going to Madrid then I assume you will also be visiting Barcelona, so obviously check fares into both cities. Aside from that, I’d need more info to help. If you want to provide where you are starting from, your ideal travel dates, and where you want to visit once you get to Europe, I might be able to help you find something that works better. -Roger
Hi Roger – great article. My daughter and I are planning a trip to Spain in July, we live in Nashville. also considering a side trip to Portugal while we are there. Sounds like flying into Portugal might be a good option? Since it’s just the two of us, we were considering staying in Barcelona and taking day trips (organized) to other cities. Any feedback you have is appreciated. I have never been to Europe.
Sandy,
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, if you can get a cheap (enough) flight into Lisbon, that could be a good strategy. Lisbon is really a lovely city, and it might even be an easier introduction because English is more widely spoken there than in Spain. The one possible complication is that getting from Lisbon to Madrid means either an overnight train, or a flight (which could be quite cheap). Or you could take a train down into the Algarve region of Portugal, and then a train or bus into southern Spain from there.
As long as you have enough time, I’d recommend staying in Madrid for awhile, and in Barcelona for at least a few days. Both of those cities are very large, and quite different from each other. Madrid has the royal palace and more of the Old World kind of sights, while Barcelona has the beach, some very interesting architecture, and plenty of good nearby day trips. It really depends on how long you have on the trip. If you have more than 10 days or so, I could even make more suggestions. Best of luck. -Roger