Travelers looking for cheap flights to Europe can find them these days, no problem. As you might expect, the cheapest airports tend to be those with the largest number of flights in and out, in some of the largest metropolitan areas.
Which airport offers the best cheap connections into the U.K.?
Dublin Airport (DUB), Ireland
Some of the cheapest flights in Europe from the U.S. can be found in Ireland. Aer Lingus has its headquarters in Dublin, and you can find direct flights from 16 U.S. cities on four airlines. The low-cost airline, RyanAir connects Dublin to many cities across Europe, so Dublin can serve as a budget gateway to most of the continent. In addition, Dublin is a great entry point to destinations in northern England – many flights go for under $50 roundtrip.
Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte (summer flights), Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC. offer direct flights to Dublin Airport.
Which airport is the best for domestic cheap flights and connections to eastern Europe?
Rome–Fiumicino International Airport (FCO), Italy
A lot of Americans travel to Italy when they come to Europe, and it’s always the best value to fly into Rome if it’s part of your Italian itinerary. Rome offers direct flights from 14 U.S. cities and is well connected to flights around the country as well as into eastern and southern European destinations. Rome-Fiumicino offers some of the cheapest flights.
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago (summer flights), Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. offer direct flights to Rome.
What airport has the lowest priced airline tickets from the U.S.?
Barcelona El-Prat Airport (BCN), Spain
Even though Madrid is Spain’s busiest airport, Barcelona offers the best flight deals from the U.S. It’s a hub for many of Europe’s low-cost airlines and you can usually hop a flight to most European cities for under $100 (fares to the U.K. are often under $50 round trip).
Atlanta, Boston, Newark, New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Philadelphia (summer flights) offer direct flights to Barcelona.
Which airport has the best rail connections across Europe?
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), the Netherlands
There’s more than one reason backpackers often choose to fly into Amsterdam. It’s very well connected with international flights in and out of 20 U.S. cities and is Europe’s third largest airport by passenger numbers. Because it’s also the primary hub for KLM, you can often find excellent prices on direct flights. As a bonus, the rail station is adjacent to the airport, and Amsterdam has excellent international train service (the favorite mode of transport for backpackers).
Atlanta, Austin (summer flights) Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle offer direct flights from the U.S. to Amsterdam.
Which airport offers the most cheap flights to the rest of Europe?
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), France
For the money, Paris may be the best value entry point across all of Europe. It is the second busiest airport on the continent. CDG offers direct flights from 18 U.S. gateways. It also generally has very good budget flights fanning out across all of Europe. Plus, most people doing a longer trip on the continent include Paris as a destination. You can also easily hop a flight to destinations in north Africa like Morocco and Tunisia from Paris.
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver (summer flights) Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C. offer direct flights from the U.S.
A flight to Europe can be a pretty big investment – it’s definitely the most expensive component of most travelers’ plans. Be sure to also check out our Europe Summer Flights page for tips and advice. It also has a detailed calendar that offers the best and worst days to fly from June to September.
Hi Petra, thank you for pointing that out. They have been corrected from the city codes to the airport codes we mention. Happy Travels