But what about the train-ferry combination, the one many may recall fondly from their childhoods? It is still feasible, but these days it is not a streamlined option. You’ll need to purchase train and ferry tickets separately and finesse train station-port transportation on your own. The journey will also take 10 hours, so it’s best to leave that option to your memories. Instead, here are some more affordable ways to get from London to Paris and back again.

Related: 

• 50 Ways to save in Paris
• 21 Simple tips to save in London

Affordable Travel From London To Paris

Here are the most viable and cheapest ways to get between these two European centers.

Air: Fast but not so efficient

Though flying between London and Paris is by no means our recommended mode of transportation — the distance is simply too short to warrant the hassle, not to mention the carbon expenditure — there are a few ways to get between these two dynamic capital cities by air. These days the Paris-London route is used disproportionately for passengers connecting on to a long-haul destination, with the exception of business travelers flying in and out of London City Airport. That said, we did find one-way fares starting at $38 searching a few months in advance, but of course that doesn’t include all of the rail or taxi fares in between the airports and the city center.

• easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

• From London Luton, easyJet flies to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. You can find one-way fares three months in advance for as low as £30 (about $38).

• From London Heathrow, Air France flies to Paris-Charles de Gaulle with fares as low at £77 ($99), while British Airways flies to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly for as low as £47 ($60).

Rail: Comfortable and quick

The only direct train linkage from London to Paris these days is the Eurostar, which travels between London’s St. Pancras International and the Gare du Nord in Paris 15-17 times per weekday. The trip usually takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, with maximum speeds of up to 186 mph. However, Eurostar started rolling out brand new trains in late 2015 that can make the journey in only 2 hours at speeds of up to 200 mph.

The experience feels a bit like air travel, with its security checks and passport control in both directions. Because the UK is not part of the Schengen Area, passengers go through passport control prior to boarding their trains. Traveling from Paris to London, passengers first exit France through French passport control and then enter the UK via British passport control. In London, passengers will officially enter France in the station, submitting passports to French passport control before boarding their train to Paris.

From London, return Eurostar London to Paris fares begin at a very reasonable £41 round trip ($52) (between midday and midnight on a Monday; anytime on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday; and between midday and midnight on a Saturday). Booking nonrefundable tickets as far as possible in advance (up to 120 days) is your best bet for finding this low-cost fare. The cheapest tickets sell out first, so the earlier you book, the more you save.

Bus: Long but super cheap

The bus is usually the least expensive way to travel between Paris and London. It also takes much longer than a flight or the train. BlaBlaCar Bus and FlixBus are two major bus lines traveling between the two capitals. French BlaBlaCar Bus takes between 7.5 and 9 hours. The FlixBus journey takes between 9 and 10 hours. Both lines advertise free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets.

One-way FlixBus (formerly Eurolines) fares begin at £25 ($32). The FlixBus terminal in London is Victoria Coach Station; the Paris terminal is Bercy Seine.

BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly OUIBUS, and before that, iDBUS), a subsidiary of French train company SNCF, is a more comfortable option, with good legroom. Fares begin at around £25 for a one-way journey — promotional one-way fares and overnight trips can dip even lower. The BlaBlaCar Bus terminal in London is Victoria Coach Station; the BlaBlaCar Bus Paris terminal is Paris-Bercy.

What’s your preference?

How do you prefer to travel from London to Paris? Have any tips on ways to save on any of the transport options listed above? Share your tips with us in the comments section!

The post The cheapest way from London to Paris: Planes, trains & buses from £25 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

As we reported in the fall of 2019, French bee was supposed to start flying this route in June of 2020. We all know how 2020 worked out for all travel companies. But with more countries ramping up vaccinations and borders carefully re-opening across Europe (France opened up to US travelers in June), French bee is re-launching their affordable fares this summer.

Related: Tips for traveling to France during Covid-19

How to get a cheap flight to Paris on French bee

Right now,  you can find one-way fares for $154 to Paris for fall travel. For example, we did a search and found a $154 fare to Paris on October 31st with a return flight on November 7th for $224. The total cost is $378 for the round-trip fare, an excellent deal for a non-stop flight to Paris.

Be aware that with the lowest fare, you get a Basic ticket with no perks. If you want to check a bag, you might want to upgrade for a little more to get a Smart ticket.

French bee offers three types of tickets between Newark and Paris:

Basic: This option offers very few perks. For example, you won’t get checked baggage or food, and seat assignments cost an extra $20. However, you can change your flight for free (plus the fare difference).

Smart: For an extra $70 on the flight we searched, you get a checked bag and one meal with a Smart ticket. You still have to pay for a seat assignment if you want one, though ($20).

Premium: This option is a little out of our budget. But for $438, Premium gives you a more comfortable seat, two checked bags, and one meal.

Seats include USB ports and unlimited in-flight entertainment. Photo: French bee

Flight details

From Newark, the departure time is 10:55 pm. The flight gets you into Paris Orly at 12:20 pm. This gives you plenty of time to hit the ground running on your first day in The City of Light. On the way back, the flight leaves Paris at 6:45 pm.

If you’re worried about planning travel now, all flights on French bee are 100% refundable or exchangeable. Non-refundable tickets earn you a voucher if you have to change your plans. French bee uses the health passport through the TousAntiCovid application. See their website for more details on COVID-19, vaccination and testing regulations.

The post French bee airline launches budget flights to Paris from Newark appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The budget options for flying between Europe and the US just keep getting better and better. Primera is the latest airline to join the swell of low-cost carriers (like Norwegian, XL, and Wow) charging fares as low as $99 for a one-way ticket.

But is flying Primera worth it to save a few bucks?

We booked a ticket recently between Paris and Newark (EWR) to find out how this new budget carrier stacks up.

Read more about budget airlines:
• Tips for making your flight on Norwegian Air more comfortable
• Wow for $99? Yes, but the devil is in the details
• Our guide to flying the cheapo skies on Wow

Tips for flying Primera Air to Europe

Are you thinking about booking a ticket with Primera? You can read about the pros and cons of my recent experience before you make a final decision.

The price

When I was planning a trip to Paris to see the French Open, I started searching for affordable tickets. I had written about Primera Air a few months earlier, so I really wanted to give it a shot.

After buying a cheap one-way ticket to Paris on Norwegian, I found a return ticket from Paris to Newark on Primera for only €169. I purchased it two months before my flight, and to keep my costs low, I didn’t reserve a seat, pre-order food or purchase checked baggage.

Search for cheap flights to Europe

Pre-flight issues

After I bought my ticket, I received a confirmation email right away and counted down the days until my trip. When it was time to come back from Paris, things didn’t get off to a good start. I received only one email before my flight five days before it was scheduled to take off. There was no communication from Primera by email or text the day before or day of my flight.

In fact, I was trying to check the flight status of my trip at my hotel in Paris before I got on the RER to the airport. After searching the Primera Air website, I quickly realized there is no place to check for your flight status! I thought maybe it was my afternoon glass of wine that was clouding my vision but it turned out to be true.

I checked Google Flights, and it said the information was “unavailable”, so I went on the Charles de Gaulle Aiport (CDG) website and saw that my flight was listed as “canceled.” When I saw that,  I decided to leave right away to get to the terminal and see what was going on. Needless to say, it was not a good start to my trip home.

The line to check in at CDG Airport.

At the airport

After stressing out on my ride RER train ride out to the airport, I finally arrived at Terminal 3. From the train station (stop 1 at CDG), it’s about a 10-minute walk to the terminal.

I asked the information desk where Primera Air was, and they pointed me to a very long line. The moment I put my bag down and got in line, I received a text that the flight was actually NOT canceled. This was very confusing to everyone because most people had no idea that there were any problems with the flight.

However, the Primera staff quickly went down the line to let us know that the flight was indeed scheduled to leave two hours later than originally planned. Not the best news, but that’s a lot better than having your flight canceled!

Baggage fees

Like other budget airlines (and most carriers now), Primera Air charges for any checked baggage. You’ll save if you pay in advance instead of at the gate. You can read more about baggage fees on Primera’s website.

On my many experiences on Norwegian, I have been able to bring my bags on board without getting hit with a fee, so I decided to take a chance on Primera. At check-in at the airport, I had to show the Primera attendant my backpack (a North Face Overhaul Backpack) and a smaller backpack that I was carrying. After an inquisitive look, they let me go without making me check any bags. I couldn’t tell if this was the official policy or just sympathy because our flight was delayed.

Related: Baggage fees for US to Europe airlines

Onboard

Most of Primera’s transatlantic flights are on the Airbus A321neo. These new planes have excellent fuel efficiency for long-haul flight helping to keep fares down. The plane that I was on for my Paris to Newark journey was less than two weeks old!

Just note, that even though the plane was brand new, they didn’t offer Wi-Fi or in-flight entertainment. Make sure to download podcasts or movies to your laptop or phone before getting on board. The good news? There was a USB port at every seat so you can easily charge your device.

The faux leather seats were definitely not luxurious, but they were not as cramped as I expected. I even managed to get a few hours of shut-eye on my way home.

Service

The London-based crew was very friendly and helpful during the flight. Before we took off, they even explained in great detail why the flight was delayed for two hours.

They did come around to offer drinks, sandwiches, and snacks for purchase three times during the trip. You can also just push the flight attendant button and place your order with them directly. I sipped a €5.50 cognac (not a bad price at all) as I read a book and looked over my notes from my Parisian adventure. Nothing is included unless you pre-paid for a meal, so I would suggest bringing food with you. The prices are a little on the high side but not completely outrageous.

The verdict

If you don’t mind forgoing the perks that come with legacy carriers, you can’t beat the price of Primera. I’ll have to fly it a few more times to get a full picture of how Primera Air is holding up against the competition, but I would definitely give it another chance despite the delay and communication issues. The onboard flight crew was extremely friendly and helpful and the brand-new plane was quite nice.

Primera did send a follow-up survey a few days after my flight, so I’m hoping they take note of my biggest complaints that could easily make the experience a little less stressful. Getting the flight status up on the website would be a good start!

To check fares, you can search the Primera Air website.

Your thoughts on Primera

Have you flown Primera? Share your experience with us in the comments section.

Note: Soon after we took our flight on Primera, the company announced they were canceling flights on a new Birmingham to North American route. They blamed the delay in the delivery of new Airbus planes, but it left a lot of travelers in limbo. Double check with Primera to make sure your flight is still on schedule.

The post What’s it like to take a Primera Air transatlantic flight appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We always get a little giddy here at EuroCheapo every time a new budget airline enters the transatlantic market. Along with booking an affordable place to stay, securing a low-cost flight to Europe is key to keeping your vacation expenses in check.

So we’re excited to see a brand-new player bringing cheap flights between the US and Europe. Primera Air will be kicking off its transatlantic service in April with non-stop flights from New York to London with more routes rolling out later in 2018 to Paris and Birmingham.

Primera is an Icelandic-owned and Latvia-based company that already operates a number of routes across Europe. Now they’re ready to expand their service with a brand-new fleet of planes, the Airbus A321neo. Launching with a similar concept like Norwegian and WOW Air,  Primera will be offering several tiers of tickets from super cheap with no frills to more expensive with a number of perks.

Flying the cheapo skies: A guide to flying Wow Air | Tips for making your flight on Norwegian comfier

Introductory fares on Primera Air

Right now, Primera is only offering service from three destinations: Boston (BOS), New York – Newark (EWR), and Washington, DC (Dulles Airport). They have been advertising rock-bottom fares of $99 each way, and although a lot of those tickets have sold out, we are still able to find incredible deals including several tickets under $200. For example, a flight from Newark to London in late April is only $179.

Primera breaks their tickets down into Light (the cheapest option with no perks), Comfort (includes seat reservation, a checked bag, and meals), or Flex (all of the Comfort perks but the fare is refundable).  If you choose a “Light” ticket, you can add on extras one at a time. For example, a seat reservation starts at $39.99 and a checked bag costs $44.99. They also offer a Premium Cabin, but the prices are way out of cheapo budget for us to even consider this option.

The transatlantic experience on Primera

I’ll be flying Primera in a few months from Paris back to New York City. I was able to find a €169 ($207) one-way flight direct from Paris (CDG) to Newark (EWR) in early June, an amazing deal for this time of year. Combined with a one-way ticket from Norwegian at $170, the final cost for a round-trip ticket to Paris was just $378. That’s a very nice price for a trip to Paris over Memorial Day weekend and during the French Open.

We’re looking forward to flying on Primera Air, and we’ll be reporting back about our experience. Right now you can read about transatlantic flights on the Primera website, but until we climb aboard, it’s hard to predict what the flights will be like. As we’ve learned (sometimes the hard way), these budget airlines can be fantastic deals, but the devil is always in the details.

Have you bought a ticket on Primera Air? Let us know how your experience in the comments below!

The post Primera Air launches new discount flights to Europe from $99 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

EuroCheapo has you covered with the best affordable hotels in Paris, but how can you save on airfare?

In the past, we’ve shared tips about flying on budget airlines like Norwegian, and now we’re ready to share our secrets for getting to Paris on the cheap.

Here are six proven tips to help you score the best price on a ticket to Paris!

Travel tips for Paris
• 50 Simple ways to save on your trip to Paris
• 8 Fantastic day trips from Paris
• Simple ways to save on your Paris hotel

How to find a cheap flight to Paris

Before you spend a bundle on your airfare, take a moment to see what our Paris correspondent, Mayowa Ige, does to score a low-cost flight.

1. Try a French budget airline

A few years ago, I scored a great deal using XL Airways, a budget airline that was based in France that made direct trips between Paris the US. I bought my one-way ticket to Paris (CDG) from Los Angeles (LAX) for $183. Unfortunately, XL went out of business in 2019. However, you can still get great deals on French Bee airlines with fares as low as $139.

No, you didn’t read that wrong.

Your flight won’t include any extras, so if you want to bring a bag to check, you’ll be paying extra. You can upgrade to a Smart ticket that includes a meal and a checked bag. For example, a recent search on French Bee had a one-way ticket for $178 from Newark to Paris on Basic and $248 for Smart.

Also, be sure to check out our guides to booking budget flights on Norwegian. While they’re not French companies, they do often run specials to Paris with draw-dropping low fares.

French Bee is a cheap way to get to Paris. Photo: Olivier

2. Buy your ticket during the wee hours

After living in Paris for three months, my mom decided she had had enough of FaceTime and Skype, so she started planning a visit in December 2017. With holiday markets and festive cheer in full swing, December is a popular month to visit Paris, but she managed to snag a 10-day round-trip flight with American Airlines from LAX to Paris for under $500. One 50-pound check-in bag, a carry on, and the food were included in the price.

How did she manage to score this deal?! By buying during the late night/early morning period. There is less online traffic at 1 am, so you can snag deals that “early birds” would have normally gotten by 6 am or 7 am.

3. Travel during the off-season

With the way the American work and school cycle is structured, vacations typically occur during the summer and major holidays, and this peak season usually means higher airfare prices. It will almost always be cheaper to go during the off-season, although sometimes you can find deals if you go during the beginning or end of the peak season.

You should also pay attention to European work and school cycles. In April, students get a 10-day vacation for Easter holiday and so inter-European flights may be slightly more expensive than normal because of the influx of students traveling.

Related: When (and when not) to visit Paris

The departures board at Charles de Gaulle (CDG). Photo: Pedro

4. Buy two one-way or open-jaw tickets

If you can’t beat the system, at least try to trick it! Buying two one-way tickets can cost the same as a round trip, and can actually work better for your travel plans.

For example, if your trip starts in Lisbon and ends in Berlin (with a stop in Paris along the way), you could buy a one-way to Lisbon, and a one-way home from Berlin, which saves you the hassle and expense of getting back to Lisbon to fly home. (In addition to one-way tickets, you should also check “open jaw” tickets that let you fly into one city and home from another.)

For a sample trip in early 2020, a one-way flight from LAX to Charles de Gaulle would cost $200. Then, a one-way flight from Berlin to LAX would cost $244. Meanwhile, a round trip from LAX to Paris and back would cost around $600. So, if you choose the one-way routes, you would be saving time and money in the long run because you won’t have to pay to return to Paris in order to fly back to the U.S.

5. Sign up for airline newsletters

Sale fares to Europe go fast… and if you plan to snag a steal, you need to know about it as soon as possible. One of the best ways to stay on top of the deals is to sign up for airline newsletters. Check out this guide to the best airline newsletters to subscribe to.

6. Change your language settings

If you’re planning on hopping around to different cities in Europe once you’re in Paris, you might want to check the different prices based on your language settings in your app or browser.

For example, I noticed that when I bought my tickets in Spanish, the euro prices were a bit cheaper than when I bought my tickets in English with American dollars. Since I was looking for inter-European flights, the savings were only $30-40 dollars, but considering that a round-trip flight from Paris to Madrid in mid-March 2018 is €42, you could end up saving quite a bit!

Your tips

Have you been able to find a cheap flight to Paris? Tell us your tricks and tips in the comments below.

The post 6 tips for scoring a cheap flight to Paris appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Scheduled to launch on April 26, 2018, WOW new flights from JFK will take off for Rejkyavik, Iceland and 22 other destinations across Europe.

WOW will also be adding an additional 13 flights per week out of Newark, where they already fly, beginning in May 2018.

$99 one-way tickets to Europe on WOW air

In conjunction with the announcement, WOW also kicked off a big sale with super cheap airfare. Starting today, you can score $99 one-way tickets from JFK  to travel to the following destinations:

Paris, Amsterdam, London (Stansted Airport), Frankfurt, Dublin, Copenhagen, and Berlin. When you combine a Wow flight with one of our cheapo hotels, you could score a truly affordable vacation!

Although this is a Cheapo’s dream come true, tickets will go fast. Check the WOW air website and start planning your trip to Europe for next spring! The price includes all taxes, fees and carrier charges and dates of travel are from April to June and September to October of 2018.

Of course, $99 flights always come with a catch. Before you click “purchase”, you might want to read our tips for flying to Europe on WOW and “WOW air: Our Guide to flying the cheapo skies“. The devil is always in the details!

The post Flash Sale: $99 Tickets to Europe on WOW with new flights from JFK appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Related: How we scored a cheap flight to London-Gatwick on Norwegian

I recently flew from New York-JFK to London for $168 and Paris to New York-JFK for just $220. Of course, there’s always a catch with such a nice price. And if you’re used to flying established carriers like Air France, Virgin Atlantic, or airberlin, you need to prepare yourself for a different experience, so don’t expect to be welcomed with a glass of Champagne.

However, we’ve enjoyed most of our flights on Norwegian despite the lack of perks. And after flying this low-cost airline a number of times, we’ve discovered a few easy ways to make your trip on Norwegian more comfortable.

Related: Search cheap flights to Europe

1. You don’t need to pay for a seat reservation

Unless you absolutely need an aisle or window seat, there’s no need to pay extra for your exact seat. They’ll assign you one on the day of your departure.  If you really like a window or aisle seat, then you should go ahead and pay the $45 fee to secure your preferred seat, but we’d rather spend that money on our first meal of the trip.

2. Flying with someone? Check in early to (hopefully) nab seats together

If you’re traveling with a companion and don’t already have a seat reservation, it pays to arrive at the check-in counter early. Each time I’ve flown Norwegian with a companion, we’ve been able to get seats together. On sold-out flights from JFK to London and Paris to JFK, I was able to get two seats together without any hassle.

3. If you like views, nab a window seat

If you love gazing out over the landscape like I do (check out this shot of Greenland on a trip back from Iceland), you might want to request a window seat. Boeing 787s have oversize windows that you can control with an electronic shade. It’s a cool feature that may or may not be worth the extra money to reserve your seat.

4. You might want to pay to check your bag

We all know the agony of having to check your bag at the gate. The fees can kick off your trip on the wrong note — say goodbye to $65 when you fly Norwegian (as opposed to $45 if you pay for luggage online; check out all baggage fee details). Although Norwegian does have spacious overhead bins on their long-haul flights, if you have a big piece of luggage, it might be better to pay beforehand rather than getting stuck with a big fee at the counter.

Related: WOW Air $99 to Europe? Yes, but the devil is in the details

5. Buy water before boarding

Unless you purchased a meal online, you won’t be getting any free drinks or snacks — not even a cup of water. They don’t even come around with a drink cart, so grab a couple of bottles of water beforehand if you don’t want to shell out a few bucks. Or go super cheapo and fill up your own bottle at the bathroom water fountain.

6. Maybe skip the meals and bring your own

The food on Norwegian for LowFare tickets won’t win away awards. Expect your typical airline food. If you have time, swing by a bakery in Paris for a sandwich and pastry on your way to the airport. You’ll make your fellow passengers very jealous, especially the ones who paid for the chicken à la mode.

That said, sometimes Norwegian offers online combination specials (called LowFare+) for a three-course meal, drinks, seat reservation, and piece of baggage. I once scored a LowFare+ for an extra $50 on a flight to London. That might be a good time to upgrade your experience.

7. Order drinks and food right from your seat

If you start craving a snack, you can just browse the selections from your seat. Swipe your card, and your order is delivered by the flight attendants. The pricing is pretty standard for airlines ($6 for a beer, $3 for snacks, etc.), and a bottle of sparkling water from Iceland was actually cheaper than at the gate in JFK. I usually use the money I saved on the seat reservation to splurge on a glass of wine.

Related: What’s it like to fly to Europe on Primera Air

8. Free movies, TV shows and interactive maps help pass the time

For a budget airline, the on-board entertainment is surprisingly good. They offer free movies and TV shows but don’t expect the latest blockbusters or live TV (except for flights within Europe). Settle in for a few episodes of Friends or movies like Argo or Finding Nemo.

Also, I’m a huge cartography nerd, so I love Norwegian’s live map feature. You can zoom in on destinations around the globe to learn more about the attractions and choose different views from the plane during your journey.

9. Charge your laptop, tablet or smartphone from your seat

They don’t offer live TV on in-seat screen, but you can charge your mobile devices with ease. Get your smartphone juiced up with the plug just below the screen, so you can start snapping photos from the moment you get off the plane.

10. The 787 Dreamliner is quite comfortable and the crew very friendly

Norwegian flights to Europe all use the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for their routes. Mood lighting, a 3-3-3 seating arrangement across the plane, and several bathrooms make for a nice flight. The crews on all of my Norwegian flights have been quite friendly and enthusiastic at assisting in any way they can (despite the lack of free snacks). This can come in handy on a 6+ hour flight!

Your tips

Have you flown Norwegian? Tell us about your experience in our comments section below. What tips do you have for other travelers?

The post Flying Norwegian: 10 Tips for making your cheap flight to Europe more comfortable appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The deal

Right now, Aer Lingus is offering fares under $500 direct to Ireland from the East Coast of the US. The $499 round-trip fare is good from New York JFK and Newark International Airport to Dublin and from Boston to Shannon.

If you live in Washington, DC, the price jumps a little bit to $579, and even more from the West Coast.

Travel Period: You can travel anytime between November 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017. Aer Lingus has an easy-to-use fare finder system where you can quickly scroll through the calendar to compare prices on different days of the week.

Booking Period: You have until September 21, 2016, at 7 pm to book your flight. However, as with any great flight deal, reserve your tickets as soon as possible to have the best chance at securing the dates you want to travel.

How to book: Check availability and book on the Aer Lingus website.

(Note: Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to find out early about these flash deals. Click the envelope icon at the top of the page to subscribe.)

Is it a good value?

Anytime we can find a direct, round-trip flight to anywhere in Europe for $500 or less, our cheapo alarm bells go off. For budget travelers like us, flying to Europe is always the most expensive cost of our trip. With many flights to Europe tipping toward the $800-900 price range on a regular basis, we’re always on the hunt for deals like this.

Plus, Aer Lingus also lets you take one checked bag on your journey, so you don’t have to worry about hidden baggage costs at the gate. That $499 also includes all taxes and fees.

On the downside, the travel window is limited, and you can’t use this deal to go in the high season. But when the temperatures drop across Ireland in January and February at least you won’t have to worry about the summer crowds. And if you’re used to winter in New York, the “off season” in Ireland might just feel downright tropical compared to the frozen thermometer back home.

Related: Baggage fees for airlines flying from the US to Europe

St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland

Looking to spend St. Paddy’s Day in Ireland? This might be the year to skip the parade down Fifth Avenue in New York City and head straight for Dublin. We found flights leaving on March 13, 2017 and coming back on March 20 for the $499 price.

Dublin hosts a popular St. Patrick’s Festival every year including a parade through the city streets. Dig out your favorite green outfit and start packing your bags. Just book those hotel reservations early, because you can expect to join over 500,000 other revelers in the streets of Dublin on March 17th.

Cheers! The scene at Temple Bar after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin. Photo: lendog64

Hotels and hostels in Dublin

Once you score a great deal on your flight, finding a room for under $100 is easier than you might think when you visit Dublin. If you want to really save, there are several cheap hostels in Dublin and you can find private double rooms starting for around $50.

Search the best value hotels in Dublin on EuroCheapo

The post Flash Deal: Fly to Ireland on Aer Lingus for $499 roundtrip (book by September 21) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Related: See all flash deals on European travel

Do the math and that’s only $450 per person, with all taxes and fees included. Even better, you’re not limited to a short booking period but rather a six-month window. You can travel between September 16, 2016, and April 3, 2017. We found flights in the winter and spring leaving on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday (and coming back those same weekdays) for this special fare. If you want to travel on the weekends, the price is just a little bit more. Just book by Monday, August 22 to score this deal. 

And even though the price is right up our cheapo alley, the perks that come with a flight on Emirates are usually way beyond our budget. On budget airlines like Wow or Norwegian, you get a low price but everything else comes at a cost (seat reservation, baggage, food, etc). However, Emirates Economy offers a whole new level of experience. You can savor a four-course meal, watch 2,500+ channels on the in-flight entertainment system, and even log onto free Wi-Fi during your trip. And if you are worried about getting hit with steep baggage fees, sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight because Emirates Economy lets you bring two checked bags with you. All of this for only $450 per person? Sign us up!

Pack your bags. It’s time for a trip to Milan! Photo: Christopher J

Once you get to Milan, you’ll have no problem finding affordable accommodations. EuroCheapo has hotels in Milan for as low as $60 per night for a double room. Plus, you don’t have to stick to Milan. Hop a train and be in Venice in three hours, Florence in two hours, and Genoa in 2.5 hours. You can even sneak in a night in Bologna, a beautiful student city with a reputation for amazing cuisine — but of course, you’ll find incredible food no matter where you go in Italy!

Click here to search dates and book your ticket. 

The post Flight Deal: 2 Tickets to Milan, Italy for $899 on Emirates — Book by August 22 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Related: 7 Ways to save now on next year’s trip to Europe

For most of us traveling from North America, the flight to Europe is our biggest budget obstacle. While it can be easy to find great bargains on hotels, it takes a bit of effort and research to uncover cheap flights across the Atlantic.

There are airfare flash sales that come and go, but those are hard to nab if you don’t act quickly. However, before you give up hope on finding a good price for your next flight, try some of the tips below. Before long, you’ll be “humble bragging” on Facebook about the incredibly low airfare you just scored for your European vacation. Good luck!

Note: Looking for a little budget travel guidance? Check out the current EuroCheapo package deals for great discounts for US travelers heading to Europe. We book your airfare, hotel, and rental car all at once, and pass along the savings.

Example flight

For the tips that follow, we’ll use a sample itinerary. We’ll say that we’re based in Chicago and want to visit London, Amsterdam, and Paris. We’re looking for a flight from Chicago to London. After spending a few days in London, we plan to take the train to Amsterdam (via Lille) and wind up in Paris. Then we’ll head back to London to fly home to Chicago.

So how can we save on this flight?

Set up alerts so you can get the latest prices on your route.

1. Set up an airfare alert.

If you know the exact route that you want to fly, you should set up airfare alerts to be notified of flight deals immediately. Websites like Kayak.com and Airfarewatchdog.com will email you when they notice a deal on the route that you’re planning to fly.

In this example, we can go to these websites and create a flight alert for Chicago to London. But wait…

2. Don’t forget about “open jaw” flights.

Pardon us if this is too basic, but many travelers don’t realize that flights into one city and home from another are often just about the same price as flights into and out of the same city. Furthermore, you can save lots of money on transportation (trains, buses, ferries, etc), as you won’t need to circle back to your city of arrival. This tip can not only save you money but allows you to save time, so you can see more of Europe.

In our example, instead of a round-trip to London, fly into London and home from Paris. It’s a good idea to also research the round-trip fares from London (after all, you might snag a cheap deal), but we would certainly focus on flights from Chicago -> London, and then Paris -> Chicago.

Even if that flight turned out to be a bit more expensive, chances are it would be less expensive than paying for a trip on the Eurostar (or a flight!) back from Paris to London (and probably an extra overnight in London, too).

Paris in May can be just as beautiful (and a lot less crowded) than the summer. Photo: Loïc Lagarde

3. Be flexible with your dates.

Flexibility is a budget traveler’s best friend (in so, so many ways!). In terms of snagging a good deal on flights, if you can bump your travel dates around a bit, you may end up saving a lot on airfare.

If you have the possibility, try pushing the trip back a week or up a week to see if you can find a deal on airfare. You might be surprised—there might be something happening (a big convention, sporting event, Madonna concert…) in one of your cities that is throwing off the airfare.

Related: When is the best time to visit Paris and Amsterdam.

In our example, say that we find that our flight seems strangely expensive. In fact, the hotel prices also seem quite high—but only for Paris for our dates. This could indicate that Paris is booked up with some special event (such as a giant conference or the annual Fashion Weeks). If you have some flexibility, push your trip dates around and see if airfare drops. Hunt for a deal–you might just find it.

4. Avoid weekends if possible.

Flights tend to be more popular and more expensive for weekend travelers. If you’re able to travel midweek, chances are you’ll be able to snag a better deal. Play around with your dates — you’ll probably see cheaper airfare on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Related: Planning a trip to Europe? Avoid these 10 costly mistakes

Heathrow is a major airport in London, but did you know there are several others? Photo: Stefan Kellner

5. Be flexible with your destinations or itinerary.

Conversely, you can play around with your destinations. Is there another airport nearby that you haven’t included in your search? Could you add another leg to your trip that includes a less expensive airport to fly into? Can you juggle your itinerary a bit to avoid a momentarily expensive city?

Back to our example, if Paris is booked up (and flights expensive) because of the fashion show, perhaps we could invert the trip, landing in Paris (the week before the fashion show), visiting Amsterdam and then departing from London. This would allow us to avoid not only more expensive flight costs, but higher hotel rates, as well.

You should also double-check and make sure that you’re including all area airports in your search. In our example, don’t just search for Heathrow (LHR) and Charles de Gaulle (CDG). Make sure to search for the city code, “LON” and “PAR”, to see all area airports. A lot of European cities, even smaller ones, have secondary airports that might be new to you.

A final option is to “hub it.” For example, say you find an incredible flight deal from Chicago to Dublin on Aer Lingus. It might be worth booking the flight to Dublin and then searching Europe’s budget airlines (like Ryanair and easyJet) to get a fare from Dublin to London.

Don’t overlook nearby airports. Kayak has a function to let you easily search for them.

6. If at all possible, avoid the peak travel season.

We know, for many travelers, the timing of the trip has been established long in advance (often dictated by academic schedules, holidays, or growling bosses). However, if you do have a bit more flexibility and are looking for ways to save, consider pushing your trip away from peak summer months and global holidays, and into “shoulder season” or even low season.

For spring travel, instead of June, try early May or late April. Looking for a fall visit to Europe? Push your plans back from September to October to save a bit more. If you’re able to travel to Europe in the early spring or late fall, you will almost certainly be rewarded with lower airfares, shorter lines at top attractions, and lower hotel rates.

7. Know when to snag international airfare deals.

According to a study by the airline experts at Kayak.com, booking 34 days prior to departure is approximately 4% cheaper than booking six months in advance. That said, if you see a great deal many months out, don’t hesitate to book it!

WOW Air is just one of a handful of budget airlines offering super cheap flights to Europe. Photo: Alec Wilson

8. Don’t forget about “budget” international airlines.

In the past few years, a number of new budget-conscious airlines have started flying between North America and Europe. These airlines have made it possible to snag a one-way ticket for jaw-dropping prices, and their fare calendars make it easy to browse prices over the course of a few months.

WOW Airlines, which trumpets $99 one-way flights to mainland Europe (with a connection in Iceland) is certainly worth a search. Note, however, that this price is hard to find and doesn’t include extras such as checked baggage (which can add up fast, see our chart), seat assignments, or anything to nibble on. (Read our article on Wow Air to get more details.)

In 2016, it might be easier to fly WOW as they’ve recently announced a new route from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Europe, and that they’ll be expanding their schedule from Boston, Baltimore/Washington DC, Montreal, and Toronto. Hopefully, they’ll fly out New York in the near future as well!

Norwegian is another budget option that has been offering super cheap fares from North American to Europe. They fly non-stop from New York to London, and we’ve found some excellent deals on Norwegian in the past. Read our guide to making your trip on Norwegian more comfortable.

And the newest player to enter the transatlantic discount flight market is Primera Air. They are kicking off service to Paris and London in the spring of 2018.

Will you score a $99 one-way flight to Europe? Probably not, but it’s still worth it for budget travelers to look for deals on Wow! Airlines, Norwegian Air, and Westjet (from Canada).

Search now!

Ready to look for flights? Do a search with EuroCheapo’s flight search!

Your tips

How do you keep it cheap when searching for airfare to and around Europe? Share with us in the comments section below!

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