The Cheapest Time to Fly to Europe in 2027

Looking for cheap flights to Europe? When you fly, where you land, how far ahead you search, and which airport you leave from all change what a round trip costs. Some of those choices save far more than others.

Fares to Europe swing by hundreds of dollars between the cheapest and priciest months, and the cheapest city to fly into isn't always the one you'd guess.

So we dug into RatePunk's fare data, compared flights on the same routes, and found plenty of ways to pay less. Here are the tips, starting with the biggest savings.

Fly in the Cheapest Months

January and February are the cheapest months to fly to Europe from the U.S. On a typical route, a February trip ran about $50 under the usual round-trip price. January was close behind at about $45 under.

Here's the rest of the year, from cheapest to priciest:

• Cheapest: January and February
• A bit below average: November and October
• Average price: March and April
• Pricier: December and May, about $60 and $95 over
• The most expensive: June and July, about $345 and $470 over

So if your dates can move, fly in January or February. The same trip in July can cost hundreds more.

Round-trip economy fares from the U.S. to Europe seen August 2025 to April 2026, 21 to 120 days before the flight, compared with each route's usual price. On a typical route, January was $45 under the usual price, February $50 under, March $5 under, April the usual price, May $95 over, June $345 over, July $470 over, August $160 over, September $10 over, October $10 under, November $25 under, and December $60 over.

Land in a Cheaper City

Some European cities cost less to fly into than others. We compared every city from the same U.S. airports, so a city doesn't look cheap just because a lot of people fly there from New York.

Stockholm was the cheapest, at about $105 under the usual round-trip fare to Europe. Barcelona and Copenhagen came next, about $80 and $75 under.

Here's how the other big cities compared:

• Cheapest: Stockholm, Barcelona, Copenhagen
• Cheaper than average: Madrid, Milan, Dublin, and Rome
• Average: London and Paris
• Pricier than others: Munich and Naples, about $80 more. Reykjavik, Malta, and Zagreb cost the most, at about $140 to $185 more

If your heart's set on one of the pricier destinations, try flying into a cheaper city and travel on from there.

Round-trip economy fares from the U.S. seen May 8 to October 26, 2026, 21 to 120 days before the flight, each city compared with the usual fare to Europe from the same U.S. airports. Stockholm was $105 under, Barcelona $80 under, Copenhagen $75 under, Madrid $70 under, Milan $65 under, Dublin $55 under, London $35 under, Paris $25 under, and Amsterdam $5 under. Frankfurt was $25 over, Munich $80 over, Reykjavik $140 over, Malta $160 over, and Zagreb $185 over.

Book at the Right Time

The best time to search is about one and a half to four months before your trip. That's when fares to Europe were lowest on the same route and travel month.

Here's how the timing played out, from earliest to last minute:

• Six months or more: around $85 more (only on a few of the routes we checked)
• Four to six months out: average price
• Three to four months out: about $25 under the average
• One and a half to three months out: about $15 below average
• Three weeks to one and a half months out: about $5 to $10 above average
• One to three weeks out: about $30 to $55 above average
• The last week: $100 to $115 above average

Waiting costs the most. Fares climb every week from about a month out, and the last few days are the priciest of all.

So don't book a year out, and don't leave it to the last minute. The sweet spot is in the middle, and the day of the week you book barely matters.

Round-trip economy fares from the U.S. to Europe seen May 8 to October 26, 2026, compared with the average price for the same route and month. On a typical route, fares were $85 above average 6 to 10 months out, at the average 4 to 6 months out, $25 below at 3 to 4 months, $15 below at 1½ to 3 months, $5 to $10 above from 3 weeks to 1½ months, $30 to $55 above at 1 to 3 weeks, and $100 to $115 above in the last week.

Start From a Cheaper Airport

Flights to Europe cost less from New York and Boston than from most big U.S. airports. Compared to the same European cities, JFK came in about $180 below the average round-trip fare. Newark and Boston were also around $145 below average.

Orlando, Chicago O'Hare, and Miami were cheaper than others. Los Angeles landed at about the average. Sacramento, San Juan, and Salt Lake City cost the most, at about $75 to $95 more than average.

Where you start also changes which city is cheapest to reach. Madrid won from the most airports, including JFK, Newark, Boston, and Washington Dulles. Barcelona was cheapest from Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, and San Diego, and Stockholm from Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and Orlando.

Find your airport in the table below to see where your cheapest flight goes. We only counted cities with tens of thousands of fares from that airport, so one airline's niche route can't win on a handful of searches.

Book Summer Trips Early

Summer is the most expensive time to fly to Europe, and that's true in every country we compared. From June to August, fares ran hundreds over the usual price on the same routes.

Here's how much summer added in each country:

• The biggest jumps: the Netherlands, about $465 higher, followed closely by the United Kingdom and Germany
• The smallest jumps: Ireland, about $285 higher, and Portugal

Winter works the other way. In January and February, fares ran lower than the average. Greece was the one exception.

If summer is the only option, search about one and a half to two months ahead. Fares seen then ran about $30 under the usual price for the route and month.

So book summer early. And if you can swap it for a winter trip, do it.

How much more or less round-trip fares from the U.S. cost than the average price for each country, in summer (June to August) and winter (January and February). Netherlands: $465 more in summer, $80 less in winter. United Kingdom: $425 more, $50 less. Germany: $405 more, $70 less. Greece: $390 more, about average. Italy: $390 more, $45 less. Spain: $375 more, $45 less. France: $370 more, $70 less. Portugal: $315 more, $55 less. Ireland: $285 more, $60 less.

Know What a Good Price Looks Like

A good deal on a flight to Europe starts at about $795 round trip. Only one in ten fares came in that low. A typical round trip was around $1,125.

The good-deal price changes with the city. Here's where it sat for a few popular ones:

• Stockholm: about $650
• Copenhagen: about $670
• Madrid and Reykjavik: about $735
• Dublin and Milan: about $740
• Barcelona and Rome: about $765
• Paris: about $810
• London: about $845
• Malta: about $970

Reykjavik is the odd one out. Its good-deal price is among the lowest. Its typical round trip, about $1,285, is among the highest. The deals are there, but you have to catch them.

The table below has the good-deal price for every big city, so you know when to stop looking and book.

And if you book and then spot something better, the Department of Transportation's 24-hour rule lets you cancel for a full refund within a day, as long as you booked with the airline at least seven days before the flight.

Check Bag Fees Before You Book

A cheap ticket to Europe isn't always the whole picture. Bags can cost extra, and the fare you see first can grow significantly once you add a checked bag.

The good news is you don't have to dig for the fees. Under a Department of Transportation rule, airlines and booking sites selling tickets online in the U.S. must say on the first screen that shows a fare that bag fees may apply, and where to find them. The exact amounts sit on each airline's fees page, which the same rule requires.

Don't expect the bag prices next to every fare, though. A stricter rule that would have required that was thrown out and the Department of Transportation restored the older standard in July 2026.

So add your bags, then compare. A fare that looks cheaper with no baggage can end up costing more.

How to Book European Trips for Less

Put it all together:

• Fly in winter: January and February cost the least. Summer costs the most
• Pick a cheaper city: Stockholm, Barcelona, and Copenhagen came in well under the usual fare
• Search early, but not too early: about one and a half to four months before the trip
• Start in the Northeast if you can: New York and Boston had the cheapest fares to Europe
• Add your bags before you compare: the first price you see isn't always the price you will pay
• Let the deals find you: use tools like RatePunk Flights to watch prices from your home airport and get alerts when a flight costs less than usual

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to fly into a big hub and travel on from there?

Not usually. The big hubs, like London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Munich, weren't the cheapest cities to fly into. Smaller airports like Stockholm, Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Madrid cost about $70 to $105 less than the average. Flying into one of the cheaper options and traveling on from there could be cheaper. Just be sure to factor in the cost of that onward trip.

What day of the week is cheapest to fly to Europe?

Tuesday. Round trips leaving on a Tuesday ran about $20 under the usual price on the same routes. Saturday was the priciest day to leave, at about $40 over. Still, how early you search matters way more than the day.

Want to dig into which days to leave and come home? Our guide to the cheapest day to fly has you covered.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Europe?

February, with January close behind. On a typical route, February round trips ran about $50 under the usual price. July was the priciest, at about $470 more than average.

How far in advance should I book a flight to Europe?

About one and a half to four months out. Fares seen then ran about $15 to $25 under the usual price for the route and month. The last three days cost about $115 more. Booking six months or more ahead doesn’t provide any extra savings.

How much is a good price for a round-trip flight to Europe?

Anything near $795 round trip. Only one in ten round trips from the U.S. to Europe came in that low. A typical round trip was about $1,125. Anything under that is worth grabbing.

How We Got These Numbers

The prices in this guide come from flight searches RatePunk tracked from U.S. airports to Europe. They are round-trip economy fares per person. The cities, U.S. airports, good-deal prices, and the cheapest city from each airport use fares seen May 8 to October 26, 2026, 21 to 120 days before the flight. How far ahead to book, the days of the week, and summer booking use fares seen in the same period at every distance. The months and the summer and winter prices by country use fares seen August 2025 to April 23, 2026, because only that stretch covers a full year. A typical price is the median, which means half the fares were cheaper and half cost more. Cities were compared from the same U.S. airports, U.S. airports on the same European cities, and months on the same routes. The good-deal price for a city is the price the cheapest tenth of round trips to it were at or under. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest $5. These are prices shown in searches, not prices people paid.

About RatePunk

Reading fares and understanding what makes them move is our area of expertise, and the prices in this article come from our own flight data. RatePunk Flights is a flight-deal service that watches prices from your home airport and alerts you when a flight costs less than usual. You can then book it wherever you like, with the airline itself or a travel site you already use.

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