If you're already planning to visit Europe this fall, it's probably because you know how great it is to explore with lower temperatures and fewer crowds – and get there for less, too. If you're not planning to head across the pond this fall, consider this your sign to rethink it.
Everyone flocks overseas during the summer, but there are so many reasons to visit Europe in the fall instead. It's a pivotal part of shoulder season – September, October, and November in the fall, April and May in the spring – when you can enjoy all that Europe has to offer without the crazy crowds and sweltering weather of peak summer months. That means shorter (or no) lines at museums, easier restaurant reservations, and more leisurely strolls.
But dropping demand in the fall also leads to flight deals like…
- Nationwide flights to Athens (ATH) for under $489 roundtrip
- And roundtrips straight to the dreamy Greek islands for $550 or so total
- Rome (FCO), Venice (VCE), Florence (FLR), and other Italian cities for as low as $416 roundtrip!
- Even trips to Croatia for under $500
The flight deals we're finding lately are sublime … and our Thrifty Traveler Premium members know all about it – they've received more than a dozen recent alerts to book a fall 2024 trip to Europe on the cheap.
Here's what those subscribers are booking.
Greece for Under $499 RT
Let's be real: Travel demand to Greece is massive. And for that reason, airlines aren't always keen on dropping prices on flights to Athens (ATH) – in fact, they usually do the opposite.
But that has changed as fall has drawn closer. So while travelers flock to Greece from June through August and pay a pretty penny to do so, fares are falling as we inch closer to September, October, and November…
Still, we didn't expect fares to drop this much!
These cheap fares to Greece are gone now – get the next deal with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
Roundtrip fares in the $400s to Greece are extremely rare, but we found more than 100 of them for our subscribers from coast to coast last week.
Athens is easily worth a stop for the history, food, and culture, but some travelers are dead set on heading straight for the Greek Islands. How does a trip to dreamy Santorini (JTR) sound?
If you're flying from New York City (JFK), just $552 roundtrip and a quick pitstop in London could have gotten you right to Santorini for a honeymoon-like escape this fall.
Italy Under $499 Roundtrip, Too!
If we had to pick one country in Europe that's more popular than the rest, it'd be Italy.
Much like Greece, that popularity leads to shockingly high airfare in the summer. But just like Greece, we're seeing some huge airfare drops as fall approaches.
How cheap? How about flights under $499 roundtrip? And not just on nonstops to Rome, but even heading straight to shopping capital of Milan (MXP), the canals of Venice (VCE), charming Florence (FLR), and the foodie capital of Bologna (BLQ)!
And it's not just New Yorkers and east coasters who get in on these stunning fares, either. Cheap fares to Italy from La Crosse, Wisconsin (LSE)? Sure thing. Augusta, Georgia (AGS), you're in! We love deals that go coat-to-coast like this, and so do our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers.
Croatia & Back for Under $499
The sub-$500-flight train has just kept rolling down the Adriatic Coast as roundtrip flights to Croatia have fallen precipitously for a trip in the fall, too.
A flight to Zagreb (ZAG) puts you within an hour's flight of the coast and just a 90-minute drive to the legendary Plitvice Lakes National Park. It's the perfect starting point for an epic vacation – and it doesn't have to set you back this fall.
These prices are roughly half of what it typically costs to fly to Croatia. Better yet, it's incredibly cheap once you're on the ground: Food and drinks won't set you back much in Croatia, so it's the perfect fall trip to pull off on a budget.
Spain as Low as $343
Spain is another inexpensive place to visit. And there are plenty of destinations to pick from, from the capital of Madrid (MAD) to trendy Barcelona (BCN) to the islands of Ibiza (IBZ) or Palma (PMI).
Getting there this fall is the ticket for a cheap trip.
Nearly all of the airports of Spain got in on this sale from hundreds of U.S. airports this fall. It was the first domino to fall in the cheap flights bonanza to Europe for autumn.
Cheap flights to Europe don't get much better than a sub-$350 roundtrip to Barcelona.
England Under $599 (& Biz Class, Too!)
We get asked about cheap flights to England all the time – typically, travelers want a cheap flight to London. Thanks to huge competition from nearly every airline on earth, cheap flights to Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW) are abundant as summer ends and temperatures start to drop.
This roundup of nonstop flights to London we found this month featured routes you may not have even known existed. You don't have to make one or two connections to find a cheap flight across the pond.
Those prices are enough to get most travelers excited. What's not to love about a nonstop flight to London for under $600? But if you want something buzzy and stylish, look no further than Virgin Atlantic and its brand-new A330-900neo business class.
Those fares typically cost $4,000 or more. There's a better way: Use your points instead.
These snazzy business class suites would be an ideal ride to London-Heathrow (LHR) or Manchester (MAN) this fall. And if you have Air France or KLM Flying Blue points (transferable from all the major banks like Amex, Chase, Capital One, Bilt, Citi, and Wells Fargo), you could make one of these yours.
What did I say about competition to London? There's lots of it, and that's up in the front of the plane, too. Singapore Airlines – yes, the southeast Asian carrier – also runs nonstop flights to Manchester (MAN) from the U.S – in this case, only from Houston-Intercontinental (IAH). But it's one of the best ways to get to England, and you can book it this fall for just 81,000 miles each way.
Thrifty Traveler Premium members get cheap flight deals and alerts to use their points and miles, too!
Germany Under $600 or Fly Lie-Flat for 59K Points
Oktoberfest, anyone?
That's right, travelers. Late September in Germany can only mean one thing: Oktoberfest. If you want to take part in one of the greatest celebrations on earth in Munich (MUC), you can – and for less than you think.
Thanks to Lufthansa's massive network of flights to and from the U.S., you can also grab some lie-flat seats over to Germany this fall, too.
Air Canada Aeroplan points (transferrable from Amex, Chase, Capital One, and Citi) and Avianca LifeMiles (transferrable from Amex, Chase, Capital One, and Citi) can get you these seats for as low as 63,000 miles each way.
Use Those Points! Europe Under 36K Points Roundtrip
Some of these prices are so cheap that it might pay to just use cash to secure these flights. But maybe you've been working hard to earn as many points and miles as possible. So let's find you some valuable ways to use them.
That's what Thrifty Traveler Premium is all about. And it's definitely all about this recent Delta SkyMiles flash sale to Europe for as low as 26,000 miles … roundtrip!
And that's not just from New York City (JFK) and Atlanta (ATL), either. Tons of cities with Delta flights got in on the action.
Look at these rates flying to more than a dozen European destinations. Plus, if you have a Delta SkyMiles American Express credit card, you get 15% off these rates, too!
For travelers with a stash of credit card points, roundtrip Europe flights can be even cheaper thanks to Air France/KLM Flying Blue.
These roundtrip flights for 30,000 points are part of a monthly sale from Flying Blue. Better yet, those low rates book you into main cabin economy, which means you get a free seat assignment.
Best of all, a 25% transfer bonus means you could book your Eurotrip this fall for as low as just 24,000 points roundtrip.
Bottom Line
We love shoulder season travel because of the weather and lack of crowds, and with flights this cheap, you can't afford not to go to Europe this fall.
Whether it's roundtrip flights to Italy, Croatia, or Greece in the $400s, nonstop flights to London in the $500s, or business class flights from 60,000 points each way, there are endless reasons to visit Europe this fall – and our Thrifty Traveler Premium members know it better than anyone.
Lincoln?!! Where can I head off to on the cheap from Lincoln? I’m in!!
Hi Lynne, yes! In the past month alone, we’ve found cheap international flights from Lincoln to Hawaii, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Chile, and Toronto. There’s more to come in the coming months: we’d love to have you join us for more cheap flights! More info on our Premium service here: https://thriftytraveler.com/premium/
What about London ? Any changes there?
I have been a Premium member for several years!
Hi Lynne,
You can add LNK to your departure city preferences to get alerts for deals from Lincoln! Sent you an email with details 🙂
Thank you!
We see cheap fares to London come around every few months! Most recently, we found fares in the low $300s 🙂
London RT from TPA
Hi Nat! We don’t make the deals (just find them), but we see cheap fares to London come around every few months 🙂
Looking for cheap flights to Europe from pdx thru october
Lynda, great! We see cheap fares to Europe every month or so from cities including PDX. Just this weekend, we found flight deals to Croatia, Czechia, and Poland for $530 roundtrip from PDX. Don’t miss the next deals we find out of Portland: https://thriftytraveler.com/premium
I’ve been watching your site and keep seeing the ads for premium. I’m wondering if it is worth it for us to join as we are in western Canada. Are we really going to see many great deals that originate from Calgary, AB YYC? The whole concept sounds wonderful, but not for us if this is primarily an American site. Any thoughts on this.
Hi Linda! While we do cover mostly US travel news on our website, our flight deal email alerts are for both US and Canadian departure cities 🙂 We typically find flight deals out of YYC at least a few times a month! Would love to have you join for cheap flights 🙂
The fares to Europe over the summer have not come down very much at all. What are your predictions there?
Thank you for the mail list – love it!
Until Europe drops the vax card requirement, I’d assume they’ll be hurting for flying business. It’s way stressful to protect that little card.
Looking for a cheep non-stop flight to Copenhagen on July 5, returning on August 13. Is this an impossibility?? I know it’s soon.
Greetings and thank you for excellent info. What does your crystal ball reveal with regards to airfare deals to Spain from mid 19/20June to 9/10July 2023. I love Google Flights and use it often. I’m WA state resident and have found SFO to be the best west coast departure port. Willing to fly through any European city if less since fares intra-Europe still remain inexpensive. Thank you
Chris
Taking my Grandaughter to Paris for her graduation trip, 2024. Unfortunately it’s the Olympics and I’m worried pricing is going to be crazy. Want to snag tickets early but am flexible on dates. End of May through September. Any suggestions??
Hello, we are a family of six (2 kids) looking for affordable tickets to Europe. Could leave from Chicago or Detroit. Spring 2024 would be perfect, but can wait til fall if more affordable . What’s the forecast for prices next year? Many thanks,
Susan
The discount fares of today don’t match the ones we were seeing pre Covid. Sure the price may be similar but airlines have devalued the international basic economy product so much that you should expect to pay $160 RT plus for any option to even have an oppt to select a seat. Even then seat prices add $15-$50 per segment. By the time you add in all the hidden costs and fees expect to pay $200-$250 over the discount price listed. The old days are gone and those fares are not coming back…ever.
Browsing now, prices for summer are higher then in 2023, what r u talking about, get real
The insights on dropping flight prices to Europe are spot-on and came at the perfect time. Thanks a ton for sharing, making it easy for folks across the U.S to plan an European getaway.