I cringe when I hear travelers budgeting $1,200 or more for a flight to Europe. They’re doing it wrong. With the right timing, you can cross the Atlantic for half that.

For months, we’ve been telling travelers that flight prices to Europe were dropping to record lows – and that those prices wouldn’t last. Yet every time we think airfare to Europe can’t possibly get any cheaper, the airlines prove us wrong.

For travelers willing to go to Europe this winter, we’ve found thousands of roundtrip fares in the $500s, $400s and even the $300s.

We search for cheap flights to Europe every single day for our Thrifty Traveler Premium members – and have for years. So trust us when we say what we’re seeing right now is special. Deals to Europe are cheaper and more frequent than they’ve been in years.

 

 

So, let's plan your trip. Where should you go to book that magical Christmas trip, a ski adventure in the Alps, or a seaside escape? 

 

Where to Find Cheap Flights to Europe

If you think cheap flights mean flying to obscure secondary cities, think again. Because airlines serve Europe’s most popular destinations so frequently, prices to places like Italy often stay surprisingly low.

In some cases, they get downright cheap.

 

Italy flight deal in the $400s roundtrip

 

We recently found roundtrip fares in the $400s to Milan (MXP), Rome (FCO), Naples (NAP), and Venice (VCE) for travel this winter and into spring 2026. What surprised us most was how many departure airports were included.

If you live in the Mountain West and fly out of a smaller airport like Bozeman (BZN), you might assume cheap flights to Italy are off the table. Not this year!

That same trend is playing out across southern Europe, where destinations like Portugal continue to grow in popularity.

 

Portugal fligth deal in the $400s and $500s roundtrip

 

We spotted deals to Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO) with roundtrip fares in the $300s from East Coast cities. Travelers in places like Montreal (YUL), Los Angeles (LAX), and other major hubs could also book steeply discounted nonstop flights to Lisbon.

One of my favorite European destinations is Croatia. It checks nearly every box: a Mediterranean climate, relatively low prices on the ground and a rugged, postcard-worthy coastline. Flights there are usually pricier, though.

Usually.

 

Croatia flight deal with airfares in the $500s

 

Roundtrip fares to Dubrovnik (DBV), Zagreb (ZAG), and Split (SPU) rarely dip below $700. So when prices fell into the $500s for winter travel, we jumped on them and alerted our members right away.

The same logic applies to Greece. If you see Athens (ATH) priced in the $500s roundtrip, that’s already a solid deal. When fares drop into the $400s, that’s something special.

 

Athens flight deal with fares in the $400s and $500s

 

If you want to venture even farther off the beaten path, consider Istanbul, Turkiye (IST). Istanbul is one of the world’s great cities. My editor, Kyle Potter, is obsessed – and frankly, he talks about it nonstop. His enthusiasm has sparked the curiosity of many of our readers. These fares only add to the intrigue.

 

Istanbul flight deal

 

Southern Europe gets most of the attention, but if you’re chasing the very cheapest flights, don’t overlook northern Europe.

Yes, winter weather is colder. But northern countries embrace the season, crowds thin out, and hotel prices drop significantly.

And the biggest draw? Cheap airfare.

 

Ireland, the Baltics, and the Nordics flight deal

 

We recently rounded up roundtrip fares in the $300s to Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and the Baltics. Competition from airlines like SAS, Icelandair, and Finnair has forced major carriers to slash prices.

That’s how you can fly roundtrip to Norway’s fjords for $397, to Finland for $390, or to Dublin (DUB) for $379.

Iceland is the undisputed king of cheap flights to Europe.

 

 

Iceland nonstop flight deal

 

Thanks to Icelandair, airfare to Iceland stays consistently low. This winter, nonstop flights from several U.S. cities are available at shockingly low prices.

That Boston (BOS) fare says it all: It’s cheaper to fly to Iceland than to Florida this winter.

 

Bottom Line

Flights to Europe don’t have to be expensive. If you time your trip right, you can visit Europe during one of the most magical times of the year for less than half what you expected to pay.

The flight deals we’re seeing right now are remarkable – cheaper and more frequent than they’ve been in years, and possibly ever. Something is shifting in travel, and it’s making sub-$500 roundtrip fares to Europe increasingly common, especially in winter.

And the points deals? They just keep getting better, too.