Europe - Travel Deals

Budget Airlines that Fly to Europe

ryanairIn previous articles on this site, we’ve covered the primary budget airlines that fly in a few major countries – but perhaps the best crop of budget airlines is in Europe. Many of the low-cost carriers in the US tend to be regional, only serving a portion of the country – but in Europe, the budget airlines not only cover the country they’re based in but also typically many other countries in Europe besides.

Using the budget airlines that fly in Europe has become such a cheap way to get around that even the traditional Euro backpackers are often opting for a cheap one-way flight from one city to another instead of the time-honored Eurail pass and overnight train. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them don’t fly all the way across the ocean to get you from the US directly – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be informed about them anyway.

There are a couple ways in which Europe’s budget airlines can be useful to you, which I’ll outline below – and then you’ll find a list of some of the more prominent budget airlines in Europe.

Voila! Holiday Villages in France

eiffel-tower-picture1Have you ever dreamed of visiting France? Have you ever thought that you needed to win the lottery to afford such a vacation? If so, try to think of alternatives for a moment. Especially when you travel with a group of friends, it’s cheaper to rent a holiday apartment rather than book hotel rooms. ”” Holiday Villages in France with PV-Holidays ”

How to Spend a Cheap Vacation in Europe this Autumn

eiffel-tower-pictureThe summer officially ended – although in many European countries you can still flaunt a lovely tank top and not freeze in it – and most travelers think about planning the winter vacation or figuring out where to head to for the holidays. But, wait! Autumn is an excellent time to explore Europe even if your budget is stubborn. The low-season is the perfect opportunity to search for those Great Hotels at Great Rates.

Low summer fares to Europe

londonAlthough my family used to pack up us kids nearly every summer and head to France, this has not been a tradition I have been easily able to carry on with me into my adulthood. Unfortunately being a young professional with student loans and poor college student have left me little by means of travel funds—ultimately leading to me staying off the continent of Europe in the summertime for the past several years. However, luckily, airfares to Europe this summer seem to be even lower than many low season fares, which is great for those poor students and young folks like me. The economy may be crap and preventing many of us from finding jobs, but at least we can fly to Europe for cheaper. Hooray! London air + hotel + taxes from $699

Get to Europe for less

Great deals on airfare for your summer vacation

parisnightPerhaps the most depressing part of being an “adult” is that no matter what I do, I will never again experience the pure bliss involved when you hear the school bell ring for the last time for a whole 3 months. The anticipation, the glory, the pure joy of knowing you’re off for THE WHOLE summer to hang out at the pool and eat popsicles just can’t be recreated. So, in efforts to get as close to the euphoria of “school’s out for the summer,” I always like to book a great summer vacation to look forward to. Especially with prices across the travel industry way down this year, you can save mucho dinero by everything from airfare to hotels. Priceline.com Airfare – Choose your EXACT flight & time!

Winter Flights to Europe on Sale

cheap-sign.jpgDuring the past 14 months or so that I have posted travel deals on this little ol’ blog of ours, I have come across some fantastic travel deals, as well as some deals that were merely average. On the scale of merely average to fantastic, I have to say that the deals I found today are beyond fantastic.

Want to go to Europe this winter? You, my cyber friend, are in luck. You can fly from Philadelphia to Frankfurt, Germany for $365. That is insane. There is also a new direct flight from Portland, Oregon to Amsterdam, Netherlands for $664. As someone who lives in Portland and who eyes European flights like a hawk, I can safely tell you that it will never get much better than this.

In fact, Priceline’s PriceBreakers! have goodies from all parts of the United States to all parts of Europe. The usual restrictions apply, meaning you can’t get these deals during peak holiday season and you might have to travel on odd days of the week, but those are sacrifices well worth making when it means getting an outstanding price on airfare to Europe.

Deals on Flights from West Coast to Europe, South America

left-coast.jpgIt is a good thing we have a laid back attitude or otherwise those of us who live on the West Coast of the United States might get a bit angry about always playing second fiddle to those on the right coast. Our sports teams are often ignored, our television schedules determined by those who live next to the Atlantic, and our states often overlooked by those who think the universe is centered between Washington, DC and Boston.

And, yes, us West Coasters also get the shaft when it comes to prices on international airfare.

Just because we live in pretty places with nice climes doesn’t mean we don’t like to get out and explore the world from time to time. It also doesn’t mean we should always have to pay more to fly to places like Rome and Brazil.

Vayama is a site that is focused purely on international flights and they have some outstanding deals on flights that originate on the West Coast and end in Europe and South America. Fear not, East Coasters, the site also has great rates on airfare from your cities too.

Europe Fly and Drive Packages

driving-in-europe.jpgCompared to North America and other locations in the world, Europe is a compact continent that is generally easy to traverse by public transportation, especially if you have a rail pass. Sometimes, however, life is best enjoyed at your own pace and with your own schedule. Instead of racing to catch a train so that you can get to your next destination, you’d rather be sitting in a café sipping coffee and enjoying the splendid feeling of being in another country.

That is when it is very handy to have your own set of wheels. A car means independence and it gives you the means to get off the beaten track. Renting a car in Europe can be an expensive proposition, especially when you factor in the high price of gasoline.

British Airways and Alamo have a nifty deal on flights and rental cars for some of the most popular destinations in Europe. You get a plane ticket and the keys to a car for one low price. The prices are significantly lower in the autumn months and if you can put off your travels until then you will most likely find that the roads are not as busy and the driving is much more enjoyable.

Late Summer/Early Autumn Europe Flights on Sale

europe-autumn.JPGIf you have been looking for deals on cheap flights to Europe this summer you know that they are harder to come by than the proverbial needle in a haystack. Why anyone would look for a needle in a haystack is beyond me, but I can relate to those of you scouring the interwebs for affordable flights during the summer months. After all, summer is the best time to travel for so many of us.

If you can delay your trip a little or come up with another trip entirely, you could save some serious money and some serious hassles. For example, Icelandair will fly you to London, Berlin, Paris and other hot Europe destinations for a lot less as long as you travel between August 20 and October 31, 2007. In addition to the money you can save by traveling during the “off-season”, if there is any such thing these travel crazy days, you will also find that there will be less tourists around snagging up all the good rooms at the hostels and hotels.

Indeed, the fact that it is expensive to travel to Europe this summer might work out to be a good thing in the end if you can figure out a way to turn that summer vacation schedule into an early fall one.

Icelandair fall Flights to Europe from $364 (ends 6/22)