Europe is one of the most popular destinations for US travelers, and the team of Flight Experts at Going spends hundreds of hours every week searching for flight deals to the continent (along with other destinations all around the world). Despite rising prices for domestic fares, deals to Europe can be a relative bargain, and we continue to send our members fantastic fares for trips to European cities large and small.
Those deals come with high standards. We don’t send deals on certain budget airlines, and we don’t send our members deals for ultra-last-minute dates or flights with terrible routing. In short, we only send truly great deals to our members—with a savings of $550 per ticket, on average—and we know that when it comes to scoring cheap international flights, the city you fly into matters as much as where you're departing from.
Deals to some cities in Europe are simply more prevalent than deals to others, and there are a number of factors that impact fares and frequency of deals—including the number of airports in the city, the number of airlines serving those airports, and the amount of competition on various routes to and from that city.
To determine which cities in Europe are among the cheapest for Americans to reach right now, we looked at metro areas with a population of at least 700,000 people and collected data on how many economy-class deals to those cities we sent to Going Premium members in the last year.
We chose to rank based on the volume of economy deals and average price because—while the price of the single best deal we found to one city might be lower than the price of the single best deal we found to another—volume is the better indicator of a traveler’s likelihood of snagging a great price.
If you're itching to visit one of these cities, the great news is that economy deals to these cities pop up very frequently. But, even if your desired city isn’t on the list, it doesn’t mean you need to give up your dreams of getting to that city without overpaying. We search for deals to every city and often find deals to out-of-the-way spots like Basel, San Sebastian, Split, Santorini, and many, many more.
The best cities to fly into cheaply from the US are cities you might expect; they’re among the busiest airports in big cities in some of Europe's most popular countries. The even better news is that these airports are often very well connected to smaller destinations across the continent, so even if one of the top ten cities isn't your final destination, you could still fly into that city and then take a short, inexpensive regional flight to the place you really want to go.
Here are the top ten cheapest cities in Europe to fly into from the US, based on the volume of deals we found departing US airports and flying to each city.
10. Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden’s largest airport, Stockholm Arlanda, is a hub for Scandinavian Airlines and a focus city for Eurowings, Finnair, and RyanAir, plus it’s served by an additional 40+ airlines, making it easy to get from the airport to points all across Europe and North Africa in a short hop from the city.
From the US, there are direct flights from Chicago, Newark, New York, and Miami, but thanks to frequent deals on SAS, we found our members a ton of great fares, typically with one stop.
Number of economy class deals in the last year: 64
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Stockholm:
- NYC to Stockholm for $435 roundtrip
- Chattanooga to Stockholm for $593 roundtrip
- Huntsville to Stockholm for $588 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Stockholm
9. Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich’s airport is the largest in Switzerland and the hub for the national carrier, SWISS Airlines. It’s served by nearly 60 airlines, including 4 with direct flights from the US (Philadelphia, New York, LA, Miami, Newark, Chicago, San Francisco, and DC). With direct flights from both coasts and the Midwest, you can get to Zurich cheaply from just about anywhere in the US.
Number of economy class deals in the last year: 65
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Zurich:
- Charlotte to Zurich for $544 roundtrip
- NYC to Zurich for $480 roundtrip
- DC to Zurich for $381 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Zurich
8. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is the world’s third-busiest airport by international passenger numbers and the busiest in Europe by aircraft movements. It’s the primary hub for KLM and a focus city for their budget subsidiary Transavia. It’s served by direct flights from 19 US cities, with service on four airlines.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is particularly well-served by rail. There’s a station directly adjacent to the airport with strong connections throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, as well as northern France and Germany.
Number of economy class deals in the last year: 72
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Amsterdam:
- Chicago to Amsterdam for $346 roundtrip
- LA to Amsterdam for $496 roundtrip
- Kansas City to Amsterdam for $469 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Amsterdam
7. Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen is the second-largest airport in the Nordic countries, the fourth-busiest airport in Northern Europe, and sees the most international arrivals in Scandinavia. There are direct flights from 7 US cities on both coasts, and the airport is the main hub for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).
From Copenhagen, you can easily hop to other Nordic countries—even Iceland and the Faroe Islands—or major European cities like Paris, London, and Barcelona.
Number of economy class deals in the last year: 79
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Copenhagen:
- Chicago to Copenhagen for $384 roundtrip
- Miami to Copenhagen for $344 roundtrip
- Newark to Copenhagen for $415 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Copenhagen
6. Madrid, Spain
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas is Spain’s busiest airport—and the sixth-busiest in Europe, with direct connections to more than 220 destinations around the world. It’s the primary hub for Iberia and Air Europa and a major center for connections arriving and departing from the European continent. From the US, there are direct flights from 12 cities on five airlines.
Madrid is a paradise for budget aviation. Most major cities in Western or Central Europe can be reached for less than $80 roundtrip, and sometimes far less. Iberia also maintains an extensive network of regional flights within Spain, although, for many domestic destinations, you’ll find high-speed rail to be faster and better priced if you’re traveling with luggage. Madrid is particularly well-placed if you’re planning to visit Morocco or the Canary Islands, as well, with prices under $50 roundtrip on many dates.
Number of economy class deals in the last year: 82
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Madrid:
- Austin, Santa Fe, and Tulsa to Madrid for $401 roundtrip
- NYC to Madrid for $214 roundtrip
- Chicago to Madrid for $393 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Madrid
5. Rome, Italy
Rome’s Fiumicino Airport is one of the main gateways in and out of Italy. A hub for ITA Airways and Spanish-based budget airline Vueling, it’s the 11th-busiest airport in Europe by passenger numbers. It’s served by direct flights from 10 US cities on three airlines.
Budget airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz also operate major services to Eastern Europe out of Rome Ciampino Airport. In addition to serving as a major gateway to all domestic destinations in Italy (including Sicily and Sardinia), expect cheap flights to Ibiza, Mallorca, and Malta, along with Croatia, Israel, and the Greek islands on Ryanair and Vueling.
Number of economy class deals in the last year: 83
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Rome:
- Philadelphia to Rome for $492 roundtrip
- Denver to Rome for $466 roundtrip
- Atlanta to Rome for $392 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Rome
4. Milan, Italy
Milan is the center of Italy’s business and fashion worlds and a jumping-off point for trips to the Alps; the city is also one of the most popular destinations in the world. So it may not come as a surprise that Milan’s Malpensa airport is Italy’s second-busiest airport (and the 20th-busiest in Europe). There are direct flights from the New York area on six airlines, and that healthy competition helps keep prices low.
For trips beyond Milan, there are easy connections throughout Italy and Europe. Many of these budget flights depart from Bergamo Airport, so be sure to schedule enough time (or even a short stopover) in between connections. Additionally, it's a short train ride to places like Venice, Tuscany, Rome, and Bologna, and destinations such as Switzerland and southern Italy are well-served by high-speed rail and, increasingly, sleeper trains to Paris or Naples.
Number of economy class deals in the last year: 85
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Milan:
- NYC to Milan for $395 roundtrip
- San Francisco to Milan for $463 roundtrip
- Boise to Milan for $556 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Milan
3. Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is the second-busiest airport in Spain and the sixth-busiest in Europe—and its passenger volume has been increasing in recent years, not only as Barcelona becomes a more popular destination, but also thanks to the addition of services by a growing number of budget airlines due to low landing fees and taxes compared to other major European hubs. It was our top airport for cheap flights to Europe in 2022.
It’s a hub for low-cost airlines LEVEL and Vueling and a focus city for Air Europa, Iberia, easyJet, and Ryanair. Like Madrid, it’s possible to reach nearly all major European cities from Barcelona for less than $80 roundtrip. Beyond this, there are a significant number of flights to the UK, including smaller airports in Scotland and England, for less than $50 roundtrip.
We sent an average of 7 deals per month to Barcelona, more than one per week in many weeks.
Number of economy class deals in the last year: 86
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Barcelona:
- NYC nonstop to Barcelona for $286 roundtrip
- Boston or LA nonstop to Barcelona for $447
- Seattle to Barcelona for $518 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Barcelona
2. Dublin, Ireland
The 12th-busiest airport in Europe, Dublin airport is the hub and headquarters of Aer Lingus national airline as well as a hub for Ryanair, the largest low-cost carrier in Ireland, which makes it easy and affordable to fly to destinations across the European continent. There are direct flights from 14 US cities, both large and small, on five airlines.
As one of Ryanair’s largest focus cities, expect cheap connections throughout Western Europe and some Mediterranean favorites—particularly Cyprus, Croatia, and Montenegro—none of which have year-round service from the United States. Likewise, Dublin is a great access point for Wales and northern England, with flights to Manchester, Cardiff, or the Isle of Man frequently pricing under $40 roundtrip.
Number of economy class deals in the last six months: 91
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Dublin:
- Philadelphia nonstop to Dublin for $387 roundtrip
- Nashville to Dublin for $537 roundtrip
- Orlando to Dublin for $504 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Dublin
1. Paris, France
Charles de Gaulle is one of the biggest hub airports in Europe—literally. It’s the largest airport in Europe by acreage and the second-busiest in Europe (and ninth-busiest in the world) by passenger numbers. It’s a hub for France’s flagship carrier Air France and a focus city for low-cost carriers, including easyJet and Vueling.
In all, Paris is served by 19 routes from the United States, including major cities as well as smaller ones like Raleigh and Cincinnati, so you can get to Paris from almost any city in the US with one stop. In the last year, we sent a whopping 91 deals to Paris—an average of 7-8 deals per month—so it the City of Light is on your bucket list, you likely had multiple changes to make it happen.
Number of economy class deals in the last six months: 91
Examples of previous economy class deals we’ve sent to Paris:
- NYC nonstop to Paris for $230 roundtrip
- San Francisco nonstop to Paris for $393 roundtrip
- DC to Paris for $376 roundtrip
>> See cheap flights to Paris
Methodology
The Flight Experts at Going look at thousands of possible airfare deals every week. When a deal meets our standards, we send it out to our 2+ million members, saving them an average of $550 on each international flight.
To reach our conclusions on the best airports to fly into in Europe, we looked at airports in Europe serving metro areas of at least 700,000 people. We then tallied up the total number of deal emails we sent to members arriving at those airports between June 30, 2022, and July 1, 2023.
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