while i can’t say by any stretch of the imagination that i’m an expert at purchasing cheap flights [or just purchasing flights in general] to europe, i will say that having a mom who was a travel agent, a dad who is a pilot, and seven trips to europe under my belt has helped me gain some nuggets of knowledge on buying plane tickets to cross the atlantic. flights will likely be the most expensive part of your europe backpacking trip, so the more money you can save, the better. here are some tips from mrs. travel agent and myself:
1. first things first: always search for flights in private mode on your computer or phone. when a particular route is repeatedly searched, flight prices will often go up.
2. determine how flexible you are with your dates and itinerary. the more flexible you are, the more likely you are to find a low price fare. however, the reality is that for most of us, it’s not a free-for-all. we have a certain amount of vacation days, a specific window of time in our schedules when we’re able to be overseas, and/or a specific plan or itinerary for where we want to go and what we want to see. and if that’s you, don’t worry – we still have some tips that could save you some money and headache as well.
for those of you who are flexible, here are some things to look at:
: : go to europe in an off-peak season. winter is the cheapest, and spring and fall are a bit better than summer. if you have to go in the summer, try going just prior to memorial day or just after labor day, and you’ll find that it’s less expensive than june, july, and august.
: : try looking at some different cities to fly in and out of. it’s often cheaper to fly into european cities that aren’t as popular; for example, dublin can be a great city to fly into, as the flights tend to be cheaper than flying into london and you can often find inexpensive flights from dublin to other european cities.
: : another tidbit from yours truly, just my own opinion: don’t fly through london heathrow if at all possible [unless it’s your final destination], and if you do, plan at least 3.5 hours of connection time, preferably more. here’s why: 1. heathrow’s terminals are so spread out that you have to take a bus to get from one to the other, and the bus ride takes a good 15-20 minutes IF you don’t have to wait in line to get on. i’ve had it take a good 40 minutes before. 2. if you have to change terminals/take the bus, you will have to go through customs and then go through security again [yep, EVEN though you’re connecting]. 3. security at heathrow is absolutely insane. while the U.S. TSA is strict on the rule about liquids needing to be 3 oz or less, they’re usually lenient on the rule about all the liquids needing to be in a clear plastic bag. mine are usually scattered everywhere in my bag and as long as there’s nothing that’s over 3 oz, no issue. london, on the other hand, is VERY strict on this rule – they will ask you to take your bag of liquids out of your bag, and if any liquids are found in your bag when it goes through the x-ray, even if it meets the size requirement, you will have to wait in a 30-minute line to wait for someone to spend 10 full minutes examining every last inch of your bag verrrrrrrrry slowly. they will organize all your liquids, swab them, and put your bag through the x-ray once again. they don’t play. aaaaaand 4. once you get in your terminal and get through customs and security, you may have to then take a train to your gate, as some gates are far away. and then you MAY spend an extra 5 minutes waiting once the train arrives while a security guy runs through the cars doing random checks for bombs. that happened to us this summer.
so by the time you deal with all that mess, you will arrive at your gate just as it’s beginning to board [if you’re lucky]. i’d rather avoid that entire scenario all together [not to mention all the luggage issues i’ve had with heathrow – one example mentioned here] and just connect in another airport, but if i HAVE to fly through london, i just plan lots and lots and lots of time. besides, the london airport has some great shopping and restaurants, so you won’t be bored if you end up having extra time to wait.
: : compare round-trip flights and open-jaw flights. round-trip flights tend to be less expensive in general, but sometimes you can find a great deal on a one-way ticket.
: : look at coming and going on different days of the week. tuesdays and wednesdays tend to be the cheapest days to travel. once you pick out some flights that you like, check the flights a day or two before and a day or two after to see if any of them are less expensive.
3. be ready to book. have the money saved up, because if a good deal comes along, you want to be able to purchase the flights immediately before the prices go up.
4. use several different sites to price your options. some popular ones include skyscanner, momondo, kayak, jetradar, expedia, and trip advisor. you should also check airline companies’ websites to compare before purchasing because sometimes they’re not as high-priced as you’d think.
5. sign up for email alerts. with many travel sites, you can opt to sign up for alerts that notify you of any deals and special offers.
6. book flights early. some people say to wait until 6 – 12 weeks out to buy your ticket, but i’m in the “buy early” camp when it comes to flying to europe. we waited longer to purchase our europe tickets last year than i wish we would have… i think we bought them 3.5 – 4 months out, but i had been checking prices for months, and they had gone up and not come back down at 5 – 6 months out. if you’re going in the off-season, you’d probably be okay waiting a bit longer, but if you’re going any time between late june and the end of august, i would highly recommend purchasing 6 months out, maybe more. i’ve read that the flights open up for purchase about 11 months out, and that they stay fairly flat and then begin to creep up once you’re about 6 months out. this has definitely been our experience. if you’re flexible on your dates and itinerary, you may be able to get a great last-minute deal, but i’d be leery of this, since international flights may never come back down in price.
7. IF you purchase your ticket through the airline company’s website, monitor flights for the next 24 hours in case the price drops. if you see the prices go down within 24 hours of your purchase, contact the airline company and they will often provide you with a voucher for the difference in price.
8. pick your seat on the plane as early as possible. if seat selection is not available when you book your flight, call the airline after booking to ensure the best seat possible. obviously middle seats are the last choice for just about anyone, but there are advantages and disadvantages of both aisle seats and window seats. i prefer aisle seats because i have a small bladder [ha] and hate having to make people get up when i have to use the restroom, especially on long flights. some people prefer aisles because they don’t feel as claustrophobic. however, traffic down the aisles can cause more disturbances, and often you get brushed up against as people walk by. with window seats, there are less disturbances and you don’t have to get up if anyone in your row has to use the restroom, plus you can lean up against the wall of the plane for better sleeping. sometimes, though, i’ve found that there can be a cold draft down at your feet when you sit in a window seat, and i’ve literally had to shove a blanket down there to cover my feet to prevent them from being ice cubes. choose your preference, and choose it early.
for tips on planning your backpacking route through europe, check out this post. next up will be information on lodging! xoxo