I have written before about how study abroad changed my life, in a variety of ways. One of the things it taught me was that flying was expensive – which is why I figured out how to travel on a budget. I didn’t want to spend $1,200 on a flight again, and in the several times I’ve been to Europe since I studied abroad, my flights have never come close to that price.
My “trick” for this is making the most of Google Flights. I use their Explore tool, and folks – if you’re on there now, you’ll find plenty of cheap flights to Europe. Since we’re heading to Ireland in March (more on that here), it’s harder for us to pull the trigger on another trip. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of these amazing flight prices available right now!
I mean, not sure what’s happening with tickets to Barcelona (I’m still not over our cancelled Mediterranean cruise from last year), but a ticket in the $500s from Tampa to Europe is a solid deal – in the $400s is a great one. $375 is the best ticket to Europe I’ve ever gotten, and that particular deal was how we managed to visit both Copenhagen, Hamburg and London over 9 days for under $3k.
And that’s just from Tampa! If you look at a larger city with a larger airport(s), like New York, the deals get even better. How could you afford not to go to Edinburgh for $323 or Oslo for $352?
I have had some of the most wonderful adventures in Europe, including:
- A 10-day road trip around Iceland that caused our whole crew to fall in love with the country
- A whirlwind 6-day, 3-country trip with my mom and sister, highlighting the wonders of London, Paris and Reykjavik
- A girls’ trip all around Ireland, reminding my why I keep going back to the Emerald Isle
- Our Mediterranean honeymoon, where we were “delivered” to Kamari Beach in Santorini
And so many more! I may see if I can sneak in a quick trip across the pond before the end of the year, but if I can’t, I’d love to live vicariously through you – I even tried to convince Megan to pull the trigger on a trip to Greece. Until I make it back, I’ll just be dreaming and planning…
Note: before booking anything nonrefundable, be sure to check on any COVID-related travel restrictions that may be in place!