Transatlantic airfare is often the single largest expense in a European trip, and the difference between a well-booked flight and a poorly timed one can be $500 or more per person. The good news is that the transatlantic route market has never been more competitive. Budget carriers, fare wars between legacy airlines, and new route launches have created unprecedented opportunities to fly between the US and Europe for $200-$400 round trip -- if you know where to look and when to book.

This guide breaks down the cheapest routes, the best departure cities, seasonal pricing patterns, and the specific strategies that consistently produce the lowest transatlantic fares.

The Best Departure Cities for Cheap Flights to Europe

Not all US airports are created equal when it comes to transatlantic pricing. Airlines concentrate their competitive routes at specific hubs, and flying from one of these cities -- even if it requires a separate positioning flight -- often saves hundreds of dollars.

Tier 1: Consistently Cheapest Departure Cities

New York (JFK/EWR/LGA): The undisputed champion. The New York metro area has more transatlantic competition than any other US market. Norwegian, PLAY, Icelandair, TAP Portugal, Aer Lingus, and every major US and European legacy carrier operate from JFK or Newark. Round-trip fares to major European cities regularly drop below $300.

Boston (BOS): Strong competition from TAP Portugal (direct to Lisbon), Icelandair, Aer Lingus (direct to Dublin and Shannon), PLAY, and JetBlue (direct to London, Paris, Amsterdam). Fares to Lisbon, Dublin, and Reykjavik frequently hit $250-$350 round trip.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale (MIA/FLL): Excellent for Southern Europe. Norse Atlantic and Iberia operate from Fort Lauderdale and Miami respectively. TAP Portugal has competitive fares to Lisbon. Fares to Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon often reach $300-$400 round trip.

Tier 2: Good Departure Options

Washington, DC (IAD/DCA): United's hub at Dulles provides competitive pricing. Icelandair, TAP, and Norse Atlantic also serve the area. Expect $350-$500 round trip to most European destinations.

Chicago (ORD): As a United and American hub, O'Hare sees competitive pricing on popular routes. Fares to London, Dublin, and Reykjavik are often $400-$500 round trip.

Los Angeles (LAX): Despite the longer distance, competition from Norwegian, Norse Atlantic, French Bee (to Paris via Tahiti), and legacy carriers keeps fares manageable at $400-$600 round trip.

Using Positioning Flights

If you live in a smaller city, it is often cheaper to book a separate positioning flight to New York or Boston and then book your transatlantic flight separately. For example:

Charlotte to Rome: Direct with American Airlines, typically $700-$1,000 round trip.
Charlotte to New York ($80-$120 on Spirit/Frontier) + New York to Rome ($350-$500 on TAP/Norse Atlantic): Total $430-$620.

Search positioning flights on Google Flights and use the "Explore" feature to find the cheapest dates. Spirit Airlines, Frontier, and Breeze are often the cheapest domestic carriers for positioning flights.

The Cheapest Routes to Europe

Under $300 Round Trip (Regularly Available)

Route	Airlines	Typical Low Fare	Best Season
NYC to Reykjavik	PLAY, Icelandair	$199-$279	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
NYC to Lisbon	TAP Portugal	$249-$299	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
NYC to Dublin	Aer Lingus	$249-$299	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
Boston to Reykjavik	PLAY, Icelandair	$219-$289	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
NYC to Barcelona	Norse Atlantic, LEVEL	$249-$319	Jan-Mar, Sep-Nov
Boston to Lisbon	TAP Portugal	$259-$299	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov

$300-$450 Round Trip (Frequently Available)

Route	Airlines	Typical Low Fare	Best Season
NYC to London	Norse Atlantic, JetBlue, Norwegian	$299-$399	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
NYC to Paris	French Bee, Norse Atlantic	$299-$449	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
Boston to London	JetBlue, TAP via Lisbon	$319-$399	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
NYC to Rome	TAP via Lisbon, Norse Atlantic	$329-$449	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
Miami to Madrid	Iberia	$329-$399	Jan-Mar, Sep-Nov
Chicago to Dublin	Aer Lingus	$349-$449	Jan-Apr, Oct-Nov

$400-$600 Round Trip (Good Deals)

Route	Airlines	Typical Low Fare	Best Season
LAX to London	Norse Atlantic, Norwegian	$399-$549	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
Chicago to London	United, American	$399-$549	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
LAX to Paris	French Bee	$399-$499	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
Dallas to London	British Airways, American	$449-$599	Jan-Mar, Oct-Nov
Denver to Reykjavik	Icelandair	$399-$499	Jan-Mar

Budget Airlines: What You Need to Know

PLAY Airlines

Routes: Baltimore, Boston, New York (Stewart), to Reykjavik, with connections to London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, and other European cities.

Pricing model: Ultra-low-cost. The base fare includes only a personal item. Checked bags cost $35-$55 each way, seat selection is $10-$30, and meals are $10-$20.

The Reykjavik connection trick: PLAY uses Reykjavik as a hub. You can book a flight from the US to Reykjavik and then a separate flight from Reykjavik to your final European destination. Sometimes this is cheaper than booking the full connection, and it gives you the option to spend a day or two in Iceland at no extra airfare.

What to expect: Modern Airbus A320neo aircraft, tight but acceptable seat pitch (29 inches), no in-flight entertainment, functional but no-frills service.

Norse Atlantic Airways

Routes: New York (JFK), Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles to Oslo, London Gatwick, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Athens, and Bangkok.

Pricing model: Three fare classes -- Light (personal item only), Classic (carry-on + checked bag + meal), and Premium (extra legroom + 2 bags + meal + priority). Light fares start as low as $129 one-way to London.

What to expect: Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which means a widebody jet with better pressurization and humidity levels than older aircraft. Economy seats have 31-32 inch pitch, USB and AC power, and individual screens on Premium seats.

TAP Portugal

Routes: New York, Boston, Miami, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco to Lisbon, with connections throughout Europe and Africa.

Why TAP is a budget traveler's best friend: TAP is technically a full-service airline, but their economy "discount" fares are priced competitively with budget carriers. More importantly, their Lisbon hub connects to dozens of European cities, and booking a connection through Lisbon is often the cheapest way to reach Spain, France, Italy, or Morocco.

Stopover program: TAP allows a free stopover of up to 5 days in Lisbon or Porto on connecting flights at no additional airfare cost. This means you can visit two cities for the price of one.

French Bee

Routes: New York (Newark), Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco to Paris Orly.

Pricing model: Three classes -- Basic (personal item), Smart (carry-on + checked bag + meal + entertainment), and Premium (extra legroom + all amenities). Basic fares from New York to Paris start around $199 one-way.

What to expect: Airbus A350 widebody aircraft. Clean, modern, comfortable even in basic economy with 31-inch seat pitch.

Seasonal Pricing Patterns

Understanding when fares peak and dip is critical for finding cheap transatlantic flights.

Monthly Price Index (NYC to London, Economy Round Trip)

Month	Average Fare	Price Level	Notes
January	$280-$380	Lowest	Best month for deals
February	$290-$400	Low	Valentine's week spikes slightly
March	$300-$420	Low-Medium	Spring break drives some increases
April	$350-$500	Medium	Easter week peaks
May	$400-$550	Medium-High	Shoulder season begins
June	$500-$750	High	Peak summer begins
July	$550-$850	Highest	Peak summer
August	$500-$750	High	Still peak, drops late August
September	$350-$500	Medium	Shoulder season, excellent value
October	$300-$420	Low-Medium	Great deals return
November	$280-$380	Low	Except Thanksgiving week
December	$350-$550	Medium-High	Holiday travel peaks

Key insight: The cheapest period to fly transatlantic is January through early March. The second-best window is late October through mid-November. September offers an outstanding combination of low-ish fares and pleasant European weather.

The Shoulder Season Sweet Spot

September and October are arguably the best months to visit Europe. Crowds thin dramatically after August, weather is still warm in Southern Europe, fall foliage is stunning in Central Europe, and airfares drop 30-40% from peak summer. This is the sweet spot where low prices and great experiences overlap.

Booking Strategies That Save Hundreds

Strategy 1: Use Google Flights for Flexible Date Searches

Google Flights (google.com/flights) is the best starting point for any transatlantic fare search. Its key advantages:

Date grid view: Shows prices across a range of dates so you can identify the cheapest departure and return combinations.
Price tracking: Set alerts for specific routes and Google will email you when prices drop.
Explore feature: Enter your departure city and select "Explore" to see a map of the cheapest destinations from your airport.
Flexible dates filter: Search across an entire month or select "flexible dates" to find the cheapest travel window.

Strategy 2: Check Error Fares and Deal Aggregators

Mistake fares -- where airlines accidentally publish dramatically low prices -- happen several times per month. These fares are often honored. The best sources:

Secret Flying (secretflying.com): Publishes error fares and extreme deals within minutes of appearing.
Going (going.com, formerly Scott's Cheap Flights): Premium membership ($49/year) sends email alerts for deals from your home airports. Their international deals are consistently excellent.
The Points Guy (thepointsguy.com/deals): Aggregates both cash and points deals.
FlyerTalk Premium Fare Deals Forum: Active community that spots and reports deals in real time.

Strategy 3: Book Separate One-Way Tickets

Round-trip pricing used to guarantee a discount over two one-ways, but this is no longer consistently true, especially with budget carriers. Often the cheapest combination is:

Outbound: Budget carrier (Norse Atlantic NYC to London for $149 one-way)
Return: Different budget carrier or legacy airline on sale (TAP Lisbon to NYC for $179 one-way)

This approach also gives you the flexibility to fly into one city and out of another, eliminating backtracking. A common itinerary: fly into London, travel overland through France and Spain, fly home from Lisbon.

Strategy 4: Position Through Iceland

Using Reykjavik as a layover point can unlock cheap fares to continental Europe. Both PLAY and Icelandair route through Keflavik Airport. The strategy:

Book a cheap flight from the US to Reykjavik (often $150-$250 round trip from Northeast US).
Book a separate cheap flight from Reykjavik to your European destination (often $50-$150 on PLAY or Icelandair within Europe).
Spend a day or two exploring Iceland's Golden Circle or Blue Lagoon during the layover.

Total cost: Often $250-$400 including an Iceland stopover, compared to $400-$600 flying direct to the same European city.

Strategy 5: Use Miles and Points Strategically

If you have transferable credit card points (Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles), transatlantic award flights can be excellent value.

Best award redemptions for transatlantic flights:

Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles: 10,000 miles one-way in economy on Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance partners. Transfer from Citi ThankYou, Capital One, or Bilt Rewards.
Air France/KLM Flying Blue: 20,000-30,000 miles round trip in economy during Promo Awards sales. Transfer from Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi, or Bilt.
Aer Lingus Avios: 13,000 Avios one-way from the East Coast to Dublin in off-peak season. Transfer from Chase, Amex, or Capital One.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: 10,000-20,000 points one-way on partner airlines. Transfer from Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, or Bilt.

Strategy 6: Book 1-3 Months in Advance for Specific Dates

If you have fixed travel dates and cannot be flexible, the optimal booking window for transatlantic economy flights is 6-10 weeks before departure. Booking earlier than 4 months out rarely yields the best price, and waiting until the last 2 weeks risks premium pricing on popular routes.

For flexible travelers, the best deals appear 1-6 months out for flights departing in the off-season.

Common Mistakes That Cost Money

Booking through OTAs for complex itineraries. Online travel agencies like Expedia and Orbitz occasionally show lower prices, but their customer service for changes and cancellations is poor. For straightforward round trips they are fine, but for multi-city or complex bookings, book directly with the airline.

Ignoring carry-on baggage limits on budget carriers. Budget airlines enforce their baggage policies strictly. A personal item that exceeds dimensions will cost you $50-$75 at the gate. Measure your bag before departure. The Osprey Farpoint 40 and Tortuga Outbreaker 35L are popular backpacks designed to meet personal item or carry-on dimensions for most airlines.

Paying for seat selection on short flights. On a 6-7 hour transatlantic flight, random seat assignment is tolerable. Save the $30-$50 seat selection fee unless you are traveling with children or have specific medical needs.

Not checking the airline's own website after finding a deal on an aggregator. Sometimes the airline's direct price is the same or lower, and booking direct gives you better cancellation and change options.

Putting It All Together: Sample Budget Europe Trip

Here is how a real two-week Europe trip might look using these strategies:

Route: New York to Lisbon (TAP, $279 round trip booked in January) with a free 3-day stopover in Lisbon on the return.

Itinerary:

Days 1-3: Lisbon (arrived via TAP)
Days 4-5: Train to Porto ($25, Comboios de Portugal)
Days 6-7: Fly Porto to Barcelona ($35, Ryanair)
Days 8-10: Barcelona
Days 11-12: Train to Nice ($30, Ouigo/SNCF)
Days 13-14: Nice
Day 15: Fly Nice to Lisbon ($40, easyJet), spend 3-day stopover
Day 18: Lisbon to New York (TAP return flight)

Total flights and transport cost: approximately $409 per person for 18 days across 5 cities in 3 countries.

Let Technology Handle the Complexity

Finding the cheapest flights requires checking multiple airlines, comparing dates, tracking price drops, and coordinating multi-city logistics. It is time-consuming but rewarding work. If you want to streamline the planning process, Try TripGenie to organize your multi-destination European itinerary, compare travel dates, and keep all your bookings and logistics in one place.

Final Thoughts

The era of $800-$1,200 round-trip transatlantic flights as the default is over. Competition from budget carriers, route expansion by legacy airlines, and the explosion of fare-tracking tools have put Europe within reach of almost any budget. The key variables are flexibility and knowledge -- flexibility on dates, departure cities, and routing, combined with the knowledge of where to search and when to book.

Set up alerts on Google Flights and Going for your preferred routes. Be ready to book when a deal appears. And remember: a $250 flight that departs from a different city or on a different day than you originally planned is almost always better than a $600 flight on your ideal schedule. The savings fund several extra days of travel in Europe.

How to Find Cheap Flights to Europe From the US: A Route-by-Route Guide