How you can save $500 or more on a flight to Europe this year

Flight ticket to Europe hit a record high this summer. But those deterred by the shock sticker can still travel overseas in the coming months and reduce costs by perhaps hundreds of dollars per ticket.

Flying to Europe from the United States during the fall “shoulder season” — in September and October — instead of summer will save the average traveler $500 per round-trip ticket, according to data from Hopper, a travel app.

Europe is the most popular overseas destination for American tourists this summer. But travelers in major European cities would save 34%, on average, by going in the fall instead of June, July or August, Hopper found.

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Consider these examples: Plane tickets to Rome cost an average of $1,284 this summer. That’s $736 this fall, a 43% reduction, or $548 in savings per ticket.

Similarly, those venturing to London would pay $693 in the fall, 32% less than the $1,025 in the summer. In Barcelona, ​​visitors would fly for $757 in the fall, compared to $1,193 in the summer, a savings of 37%.

“There is good news in sight,” said Hayley Berg, Hopper’s chief economist, of the prices.

Shoulder season is generally a cheaper time to travel. But the savings may be particularly remarkable for potential buyers due to recent nosebleed costs, experts said.

Price dynamics are driven by supply and demand: fewer people typically travel in the fall, when children return to school, for example.

It also means that not everyone – like families with children or workers like teachers whose vacations revolve around the summer months – can take advantage of a bargain.

But those who can travel in the shoulder season would likely have a better overall experience due to milder weather and fewer crowds, said Sally French, travel expert at NerdWallet.

The costs of overseas travel have soared in 2023 as people who have postponed international travel during the Covid-19 pandemic indulge their pent-up wanderlust. There have been historical events passport application and requests for federal travel programs like Global Entry.

Many Covid-era restrictions have eased, making it easier to travel abroad. For example, the United States terminated a test requirement for international travelers in June 2022.

The borders of some countries were still closed last summer, especially those in Asia. Now only seven countries have some kind of travel restriction in place for vaccinated US travelers, according kayak. For unvaccinated US travelers, the number rises to 23.

“This is the first year that people haven’t had a lot of Covid requirements at all,” French said.

As a result, summer 2023 is the most expensive time on record to travel to Europe, Hopper said. The average ticket costs around $1,200, eclipsing the previous 2018 record of $50 a ticket.

In Asia, the second most popular destination for Americans, average prices are 64% higher than pre-pandemic levels, Berg said.

It’s not just the plane ticket. Staying in a European hotel this summer costs $205 a night, a 37% increase from last year. Cities like Rome and Madrid have seen prices jump 63% and 41% respectively over the past year, Hopper said.

However, the price does not seem to have deterred travelers, on the whole, from traveling abroad.

It makes sense from a financial point of view. The typical American tourist traveling abroad tends to be wealthier – with an average family income of $110,000 compared to $83,000 for all travelers – and much more optimistic about their personal finances, translating by a greater willingness to spend on leisure travel, according to a recent survey by Destination Analysts, a tourism market research firm.

In addition to traveling out of season, here are some general tips from travel experts on find a bargain.

• Be flexible. Travel mid-week (eg Tuesday and Wednesday) rather than the weekend. Consider other destinations, perhaps a destination like Scandinavia instead of the more popular cities like Paris and Rome. Play around with dates and locations using tools like Google Flights And Explore.
• Don’t book flights at the last minute. Book an international flight a few months in advance, if possible.
• Use rewards. Now is a good time to use, not collect, frequent flyer miles or other benefits.
• Take advantage of credit card benefits. Your credit card may have benefits for travel or rental car insurance, or another benefit. Buy part or all of your holiday with this card and you may not need to purchase separate insurance.
• Keep other costs in mind. If you find a good deal on airfare, don’t overlook other costs such as accommodation before you book. They can represent a higher cost than plane tickets, depending on length of stay and destination.