Cheapest time to fly to Europe

From lively London to the romantic streets of Rome, here’s when to fly to Europe.

We’ve saved you the time and hassle of searching each month to find the cheapest time to fly to Europe, but doing the work work you. We’ve found the European springtime to be the cheapest time to visit the continent, including cities such as London, Paris and Rome.

As it’s not peak season, but still a very pleasant time to visit, head to Europe during these months and you’ll save not only on your flights, but accommodation and cruises, too.

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When is the cheapest time to travel to Europe

Of course, this depends on where in Europe you’re heading. We’ve looked at data for a few popular cities: London, Paris and Rome.

Skip down to the city you’d like to learn about by clicking on the name of it in the list below:

• London
• Paris
• Rome

When is the cheapest time to fly to London?

Generally, travelling in the early spring and late autumn months will get you the best prices. Remember, seasons are flipped in the UK, so travelling in spring means March to May, and autumn means September to November.

We found those months were the cheapest from all the Australian cities we checked. Here’s a few snapshots of what we were seeing when using the cheapest-dates calendar on I Want That Flight. (These are all for the cheapest possible options, so the airlines may not be ones you’d prefer to fly.)

Cheapest time to fly to London from Melbourne: February to May

Cheapest time to fly to London from Sydney: February to May

Cheapest time to fly to London from Perth: September to November

Cheapest time to fly to London from Brisbane: May

When is the cheapest time to fly to Paris?

Like London, Paris is the cheapest to fly to during the European springtime. It is still a touch chilly at the beginning of that period, but toward April and May you’ll find comfortable temperatures and fewer crowds than summertime.

Again, we found March to May were the cheapest from most of the Australian cities we checked. (Brisbane is the one exception here). Here’s what we were seeing when using the cheapest-dates calendar on I Want That Flight.

Cheapest time to fly to Paris from Melbourne: March to May

Cheapest time to fly to Paris from Sydney: March to May

Cheapest time to fly to Paris from Perth: April and May

Cheapest time to fly to Paris from Brisbane: May to July

When is the cheapest time to fly to Rome?

If you’re looking to travel to Rome closer to the European summer, you’re in luck. We’ve found that May and June are some of the cheapest months to fly to the Italian city.

Cheapest time to fly to Rome from Melbourne:

Cheapest time to fly to Rome from Sydney: May and June

Cheapest time to fly to Rome from Perth: May and June

Cheapest time to fly to Rome from Brisbane: April to June

How much will it cost to travel to Europe at the time?

At the time of writing, we’re seeing flights to Europe going for $850-$1,150 return if you’re flying from Sydney or Melbourne. Flights from Perth or Brisbane tend to be a bit.

These fares are with Chinese airlines, including China Southern, Air China, rather than Australia-based airlines. If you’re a loyal Qantas flyer, unfortunately your flights to Europe will set you back a few hundred dollars more — at least. The same goes for the Middle East-based airlines like Etihad, Emirates and Qatar. (Although they are usually less than Qantas.)

Using the example of flights to Rome from Melbourne for $870 with China Southern, we’ve checked Qantas fares and Qatar fares on and around the same dates (28 May to 20 June, 2024).

But… is this going to be the worst time to go to Europe?

We certainly don’t think so!

We’ve been to Europe during the springtime and the height of summer and there’s plenty of perks to going between March and June. Aside from the cheap flight prices, here’s just a few reasons why we’d happily go again during spring:

• Fewer crowds and queues at all of the attractions
• Lower prices on accommodation
• Cheaper cruises, if you’re planning on sailing the Mediterranean or Baltic Sea

When is the best-value time to visit Europe?

We believe May is the best-value time to visit Europe from Australia. It’s the time to get the cheapest flights from most cities and the weather is better than March and May.

On average, temperatures fall between 18-22 degrees in major cities which is perfect for wandering around and seeing all the sites.

Hotel prices haven’t quite creeped up to the summer levels yet, so you should be able to find more affordable accommodation options. Or, at least the more affordable ones won’t yet be booked out by all the summer tourists.