I am always looking for cheap or inexpensive ways to travel. Since I have heard plenty of people limit their travel dreams with phrases like, “I can’t afford to travel”, “I wish I had the money to go on a trip to Europe”, “I’m saving up money to reward myself with an international vacation”. Unfortunately, that last phrase is your friend who years later has never rewarded themselves with that international trip they have been talking about. I have found myself saying or thinking some of these same things over the years holding me back from fulfilling my travel dreams. I am here to share some tips on how I have learned to make multiple trips to various cities in Europe affordable so your dream vacation doesn’t also have to drain your bank account.

Finding Affordable Europe Flights

I am not here to tell you hacks on what day and the perfect time frame to book to get the cheapest flight because honestly I’m not your expert for those hacks. I can tell you I have learned a few tricks using Google Flights that can help you to find a cheap flight to Europe that doesn't require any flight clubs, additional services or travel hacks. I will walk you through the tips on how my husband and I have taken multiple trips to Europe for cheap. The example I will walk you through with these tips was how we planned our honeymoon to Lake Como, Italy through Oslo, Norway to save money.

Departing Airport: Book your flight out of an International Airport that is a hub for multiple different airlines. This will open options for various airlines, fewer layovers which means less money for you. I have found that the money saved is generally worth a longer drive even if there is a smaller airport close to you.

My husband and I live about 30 minutes from the Cedar Rapids Airport (Eastern Iowa Airport), which is very convenient yet far from affordable when compared to a larger International airport like Chicago O’Hare.

**More Expensive Flight to Oslo, Norway leaving from Cedar Rapids**

**Much cheaper flight from Chicago to Oslo, saving us more than half!**

Get to Europe with Destination and Date Flexibility: Don’t limit yourself to one specific destination or specific dates. If you are interested in traveling to Europe take the time to research some of the larger cities across various countries. Researching multiple places in Google Flights that you may be interested in visiting may allow you to find cheaper flights. Once you find some of the least expensive cities in Europe that interest you start to look at flexibility on the dates to get the price down. The destination you find might not be #1 on your list but just might save you hundreds of dollars on airfare. Once in Europe you can generally find much less expensive airfare to one of your top choice destinations. This not only saves you money but you also get to experience and create memories by traveling to more than one destination. This will open up the your ability to find the place you want to go for the least amount of money.

For our honeymoon my husband and I had our heart set on exploring Lake Como in Italy. Although through research we were able to find that we could to Lake Como, Italy cheaper by flying to Oslo, Norway which was also on our list of top travel destinations. Plus do you know what is better than a honeymoon to one destination, a honeymoon to two destinations!

**Date flexibility alone can save you money!**

**Date flexibility from an International Airport to Milan saves even more money!**

**Destination combined with date flexibility for the win!**

**Two destinations cheaper than the price for just one <3**

Cheers!

-Jessica

Planning a Cheap Europe Trip

Finding Affordable Europe Flights