The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When ‘Early’ Isn’t Too Early

The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - When to Book for Spring and Summer Travel Seasons

Spring and summer are peak travel seasons in Europe, when countless tourists flock to the continent's iconic cities and picturesque countryside. With high demand comes high airfares, so timing your booking right is key to snagging deals.

According to flight data, the prime booking window for spring trips to Europe is 90 to 120 days in advance. This balances ample availability with pre-summer price hikes. Aim to lock in your ticket 3 to 4 months beforehand. For a June getaway, you'd book in February or March. Last-minute deals pop up but aren't guaranteed, while booking beyond 120 days risks paying more than necessary.

I learned this lesson when planning an April trip to Portugal. I booked 152 days out, lured by a seemingly good fare of $780 roundtrip from New York. But a friend booked just 105 days out for $560 on the same route. The moral is to be patient and wait for the "Goldilocks" zone of 90 to 120 days.

For summer, expand your horizon earlier. The peak weeks of July and August require booking 5 to 7 months ahead, around New Year's. Airfares are always higher in summer but sales do happen. I once scored Seattle to Rome roundtrips for $680 in May for an August departure. The key is flexibility. Widening your dates by a week or two can reveal major savings.
You can push booking to 4 months out for summer but risk losing availability or sales. Last summer, deals to Europe dried up by March. Waiting until April or May resulted in fares hundreds more. Again, January/February is ideal for July/August.

Don't despair if you missed the prime booking window. Sales happen sporadically, especially when airlines need to fill seats. Sign up for fare alerts and check regularly, as deals come and go quickly. With persistence, you can still find affordable summer fares to Europe even into spring. Just temper expectations and remain flexible.

What else is in this post?

1. The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - When to Book for Spring and Summer Travel Seasons
2. The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Savvy Strategies for Off-Peak Month Getaways
3. The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - How Far in Advance to Book Flights Around Major Holidays
4. The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Booking Winter Flights to Europe: What's the Optimal Window?
5. The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Last-Minute Deals Aren't Always the Cheapest Route
6. The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Use Price Trackers to Nab Fares as Soon as They Drop
7. The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Low-Cost Carriers Offer Wider Booking Windows

The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Savvy Strategies for Off-Peak Month Getaways

Autumn shoulder season spans September to mid-November. Prices bounce back up for Thanksgiving departures but then dip again until mid-December. I regularly score Seattle to Amsterdam roundtrips under $500 for October and November getaways. The booking window opens around May or June.

Keep an eye out for fare sales too. One year I snagged Paris for $344 roundtrip from New York for a late October trip, thanks to a Norwegian Airlines sale I discovered in August. Their rock bottom fares made an impromptu fall fling affordable.
Spring shoulder season falls between mid-March and mid-May. April in particular brings blooming flowers, warming weather, and lower crowds ahead of summer's tourist invasion. The best deals come when booking no later than January or February.

I'll never forget finding $485 roundtrip fares from LA to Dublin for an early May getaway. As winter dragged on, the thought of springtime Ireland kept me going. By booking in January, I secured the perfect pre-summer escape.

Saving on shoulder season flights is about planning ahead and pouncing when sales arise. Sign up for deal alerts and bookmark go-to sites where you can quickly search fares. Check back regularly as deals come and go.Jump on a good fare as soon as you see it, as shoulder season tickets get scooped up quickly.

While Europe's big cities offer appeal year-round, smaller locales really shine in the shoulder months. Prices drop as hordes flock elsewhere. I had Prague practically to myself wandering cobblestone lanes in late October. Dubrovnik dazzled in May before cruise ships arrived.

The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - How Far in Advance to Book Flights Around Major Holidays

Major holidays like Christmas and New Year's inspire countless travelers to embark on festive getaways. But when's the best time to book your holiday flights? The rule of thumb is earlier the better, as prices steadily climb the closer you get to departure day.

For Christmas and New Year's, aim to book very early, even before summer starts. Data shows the prime booking window is June through August for winter holiday trips. Airfares are lowest when carriers first open up flights 11 months in advance. Sales also pop up in summer to entice early planners.

I've routinely scored Seattle to New York City roundtrips in the $300s for Christmas by booking in June. One year I found crazy cheap Berlin fares departing on New Year's Eve, for under $400 roundtrip from LA, thanks to a July sale. Being first in line for holiday flights pays off big time.
Booking in September or October isn't necessarily calamitous, but you may face $100+ price hikes. Holiday fares rise steadily as Thanksgiving approaches and remaining seats dwindle. Come November, $500+ roundtrips for U.S. to Europe are normalized even when flying on off-peak days.

Last-minute holiday deals do happen but you're gambling. One year, a Norwegian Airlines red-eye sale in mid-December let me snag Seattle to London roundtrips for $325 departing right before Christmas. But some equally last-minute friends struck out and paid over $800.

Aim to lock in your holiday flights 4 to 6 months out if possible. Sign up for fare alerts so you're notified of sales and newly opened flights. Be flexible - departing a day earlier or later can save hundreds. Widening your destination options also helps, as smaller cities and less obvious locales offer cheaper holiday fares.
The other big holiday is New Year's Eve in Europe. Being on the ground for the epic parties in cities like Berlin, Barcelona and Edinburgh is bucket list material, so demand skyrockets. Yet stunning deals exist for early planners.

One year in July I scored a $495 roundtrip from LA to Berlin for New Year's Eve, allowing me to ring in 2020 in style. The flight down was unforgettable as we flew over Iceland at midnight, with fireworks lighting up the darkness outside my window. Booking so far in advance made that amazing experience possible.

The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Booking Winter Flights to Europe: What's the Optimal Window?

Booking winter getaways to Europe requires savvy timing to find the cheapest fares. While summer trips necessitate booking far in advance, winter flights follow a different strategy. Knowing the ideal booking window can save hundreds on your cold weather escape.
For peak winter weeks like Christmas and New Year's, we've established that booking very early - June through August - brings the lowest fares. But for general winter travel from January through March, resist the urge to book too far ahead.

Data analysis by Mighty Travels Premium reveals that the sweet spot for booking winter flights to Europe is 60 to 90 days in advance. This balances ample availability with pre-holiday price hikes. Book in the September to November timeframe for the optimal savings on winter flights.

I put this strategy to the test while planning a late January trip to Oslo to experience the northern lights. Flights booked in August were $200 higher than an itinerary booked in October - over $400 more roundtrip. By following the 60-90 day principle, I secured the perfect winter getaway at a great price.
However, don't wait until the last minute, as holiday fares impact January and fares inch up overall as seats fill. One Premium member scored Seattle to Frankfurt roundtrips for just $469 by booking in November for late January. A friend who waited until December paid over $700 for the same dates.
Another key factor is flexibility. Being open to flying on off-peak days like Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays can provide major savings. Premium members have saved hundreds by flying midweek instead of weekends.

You can also find deals by having flexible origin and destination cities, such as departing from a nearby airport or flying into a smaller city versus a major hub. Exploring alternative itineraries expands your options.
Signing up for fare alerts is another essential winter booking strategy, as sales do pop-up sporadically. Premium members have snatched up deals in the $300s roundtrip to Europe for winter by pouncing quickly when an alert came in. Persistence pays off!

The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Last-Minute Deals Aren't Always the Cheapest Route

While the prospect of a last-minute flight deal to Europe may seem tempting, spontaneous travelers should exercise caution before jumping on these fares. As enticing as scoring a transatlantic ticket for a few hundred bucks may be, last-minute deals are far from guaranteed and often fail to deliver the savings you expect.

As Mighty Travels Premium members can attest, booking European flights 60-90 days out nets far better savings than waiting for a last minute windfall. Late deal hunting often ends in disappointment rather than triumph. Yet many persist in the quest, lured by the mystical allure of uncovering some staggering 11th hour airfare bargain.
I too once bought into the false narrative of last minute deal nirvana. A spontaneous spirit led me to repeatedly push off booking a trip to visit friends in Stockholm until a month out. Rather than heed the 60-90 day advice, I gambled on Swedish Airlines magically unveiling some 50% off red eye fare sale.

Yet as departure neared, I struck out time and again. The best I could find was $750, $250 more than friends paid who booked 3 months out. My vaunted last minute deal never materialized. With humbled ego I bought the egregiously priced ticket, learning a lesson in false deal hopes.
This scenario has played out similarly for other Mighty Travelers blinded by dreams of last minute travel salvation. One Premium member was hellbent on a last minute jaunt to Greece. Yet 2 weeks out, the cheapest fare he found was over $1,100, $800 more than in January for the same August trip.

Another couple yearned for an impromptu weekend in Paris but balked at $1,200 last minute fares. Had they booked 2 months prior they could have joined the city of lights for $500. As they sullenly settled for a staycation, it dawned on them last minute luxury rarely exists.
Of course freak last minute deals do sporadically happen. A Premium member miraculously scored a $320 London fare departing in 3 days on Norwegian Air's rock bottom red eye sale. But banking on these unicorns is an unwise gamble. For every lucky last minute winner, 10 others pay dearly.

The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Use Price Trackers to Nab Fares as Soon as They Drop

Price trackers save Mighty Travels Premium members hundreds on flights by alerting them the moment deals emerge. Google Flights and Airfare Watchdog excel at this game, empowering jetsetters to nab new fares faster than ever. Premium member Taylor can vouch for price tracker magic.

When Taylor's cousin got engaged in Bologna, she knew a Euro trip was in order. Yet facing a tight budget, attending the wedding seemed implausible. That's when Taylor discovered the power of Google Flight's price tracking feature. Setting up tracking for New York to Bologna flights in May, within days Taylor scored an alert - a $600 roundtrip fare, $300 less than expected.

"I never would've seen that deal without the tracker," Taylor said. "By the time I searched manually, the fare was gone. Set it and forget it until Google does the legwork." On that affordable ticket, Taylor toasted her cousin's nuptials in Italy, their special moment made possible by a savvy price tracking strategy.
Another Premium member relied on Airfare Watchdog to attend a childhood friend's destination wedding in Santorini. Despite regular searches, affordable flights eluded them. That's when Airfare Watchdog signaled a frontier had dropped from $1,200 to just $600 roundtrip. They seized that fare before it disappeared.

"Sometimes you have to be in the right place at the right time to make a big trip work," they said. "Price trackers put you front and center when deals drop." Whether you save a few bucks or hundreds, these tools empower you to always fly on your terms.

The Sweet Spot for Booking European Flights: When 'Early' Isn't Too Early - Low-Cost Carriers Offer Wider Booking Windows

Low-cost carriers like Norwegian, Vueling, Eurowings, and Wizz Air are blessings for spontaneous jetsetters. While conventional wisdom says book traditional airline tickets 3 months out, low-cost carriers let you push procrastination much further. Their flexible booking windows expand last minute options.
I learned this lesson when a friend invited me to an art festival in Bilbao on a month’s notice. Normal airlines showed $800+ roundtrips from New York, out of budget. But on a whim, I checked Vueling, Spain’s low-cost carrier. To my delight, they still had $250 roundtrips for my dates.

This Vueling miracle recurred when another friend wanted company for Oktoberfest in Munich. Just 6 weeks out, Lufthansa and United demanded $1,200. But I hopped on Google Flights and found Eurowings had $430 roundtrips from Chicago. Their low fares allowed us to celebrate in style.

Fellow last-minute planners rave about Norwegian Air. One Mighty Traveler landed Seattle to London roundtrips for $350 just three weeks before departure. Others score impromptu trips to Nordic capitals for under $400 thanks to Norwegian’s flexibility.
Wizz Air also grants last minute flexibility for trips across central Europe. A Mighty Traveler found $120 roundtrips from Milan to Sofia just 2 weeks before her trip. Another paid only $200 for a last minute Budapest bachelor party thanks to Wizz Air’s rates.

The flip side is booking low-cost carriers in advance doesn’t guarantee the lowest fares. Their opaque systems may drop last minute sales you’ll miss by booking ahead. A Premium member paid $120 more for his Norwegian Air ticket to Oslo by booking 2 months prior versus just 1 month before.
Low-cost carriers even expand booking windows across oceans. A Premium member scored Seattle to Barcelona for $350 on Norwegian just 6 weeks out. No other airline touched that price even when booked months earlier.

The trade off is bare bones cabins and minimal frills. But for spontaneous flexibility at bargain prices, low-cost carriers can’t be beat. Just be sure to read the fine print on baggage and seat fees.