The cheapest place to fly into Europe isn’t always the same every year, but airports like Dublin, Lisbon, Reykjavík, Milan, and Kraków consistently offer some of the lowest fares from North America thanks to airline competition, budget carriers, and frequent transatlantic service. If you’re flexible about where you land, you can often save hundreds of dollars before your European vacation even begins.
What is the Cheapest Airport to Fly Into Europe?
Airport
Country
Why It’s Often Cheap
Best For
Reykjavík (KEF)
Iceland
Popular stopover hub, competitive transatlantic fares, cheap onward flights to Europe
Travelers open to layovers
Dublin (DUB)
Ireland
Major Ryanair & Aer Lingus hub, strong competition, many transatlantic routes
First-time Europe travelers
Shannon (SNN)
Ireland
Smaller airport with low fares and fewer connections
Budget travelers avoiding big hubs
Cork (ORK)
Ireland
Served by low-cost carriers, good access to Ireland & Europe
Flexible itineraries
Amsterdam (AMS)
Netherlands
Large international hub with easy European connections
Easy onward travel
Lisbon (LIS)
Portugal
Low airport fees, TAP stopovers, strong budget airline presence
Southern Europe trips
Barcelona (BCN)
Spain
Budget airline hub with easy transfers
Mediterranean destinations
Copenhagen (CPH)
Denmark
Growing low-cost airline presence
Northern Europe travel
Istanbul (IST)
Turkey
Massive hub with competitive fares
Europe + Middle East connections
Dublin, Lisbon, Reykjavík, Milan, and Kraków are often among the cheapest airports to fly into Europe from North America. The cheapest option changes by departure city and travel dates, so compare several European gateway airports rather than searching only your final destination.
There isn’t one single cheapest place to fly into Europe for everyone — and that’s actually the key to saving money. Finding affordable travel destinations in Europe can be a game changer for your budget. Cities like Prague, Budapest, and Porto offer rich experiences without breaking the bank.
The cheapest airport to fly into Europe depends on where you are coming from, how flexible you are with connections, and what part of Europe you ultimately want to visit. In general, airports that consistently offer the lowest fares share a few important traits: they are major hubs for low-cost carriers, they have a high number of daily flights, and they encourage tourism by keeping passenger fees low.
Based on those factors, airports like Dublin, Lisbon, Reykjavik, and Krakow often rank among the cheapest places to fly into Europe.
If you are traveling from North America, Dublin is frequently one of the cheapest and easiest entry points into Europe. It has extensive transatlantic service, strong competition among airlines, and excellent low-cost connections onward to the rest of Europe through carriers like Ryanair and Aer Lingus. For many travelers, Dublin offers the best balance of price, convenience, and connectivity.
If you are flexible with layovers, airports like Reykjavik (Keflavík) and Lisbon can be excellent money-saving options. These airports are often used as stopover hubs, which helps keep fares lower. Once you arrive, it is usually inexpensive to continue on to major European cities like Rome, Nice, Edinburgh, or Stockholm using budget airlines.
For travelers willing to fly into secondary or Eastern European airports, cities such as Krakow can be among the cheapest places to fly into Europe overall. These airports are served by ultra-low-cost carriers like Wizz Air, and while they may require an extra connection, the savings can be significant — especially for families or travelers flying during peak season.
The biggest takeaway is this: the cheapest place to fly into Europe is often not your final destination. By flying into a budget-friendly airport and then taking a low-cost European flight or train onward, you can dramatically reduce the cost of getting to Europe without sacrificing where you actually want to go.
These airports are consistently among the cheapest places to fly into Europe thanks to low-cost airline competition, high flight volume, and affordable onward connections.
Why You Shouldn’t Always Fly Directly to Your Destination
One of the biggest mistakes travelers make when planning a trip to Europe is searching only for flights to the city they want to visit.
Instead, search for flights to several major European airports. You may find that flying into Dublin, Lisbon, Reykjavík, or Milan costs hundreds of dollars less than flying directly to your final destination.
Once you’re in Europe, getting around is surprisingly affordable. Budget airlines like Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, and PLAY often offer inexpensive flights between major cities, and Europe’s extensive rail network makes it easy to continue your journey by train.
For example, instead of booking a flight directly to Rome, you might find a much cheaper ticket to Dublin and then book a separate low-cost flight to Italy. Even after paying for the second flight, you could still spend less overall—and perhaps even have time to explore another city along the way.
Being flexible about where you land is often the easiest way to reduce the cost of a European vacation without giving up the destinations you really want to visit.
Why are these European airports cheaper?
Not all European airports charge airlines the same fees, and not all airports have the same level of competition. The airports that consistently offer the lowest fares tend to share a few important characteristics.
Many are major hubs for low-cost carriers like Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, or PLAY, which keeps prices competitive. Others have a high volume of transatlantic flights, giving travelers more airline choices and driving fares down. Some countries also actively encourage tourism through stopover programs or competitive airport fees, making them attractive entry points for international visitors.
The other key advantage is what happens after you land. Once you’re in Europe, budget airlines and an extensive rail network make it inexpensive to continue on to your final destination. That’s why flying into Dublin, Lisbon, or Reykjavík and then booking a separate flight to Rome, Prague, or Edinburgh can often cost significantly less than booking a direct ticket to your final destination.
The cheapest place to fly into Europe isn’t always the airport closest to where you want to go—it’s often the airport that gives you the most affordable gateway to the rest of the continent.
1. Reykjavík, Iceland (KEF)
Low-Cost Carrier: Icelandair
Keflavík International Airport is Iceland’s main international airport and one of the closest European gateways to North America. Icelandair’s extensive transatlantic network can make Iceland an affordable first stop in Europe, particularly if you are flexible with your dates or want to add an Iceland stopover before continuing to mainland Europe.
Dublin is one of my favorite airports to check when looking for inexpensive flights to Europe from the U.S. Both Aer Lingus and Ryanair have a major presence here, which gives travelers plenty of options for continuing on to other European cities. Dublin is also a particularly easy gateway if Ireland is part of your trip.
3. Shannon, Ireland (SNN)
Low-Cost Carrier: Ryanair, Aer Lingus
Shannon is much smaller than Dublin, but it can still be a surprisingly affordable way to get to Europe, particularly if you are visiting western Ireland. It has direct transatlantic service as well as connections throughout Europe and the UK. I always think it’s worth comparing Shannon with Dublin when airfare to Ireland is especially good.
4 Cork, Ireland (ORK)
Low-Cost Carrier: Ryanair, Aer Lingus
Cork Airport is another good option for flights into Europe if you’re on a budget. Cork’s airport is located less than 6 miles from the city center and features plenty of shops and restaurants to help pass the time before your flight. You can also catch a bus into Dublin and be there in under 3 hours. There is also a train that runs from Cork to Dublin.
This is another large, busy airport that offers generally cheap flights to Europe from the US, plus you can get anywhere in Europe very easily from here.
When you fly into Amsterdam, one of the cheapest places to fly into Europe, you’ll find that getting around is easy and affordable as well! You can get anywhere in the city via public transportation, which is all very cheap and accessible. If you want to rent a car or take a taxi, those are also options to get to other major cities in Europe.
Plus Amsterdam as some of the best places to sleep when the entire East Coast is snowed in . I have had to do that a few times in my life!
6. Lisbon, Portugal (LIS)
Low-Cost Carrier: Ryanair, easyJet, TAP Portugal
Lisbon is one of the airports I always check when comparing fares to Europe. TAP Air Portugal has an extensive network between North America and Europe, while Ryanair and easyJet offer plenty of options for continuing your trip once you arrive. TAP also offers a Portugal Stopover program, which can make Lisbon an especially appealing gateway if you want to add Portugal to a larger European trip.
Barcelona International Airport is a great airport to fly into. It’s also one of the easiest airports in Europe to get through! Generally the process from your layover until fly on to your final destination is very easy. This is particularly helpful if you’re looking to book a cheap flight from Barcelona and then move on somewhere else.
Copenhagen can be a good gateway when fares to Scandinavia are low, particularly if your trip includes Denmark, Sweden or northern Europe. It’s well connected to the rest of Europe, so it’s worth including in your flight search even if Copenhagen isn’t your final destination.
Istanbul Airport is one of Europe’s largest international hubs, with an enormous network of flights through Turkish Airlines. Depending on where you’re flying from, Istanbul can offer competitive fares, particularly if your trip continues into southeastern Europe, the Middle East, or Asia.
Brussels Airport serves as a great way to get into other parts of Europe such as Germany, France and the Netherlands.
According to the Airport Council International Ranking of Airports , Brussels International is the busiest airport in Belgium. It also has a lot of unique amenities such as duty free shopping, cafes and restaurants! In addition to being easy to get around it’s also very affordable.
11. Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH)
Low-Cost Carrier : Swiss International Airlines
Zurich isn’t always one of the cheapest airports on this list, but it’s worth checking if you’re traveling to Switzerland, southern Germany, or the Alps. Because it’s a major international hub, occasional fare sales can make Zurich surprisingly competitive with other European gateways.
Milan Malpensa is one of Italy’s major international gateways and is often worth comparing with Rome when looking for inexpensive flights from North America. Milan also works particularly well as an entry point for northern Italy, Switzerland, and destinations that are easy to reach using Italy’s high-speed rail network.
13. Krakow, Poland (KRK)
Low-Cost Carrier: WizzAir
Kraków can be an especially good gateway for travelers headed to Poland or Central Europe. While you may not find as many nonstop flights from North America as you will to Dublin, London, or Paris, Kraków is well served by European low-cost carriers, making it inexpensive to connect from another European city.
How I Get the Absolutely Cheapest Flights at the Cheapest Airports
Booking in advance is key
Always book at least two weeks ahead of time. You can usually find some amazing deals if you look far enough in advance for your travel dates and destinations. That being said, waiting too long to book can mean you’ll pay a ridiculous amount because the flight will fill up fast! Use this website as a starting point to finding cheap flights.
Flying into Secondary Airports
Flying into secondary airports can be cheaper than major ones like Charles De Gaulle or Heathrow Airport . Look instead at Orly or Stanstead airports to see if you can find a cheaper flight.
Be aware that most low cost airlines in Europe will limit your carry on luggage and/or have you pay high fees to check luggage. So if you are planning on getting to Europe and using Ryanair you need to pack light! Check out how to pack for 10 days in a carry on.
If you are traveling with more than one person, it may be worth your while to pay a little extra for a flight that has the option of sitting together. Since most low cost European airlines don’t have assigned seating , it can be hard to sit with friends and family.
If I were searching for flights to Europe today, I wouldn’t start by looking for the cheapest ticket to Rome or Paris. I’d first compare fares to Dublin, Lisbon, Reykjavík, Milan, and the other airports on this list. A little flexibility at the beginning of your trip can save enough money to extend your vacation, upgrade your hotel, or splurge on an unforgettable experience once you arrive.
You can make your family vacation dreams come true for much less money by using these budget tips. Don’t forget to download your free printable packing list too!
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