Europe. When?

Flown to Europe a lot? You can help!

So here is the deal. DH and I decided to go to Europe in 2019 before he gets too old to enjoy it (only 50 but has knee issues from desert storm).

We always get a suite (princess only), and for him that is NOT negotiable. He also hates to fly and has issues with it because of his knee. SO he wanted to do one way to Europe then do a transatlantic home. Well trying to do some research this week after our large purchase of land and sea Alaska this Sept, and possibly a cruise with friends in spring of 2018 (all in a suite mind you) I don't feel comfortable with the cost. So now I am thinking we need to just roundtrip flight a 7 or 10 day cruise. He seems (sorta) ok with it. Here is the question:

Cheapest time of year to take a flight to Europe?

Opinions on best European cruise?

Cheapest European airport destinations?

I grew up in Europe but never went to the British Isles, DH has never been but would really like to go to Scotland. I think he would enjoy Italy but I have been there so much I'm not enthused about it. I welcome opinions, especially from those who can compare multiple.

I have looked at 2 different weeks in April to London and they were several hundred different so I thought I would just see if some experienced Europe travelers could give me a rough estimate. I haven't been in ages and don't remember the high periods.

Thanks!!!!

Spring or fall would be cheaper for the air fare, those are not high season times like summer.is. Since we have never been on Princess I cannot talk too much about itineraries but I know that April in the British Isles can be cool, kind of like Alaska so you would want to layer up. Also consider a Med cruise or the Baltics. We have done both in the shoulder seasons and loved them both. Good thoughts to your DH, knee issues suck.

Flown to Europe a lot? You can help!

 

So here is the deal. DH and I decided to go to Europe in 2019 before he gets too old to enjoy it (only 50 but has knee issues from desert storm).

 

We always get a suite (princess only), and for him that is NOT negotiable. He also hates to fly and has issues with it because of his knee. SO he wanted to do one way to Europe then do a transatlantic home. Well trying to do some research this week after our large purchase of land and sea Alaska this Sept, and possibly a cruise with friends in spring of 2018 (all in a suite mind you) I don't feel comfortable with the cost. So now I am thinking we need to just roundtrip flight a 7 or 10 day cruise. He seems (sorta) ok with it. Here is the question:

 

Cheapest time of year to take a flight to Europe?

Opinions on best European cruise?

Cheapest European airport destinations?

 

I grew up in Europe but never went to the British Isles, DH has never been but would really like to go to Scotland. I think he would enjoy Italy but I have been there so much I'm not enthused about it. I welcome opinions, especially from those who can compare multiple.

 

I have looked at 2 different weeks in April to London and they were several hundred different so I thought I would just see if some experienced Europe travelers could give me a rough estimate. I haven't been in ages and don't remember the high periods.

 

Thanks!!!!

Search with ita matrix (google for link)

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Actually the least expensive time to fly to Europe is during the cold winter months. Of course you could also encounter rain and snow. Think Moscow in March.

As you are looking at airfares don't forget that some European airlines add additional fees in compliance with their governments. England's, I think, are the highest surcharges.

If you sail in a suite then you would probably want business class to accommodate your DH's knees. Try to avoid a 767 in business. It would not be comfortable for the DH. Most 380 business configurations with the seating on the upper deck would be more comfortable.

If you want to fly with a TA back you are looking at fall travel. The later you can plan your travel the lower the airfare might be. If you want to travel to England then look at Cunard which does crossings at multiple times during the year. I know it's not Princess (your favorite line) but it is a viable option.

We always get a suite (princess only), and for him that is NOT negotiable. He also hates to fly and has issues with it because of his knee. SO he wanted to do one way to Europe then do a transatlantic home. Well trying to do some research this week after our large purchase of land and sea Alaska this Sept, and possibly a cruise with friends in spring of 2018 (all in a suite mind you) I don't feel comfortable with the cost. So now I am thinking we need to just roundtrip flight a 7 or 10 day cruise. He seems (sorta) ok with it. Here is the question:

 

Cheapest time of year to take a flight to Europe?

Opinions on best European cruise?

Cheapest European airport destinations?

If you're going to fly business class (about which more later), then there are some other quirks about cheaper times: the few days around Thanksgiving, the days between Christmas and New Year, and August can also yield good business class fares.

The best cruise is the one that goes to the places you want to go to. But it sounds like the two of you may have to do some negotiating about that.

Depending on what his knee problems are and what it is about flying that upsets it, you may find that business class flying will make it much easier. You should be able to find business class seats that are flat beds (ie both flat and horizontal). If his knee complains from sitting up for too long but it is OK when lying down, then that would solve that problem. Different airlines do different things, and sometimes different things on different aircraft - so you probably need to have more specific ideas about what you want to do, and then get more specific advice.

You have plenty of time to explore the options for getting business class tickets, which could involve buying cash tickets, redeeming frequent flyer miles (which you can acquire by outright purchase as well as in the more traditional ways), or a mixture (eg cash ticket plus mileage upgrade). Using frequent flyer ticket involves a combination of hard work, good luck and flexibility - but it can be done.

I don't know what it was about the cost of a trans-Atlantic cruise that made you uncomfortable. If it was the price of a cash ticket for a one-way flight, that is simply because there are relatively few airlines that offer long-haul one-ways at half the level of a normal discounted round-trip ticket. One-way long-hauls tend to be very expensive. But there are ways around that. These include using the cruise line's air travel or frequent flyer tickets. So if that is the issue, then there are many ideas that can be offered.

As for cheaper destinations, there are some. But these can change from time to time and require quite a bit of research. It's probably a question better answered when you have firmer plans and we know what level of flexibility you have. But if you're flying economy or you are time-constrained, it is very easy to be penny wise and pound foolish by choosing a complex itinerary that saves a bit on the headline air fare but is overall wildly impractical once you take into account the extra complexity, time taken, hassle incurred, and the risks of everything going very very wrong.

I would suggest that when Princess releases their 2018 Europe schedule that you do some comparison shopping. You can get airfare quotes through EZ Air at the same time for any itinerary and this will give a general idea of what to expect for 2019. For my cruise in October the RT air is only $631. from Tampa which is about 1//2 of what I could find on my own. I actually canceled my Alaska cruise and booked the Med in a balcony for less ;)

However, the British Isles is an expensive itinerary but from what I have seen Princess itineraries are the best for covering all of the main ports - including Scotland. So, you might not find any deals on the cruise portion. I have seen last minute deals but never checked cabin availability so booking a suite then probably isn't an option.

I like the September - October timeframe for the Med but if you decide on the British Isles you will have to travel earlier.

Some thoughts that probably repeat things already said, but here goes:

The majority of one-way transatlantic cruises depart eastbound in the spring and westbound in the fall, so you'd need to look at touring options once in Europe in that context. Some areas, like Scotland, are less hospitable in, say, March or April than they are in September or October.

Cruise schedules are generally released way ahead of comparable flight schedules. While cruise schedules for early 2019 have already started to appear, and will continue to do so from now on, airlines won't release their schedules, or allow you to book seats, until 11 or 12 months before the flight. So if, say, you decide on a spring 2019 eastbound transatlantic cruise, you won't be able to arrange airfare until the spring or summer of 2018, over a year from now. And even then, booking air that far in advance will probably end up being significantly more expensive than if you wait until the winter of 2018-2019.

As stated above, there are no "cheapest" destinations or "cheapest" times for transatlantic travel. The devil is in the details. Generally you'll find coach airfares cheaper for travel in the late winter, say February - March, but fare sales can happen at any time. Business class fares tend to be cheapest for travel in mid-summer, ironically when coach fares tend to be their most expensive. This is due to a summer fall-off in demand from actual business travelers.

Some random notes:

- Long-haul departures from the UK attract a high departure tax ("air passenger duty") which is especially painful for business class travel. This can be avoided by originating westbound transatlantic travel in some other country, even if you switch planes in the UK en route; for example the taxes on Dublin - London - USA will be significantly less than on a straight London - USA ticket, provided your London transit is less than 24 hours and both flights are on the same ticket.

- Scotland is best visited via a road trip, so being comfortable driving on the left side of the road is important. Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, is one of the world's most beautiful cities; however during the month of August, when numerous arts/drama/music festivals are in progress, it's also one of the world's most crowded cities.

- Major airlines conduct sales on frequent flyer miles several times a year. For example, American Airlines usually has sales where you can buy miles for under 2c per mile. Since a one-way business class award flight from anywhere in the USA (except AK and HI) to anywhere in Europe requires 57,500 miles, you can buy 60,000 miles for around $1200 or a bit less and turn around and redeem them for a one-way business class ticket, much, much less than the cost of purchasing a one-way ticket. If you already have some FF miles or obtain a credit card with a big sign-up mileage bonus, the cost can be even less. You need to be sure there are flights available when you want to travel, so some advance research is needed.

We are going on a Western European cruise in September. The weather is good and flights are less. I would suggest that you wait on flights until it gets closer to your cruise. Either way it will cost over $1000 per person. However, go online and do comparison costs with websites. As far as age goes, I am 70 with walking issues, but that will not stop me from taking a trip of a lifetime. Go for it no matter what. I always say, I cannot take the money with me! Good luck!

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Someone in here once said the best/cheapest tickets are on a gibbous moon phase on a Tuesday:D

Winter months, off season definitely. Our best trips to Scotland were via Icelandair and KLM; you just have to briefly stop at Keflavik (Icelandair) and Amsterdam (KLM). Both friendlier staff and better service than United. Get an aisle seat. Middle row is horrific for us. Free Heineken mini beers on some KLM flights. Have a great time.

A couple of hints not yet discussed.

1. In lieu of Business Class, look at flights that have true Premium Economy seating. This will eliminate all US carriers direct (but not their partners) when looking at the flights. Carriers such as BA and Air Canada, both have true PE and allow you to interline with either AA or UA domestically. This will save money. With the short hop across the pond from London, I find it difficult to justify Business Class for that trip.

2. I have friends that have saved mega bucks by taking a short enjoyable train ride via the Chunnel from London to Paris and flying home from Paris instead of Heathrow. All those taxes disappear with more competitive rates to boot! ;)

3. Spring time in the British Isles can be very windy, and there are multiple reports of cruises having to miss ports along with horrible seas during that period. Plus you have higher rain chances! I'd not chance the Spring and look at the Fall.

1. In lieu of Business Class, look at flights that have true Premium Economy seating. This will eliminate all US carriers direct

Not quite. Delta is introducing a true premium economy product next fall on selected routes, so it may be an option since the OP isn't traveling till 2019,

Not quite. Delta is introducing a true premium economy product next fall on selected routes, so it may be an option since the OP isn't traveling till 2019,

So is American.

Very limited number of routes with limited number of planes. Odds of throwing snake eyes are greater than getting a true PE seating on a US carrier in 2019.]

Very limited number of routes with limited number of planes. Odds of throwing snake eyes are greater than getting a true PE seating on a US carrier in 2019.]

I'm sure if it turns out to be popular, the number of routes on which DL and/or AA offering true PE will be expanded. The OP isn't traveling for at least 2 more years so there's plenty of time to wait and see what will be available.

Flown to Europe a lot? You can help!

 

So here is the deal. DH and I decided to go to Europe in 2019 before he gets too old to enjoy it (only 50 but has knee issues from desert storm).

 

We always get a suite (princess only), and for him that is NOT negotiable. He also hates to fly and has issues with it because of his knee. SO he wanted to do one way to Europe then do a transatlantic home. Well trying to do some research this week after our large purchase of land and sea Alaska this Sept, and possibly a cruise with friends in spring of 2018 (all in a suite mind you) I don't feel comfortable with the cost. So now I am thinking we need to just roundtrip flight a 7 or 10 day cruise. He seems (sorta) ok with it. Here is the question:

 

Cheapest time of year to take a flight to Europe?

Opinions on best European cruise?

Cheapest European airport destinations?

 

I grew up in Europe but never went to the British Isles, DH has never been but would really like to go to Scotland. I think he would enjoy Italy but I have been there so much I'm not enthused about it. I welcome opinions, especially from those who can compare multiple.

 

I have looked at 2 different weeks in April to London and they were several hundred different so I thought I would just see if some experienced Europe travelers could give me a rough estimate. I haven't been in ages and don't remember the high periods.

 

Thanks!!!!

We lived in Germany from 87 to 91 and have traveled extensively over the years, including most of the countries in Europe.

I have my personal preferences, but there is not place that I have been that I didn't enjoy to some degree.

Here are your questions:

Cheapest time of year to take a flight to Europe?

The very cheapest time to fly is in January-February, but I don't recommend that time of the year. You might save a bit going in Spring or Fall.

If you do a transatlantic one way, which we have done and loved it, then you would go either in late April or October. If you go to the MED during those times, it is not too chilly, but if you go to Northern Europe, it will be a bit chilly, but not Winter cold.

Opinions on best European cruise?

We have done both ends of the MED, the Black Sea, Canary Islands and Morocco, as well as the British Isles and part of Scandinavia. All are great trips, so it depends on what you like. Cruises are great for visiting out of the way places for one or two days at a time, not so great for visiting places like London, Rome, Paris, etc. that require several days to see. The Greek Islands are great, and Athens has lots of notable ancient sites like the Acropolis, but Athens is a bit rundown since the financial crisis. Venice is a great city for a couple of days. A Baltic cruise is great, particularly if you want to see St. Petersburg, Russia for a couple of days. The British Isles are great and you go to some great ports in England, Scotland and Ireland.

It is hard to pick one for you, I will post my cc reviews of those cruises for you to digest. There is a lot of detail in the reviews.

Cheapest European airport destinations?

There is not a great difference in price flying into Rome, Paris, Munich, Copenhagen or Madrid. Flying into London can be a bit cheaper, but not necessarily. Flying into London from the USA is likely to be a direct flight, rather than with a transfer. Many flights to Rome, Lisbon or Scandinavia involve a transfer, making your air trip longer and more irritating. Direct flights to Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and London are easy from the USA. Use Kayak website or Matrix to find your lowest cost flights.

One thing, if you take a transatlantic one-way, I suggest flying to Europe than taking the TA back to the USA. Particularly if you fly one-way from London to the USA there are a lot of taxes added to your ticket. even if you use flyer miles.

We have found that we spend on average of $1200 pp for a roundtrip flight from JAX, FL to Europe.

The first to TA cruises we did in 2014 and 2013 our fare pp was around $700-$800 per person, and we saved half the airfare, so our TA was almost a gift.

The cruise lines have choice air for one way tickets that are cheap.

You might try a British Isles cruise first, since flying to London is so easy and a BI cruise is a good as any.

Here are my reviews:

Black Sea and E. Med

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=228545

British Isles

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=221137

Transatlantic

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=221136

Australia

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=216863

W. Med *NCL Epic

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=103808

AMA Rhone River

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=103733

Southern Caribbean

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=99934

Spain, Canary Islands and Morocco

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=80907

E. Med and Adriatic, NCL Gem

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=70129

Russia, Kiev and Baltics

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1478384

China

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1718320

*

*

North Sea/Atl and Transatlantic

*

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=264272

There is not a great difference in price flying into Rome, Paris, Munich, Copenhagen or Madrid. Flying into London can be a bit cheaper, but not necessarily. Flying into London from the USA is likely to be a direct flight, rather than with a transfer. Many flights to Rome, Lisbon or Scandinavia involve a transfer, making your air trip longer and more irritating. Direct flights to Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and London are easy from the USA. Use Kayak website or Matrix to find your lowest cost flights.

 

I wouldn't be so quick to generalize. The OP is from Tennessee. Depending on exactly where in TN, very likely she'll need to connect somewhere in the US before the flight to Europe, so implying that a flight to London is likely to be nonstop (I think you actually mean nonstop, not direct) while a flight to Rome is not, is probably inaccurate. From a major airline hub city in the US, one can get to quite a few places in Europe on a nonstop flight, including the aforementioned Rome, Lisbon and parts of Scandinavia. The question becomes more about exactly where one originates, one's final destination, and whether there's a reason one might prefer to connect in the US or in Europe. Depending on the details, they might have to connect in both, or perhaps neither.

Ex. If the OP is driving distance from ATL and wants to start their trip in Rome, they could easily book a flight from ATL-FCO....One nonstop flight segment, easy peasy. On the other hand, if the OP is from Knoxville and wants to leave from TRI and end up in Naples, they'll likely end up with an itinerary that includes 3 flight segments on at least 2 different airlines.

I think the OP would be wise to decide what part(s) of Europe interest them the most, how long they want the trip to be and narrow down when they want to go. At that point, they can come back here, say "this is what we're thinking...." and probably get some very detailed suggestions on flight arrangements that would help them meet their travel goals. :)

I wouldn't be so quick to generalize. The OP is from Tennessee. Depending on exactly where in TN, very likely she'll need to connect somewhere in the US before the flight to Europe, so implying that a flight to London is likely to be nonstop (I think you actually mean nonstop, not direct) while a flight to Rome is not, is probably inaccurate. From a major airline hub city in the US, one can get to quite a few places in Europe on a nonstop flight, including the aforementioned Rome, Lisbon and parts of Scandinavia. The question becomes more about exactly where one originates, one's final destination, and whether there's a reason one might prefer to connect in the US or in Europe. Depending on the details, they might have to connect in both, or perhaps neither.

 

Ex. If the OP is driving distance from ATL and wants to start their trip in Rome, they could easily book a flight from ATL-FCO....One nonstop flight segment, easy peasy. On the other hand, if the OP is from Knoxville and wants to leave from TRI and end up in Naples, they'll likely end up with an itinerary that includes 3 flight segments on at least 2 different airlines.

 

I think the OP would be wise to decide what part(s) of Europe interest them the most, how long they want the trip to be and narrow down when they want to go. At that point, they can come back here, say "this is what we're thinking...." and probably get some very detailed suggestions on flight arrangements that would help them meet their travel goals. :)

Meg,

Perhaps I should have been more specific. I was thinking of a non-stop flight from the east coat to the European city of destination. I have found it much more difficult to find direct flights to several European cities like Rome from the Southeast. The airlines that I use the most are Delta and American (formerly USAirways). There always seems to be a change in either Amsterdam or Charles de Gaule.

Since I don't know what airport they would be flying to Europe from (it may not be Allanta or Charlotte), then the poster would need to do her own search to determine the best flights.

Personally, I would avoid going through JFK or Newark. However Dulles near Washington, DC is not so bad.

What a mean lot of posters here. OP clearly provided pertinent information:

50 yr old Husband has a knee injury from desert storm [sic]

Poster grew up in Europe but has never been to "British Isles"

DH has never been but wants to go to Scotland, but OP is tired of Italy

OP welcomes opinions, especially from those who can compare multiples [sic]

OP will sail Princess (all in a suite)

OP apparently bought some oceanfront property in Alaska in Sept: "..after our large purchase of land and sea Alaska this Sept."

Not sure why the experts on this board couldn't give better advice.

What a mean lot of posters here. OP clearly provided pertinent information:

 

50 yr old Husband has a knee injury from desert storm [sic]

Poster grew up in Europe but has never been to "British Isles"

DH has never been but wants to go to Scotland, but OP is tired of Italy

OP welcomes opinions, especially from those who can compare multiples [sic]

OP will sail Princess (all in a suite)

OP apparently bought some oceanfront property in Alaska in Sept: "..after our large purchase of land and sea Alaska this Sept."

 

Not sure why the experts on this board couldn't give better advice.

Wow Thank you so much! I have almost deleted this thread several times. I can't handle the negativity on here sometimes. It will keep me off of here for months. I have it posted it in two places and so many of the responses, clearly did not read my post. People kept responding about Transatlantic giving me a very limited time frame so basically it was a stupid question. TO ME the post says I chose against that so I am trying to figure out when to go . If it was TA I would have very few options and asking around would not be necessary.

I guess I should be more clear. The reason I was asking was I was wondering if someone could tell me a more affordable estimate of a time to go to the few ports that Princess cruises from instead of me putting every single port in for every single week during the season. And I think it is not unreasonable to think that there could be a large following of folks that say one particular itinerary is NO GOOD! I have DEFINITELY heard that about the land portion of Alaska after I booked.

And we ARE within driving distance of ATL and we are thinking that is best. There is not a non stop option from Nashville for anything.