How You Can Visit These European Cities for Less Than Lunch
Everyone loves the idea of cheap flights, but not everyone loves how budget airlines operate.
Between baggage fees, strict rules, and endless add-ons, it can feel like you’re being tricked at every stage. And yet… the prices keep us coming back.
I once grabbed £10 RyanAir flights to Verona, and the plane was full. That tells you everything you need to know. For the price of a couple of lattes, you can be sipping Aperol in Italy.
The trick is knowing how to work the system so you’re paying the rock-bottom fares, not the inflated ones.
Timing Is Everything
Cheap fares across Europe are rarely random. The lowest prices tend to pop up midweek, so if you can fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday, you’ll usually save the most.
Booking ahead is just as important. Last-minute bargains are rare on low-cost airlines like Ryanair or Wizz Air. The sweet spot is usually 6–8 weeks before you travel.
Set up price alerts on Google Flights or Skyscanner so you’ll know the moment fares drop.
Secondary Airports = Cheap Deals
One of the biggest money-savers is being flexible about where you fly in and out of.
Budget airlines love secondary airports: Paris Orly (NOT Beauvais) instead of Charles de Gaulle, Girona instead of Barcelona, or Milan Bergamo instead of Malpensa.
These swaps often mean fares that are half the price of the main airports.
Just check the transfer costs first — that £15 flight isn’t such a steal if you’re paying another €20 to get into the city. Sometimes the saving is huge, sometimes it balances out.
The Add-Ons Trap
This is where budget airlines make their money. The ticket price looks cheap, but the extras quickly stack up.
- Seat selection: Random seats are free, and you might still end up next to your travel buddy.
- Luggage: A small under-seat bag is included. Priority with a cabin bag is usually cheaper than checking a suitcase.
- Food and drink: Onboard prices are high. Bring your own snacks or grab something in the airport.
One of my favourite tricks is wearing my heaviest clothes or chunkiest trainers on the plane. It looks ridiculous, but it saves €30 in baggage fees.
Final Word
Flying around Europe can be ridiculously cheap — sometimes less than the cost of a takeaway — if you know how to play the game.
Midweek flights, flexibility with airports, and avoiding unnecessary extras are the keys. Ryanair, EasyJet, and Wizz Air all use the same model, so once you learn how to beat the system, you can fly almost anywhere on the continent without spending much at all.
Cheap flights aren’t a myth. You just have to know the rules.
