Europe Travel: Report Reveals The 5 Cheapest Places To Go
After more than a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is gradually reopening to travel. In fact, the coronavirus vaccine has opened the door to Europe this summer. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission announced on April 25 that Americans who had been fully vaccinated could be able to visit the EU.
In response to the news, the travel app Hopper immediately noted a 47 percent spike in airfare searches relating to travel from the US to Europe this summer. Will this turn out to be an expensive trip or are there deals to be had on Europe travel?
Hopper researches airfare prices for Europe
Following von der Leyen’s welcome news, Hopper’s research team investigated search demand for travel to Europe. They then analyzed what the news will mean to airfare prices this summer. Hopper produced a report that hones in on the cheapest places to visit in Europe. According to the report, a fair deal price for roundtrip airfare to Europe will come in at around $760 this summer.
It turns out this is considerably cheaper than it was a year ago. In March 2020, prior to the pandemic, the same journey would have cost $852. Meanwhile, Hopper estimates that airfares to Europe will keep getting cheaper in time for summer.
According to Adit Damodaran, an economist at Hopper, the following are the five top places to travel in Europe this summer.
Portugal
According to Damodaran, Lisbon, Portugal offers the “absolute cheapest flights.” In fact, Hopper’s estimate for a cheap airfare to Lisbon came in at $482. He did note that one thing driving the low price is Portugal’s geographic location, as it is closest to the US, so jet fuel costs less.
Besides the cheap airfares, Portugal is also seeing a surge in popularity since the country made an announcement at the beginning of March that it hopes to welcome visitors from the UK starting in mid-May. Meanwhile, Portugal is promising to offer more responsible, sustainable and resilient tourism.
Iceland
Next in line for travel deals is Iceland, that announced its reopening plans on March 17. Since that time, a roundtrip airfare from the US has dropped 21 percent from $697 to $550. When the country announced that all vaccinated travelers would be welcome, Iceland immediately saw a 93 percent spike in searches. According to Hopper, this was the biggest surge in search traffic seen to date this year. Damodaran did note that Reykjavik’s geographic location to the US also helps to keep the prices down.
Ireland
Next in line for affordable airfares is Ireland, with an excellent price to Dublin at $623. On top of this, Ireland has a lot going for it and has been ranked on a bucket-list of destinations at No. 10, for its castles and historic sites and dining, including the gourmet capital of Ireland, Kinsale.
As noted by Forbes, Ireland is, of course, also famous for Guinness. Visitors can experience a brewery tour at The Guinness Storehouse to round off their trip nicely.
Madrid, Spain
Spain’s capital comes in with a roundtrip, good-deal airfare of $623. However, besides the cheaper flights, Spain is working hard on making travel safe this summer. In fact, the country aims to be among the first countries to implement vaccine passports to attract travelers.
With its art galleries, museums, parks and other sites, Madrid is a splendid destination at any time. However, Time Out has recently called the Madrid neighborhood of Lavapies one of the 40 coolest neighborhoods in the world, for its thriving cultural scene and chic cafes.
Barcelona, Spain
Besides offering cheaper airfares, Hopper’s report says that Barcelona is the second most popular destination for Americans this year. The airfare is also among the lowest at a reasonable $636.
The city is famous for its fascinating architecture, vibrant food scene and lively nightlife. Speaking of dining, one of the 10 hottest restaurants is Camping Mar, a waterfront restaurant in Barcelona. Meanwhile, La Xarxa is one of the best-kept secrets in the city for foodies. According to Time Out, Barcelona’s Esquerra de l’Eixample neighborhood is the No. 1 coolest in the world, for its restaurants, bars and terraces.
Americans, get ready for your European trip this summer, experiencing some of its best destinations at affordable prices.
Share your thoughts in the comments section below, on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest!
Photos credit: Deposit Photos