How to Find the Best Airfare to Europe

Go to Kayak.com. Click the option "More" found on the left side of the homepage. New setup options will appear in the middle of the page. Click the second option on the left, "Buzz." Select "Top 25 Cities" and in the "From" field, type your preferred departure airport or three-letter airport code. In the "To" field, select "Europe." You are also given the option to select a departure month, to limit the search to nonstop flights and to input a maximum price. For the best results, leave these fields set to the default values. Click "Search." Kayak will now give you a list of the lowest-priced tickets to Europe that have been purchased over the past 48 hours leaving from your departure city.

Now take the information from the "Buzz" tool and make sure that the price is still available and the dates fit your travel needs. Look at the flights listed on the "Buzz" page. The fare quoted includes all taxes and fees for an economy-class seat. Other important information includes the destination city, airline, dates of travel and number of stops. Make a list of the airlines, destinations, travel dates and prices of flights that would fit into your travel plans.

Return to the Kayak homepage by clicking the Kayak logo in the upper left-hand corner of the website. Select "Round Trip" at the top of the page. Enter the same departure city you selected in Step 1 in the "From" field. Enter your preferred destination city based on price and location from your list in Step 2. A calendar will appear on the right-hand side of the page, showing a single month and a list of different prices on different days. You can change the month by clicking on the field at the top of the calendar. You can either click directly on a price from the calendar or you can enter specific dates in the "Depart" and "Return" fields located to the left of the calendar and then click "Search." The calendar will normally give you the lowest fares, but selecting a specific departure and return date provides more flexibility.

View the list of flights that correspond to the travel dates selected in Step 4 and select your preferred flight. You will be directed to choose a site where you can pay for your ticket and select your specific flight times. Before purchasing your ticket, you should always check directly with the airline's website. It is rare, but occasionally the airline will offer an even lower fare on tickets purchased directly from the airline's website.