Best Budget Airlines in Europe (Complete Cheap Flights Guide)

The best budget airlines in Europe have completely transformed how people travel across the continent. Over the past two decades, low-cost carriers have made it possible to fly between cities for less than the price of a train ticket in many cases — and fierce competition between them keeps pushing fares lower every year. Whether you are planning a city break to Prague, a beach escape to Croatia, or a full backpacking loop through Eastern Europe, knowing which airlines offer the best value can save you hundreds on your trip. For everything beyond the flight itself, our complete guide to budget travel in Europe covers transport, accommodation, and daily spending strategies across the continent.

Why Budget Airlines Are Popular in Europe

Europe’s geography and political structure make it uniquely suited to budget airline travel. Countries are close together — you can fly from London to Warsaw in under three hours, or from Barcelona to Budapest in two and a half. Add in fierce competition between dozens of low-cost carriers, the widespread use of secondary airports with lower landing fees, and lean operating models that strip away extras like free hold luggage and assigned seating, and you get an environment where ticket prices regularly drop to genuinely surprising lows.

The EU’s open skies policy also plays a major role — airlines can fly between any two European cities without restriction, which means new routes open constantly and competition keeps fares down. Budget carriers have taken full advantage of this, building extensive networks that connect even smaller European cities at prices that were unimaginable two decades ago.

Best Budget Airlines in Europe

Ryanair

Ryanair is the largest budget airline in Europe by passenger numbers and consistently offers the lowest base fares on the continent. Founded in Ireland, it operates from dozens of bases across Europe, with particular strength in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Poland. Ryanair’s network is enormous — over 200 destinations across more than 40 countries — which means you can almost always find a Ryanair route for any European journey.

Typical routes: London Stansted to Dublin, Madrid Barajas to Rome Ciampino, Warsaw Modlin to Barcelona El Prat.

Average ticket prices: €10 to €40 for advance bookings on popular routes. Sales regularly bring fares below €10.

Pros: Unbeatable base fares, massive network, frequent flash sales. Cons: Strict baggage policies, additional fees for checked bags and seat selection, often uses secondary airports far from city centres.

easyJet

easyJet is Ryanair’s closest rival and tends to use more convenient primary airports — which is a significant advantage for travelers who want to avoid long transfers. Based in the UK, easyJet has strong hubs at London Gatwick, Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Geneva, making it particularly useful for Western European routes.

Typical routes: London Gatwick to Amsterdam, Bristol to Prague, Paris CDG to Lisbon.

Average ticket prices: €20 to €60 for advance bookings. Slightly higher than Ryanair but often more convenient airport locations justify the difference.

Pros: Better airport locations, slightly more generous cabin bag allowance, good app and booking experience. Cons: Pricier than Ryanair on many routes, fees for hold luggage add up quickly.

Wizz Air

Wizz Air is the dominant budget carrier for Eastern European routes and one of the fastest-growing airlines in Europe. With its main bases in Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine, Wizz Air connects Eastern European cities to Western Europe at prices that often undercut even Ryanair. It is particularly strong on routes from the UK and Italy to Eastern European destinations.

Typical routes: London Luton to Budapest, Rome Fiumicino to Bucharest, Vienna to Kyiv.

Average ticket prices: €15 to €45 for advance bookings. Eastern European routes are often exceptionally cheap.

Pros: Best prices for Eastern Europe routes, Wizz Air Discount Club offers additional savings, growing network. Cons: Very strict cabin bag size limits, customer service can be inconsistent, frequent ancillary fees.

Vueling

Vueling is Spain’s leading budget airline and the go-to carrier for flying within Spain and between Spain and the rest of Europe. Based at Barcelona El Prat, it operates an extensive network across Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, making it a strong choice for anyone spending time in Spain, Portugal, Italy, or Greece.

Typical routes: Barcelona to Seville, Madrid to Rome, Lisbon to Paris.

Average ticket prices: €25 to €70. Slightly higher than Ryanair and Wizz Air but excellent for Spanish domestic routes.

Pros: Strong Spanish network, slightly more comfortable than ultra-low-cost rivals, punctual. Cons: More expensive than Ryanair on overlapping routes, baggage fees are significant.

Eurowings

Eurowings is Lufthansa’s low-cost subsidiary and the best budget option for flights from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. While it charges slightly more than Ryanair, it offers a more polished experience and often uses main airports rather than secondary ones. For travelers based in or flying through Germany, Eurowings is consistently worth checking.

Typical routes: Düsseldorf to Palma, Hamburg to Vienna, Stuttgart to Athens.

Average ticket prices: €30 to €80. Higher than ultra-low-cost rivals but often includes slightly more generous allowances.

Pros: Better airports, part of Lufthansa network, more reliable service. Cons: Pricier than Ryanair and Wizz Air, more limited international network.

Norwegian

Norwegian is Scandinavia’s leading budget airline and the best option for affordable travel to and from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. While it has scaled back its long-haul operations, Norwegian’s European short-haul network remains strong and offers genuinely competitive fares on Scandinavian routes that would otherwise be expensive.

Typical routes: Oslo to London, Copenhagen to Barcelona, Stockholm to Rome.

Average ticket prices: €30 to €90. Scandinavian routes are competitive; other European routes vary.

Pros: Best budget option for Scandinavia, good app, often uses main airports. Cons: More expensive than Ryanair and Wizz Air, fewer routes outside Scandinavia.

Comparison Table of Budget Airlines in Europe

Here is a quick overview of the best budget airlines in Europe to help you choose the right carrier for your route:

Tips for Finding Cheap Flights in Europe

Getting the lowest possible fare is about timing and strategy as much as luck. These are the approaches that consistently deliver the best results.

Book early — but not too early. The sweet spot for European budget flights is typically 6 to 8 weeks before departure. Booking 3 to 4 months out can sometimes yield good prices, but fares on budget airlines often don’t open at their lowest — they start mid-range and dip during flash sales. Setting a price alert and waiting for a sale is usually more effective than booking the moment routes open.

Fly midweek. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday departures are consistently cheaper than Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on most European budget routes. If your schedule is flexible, even shifting departure by one or two days can save €20 to €50 per ticket.

Use secondary airports. Ryanair and Wizz Air in particular operate from secondary airports — London Stansted, Paris Beauvais, Milan Bergamo, Frankfurt Hahn. Fares from these airports are often dramatically lower than from main airports. Budget the cost of ground transport into your calculation, but for routes of 2+ hours, secondary airports almost always come out cheaper overall.

Travel during shoulder seasons. April to May and September to October are the sweet spots across Europe — flights and accommodation are both cheaper, and the weather is still excellent across most of the continent. Peak summer (mid-June to late August) brings significant fare increases across all budget carriers.

Use flight comparison tools. Google Flights is the most powerful tool for scanning multiple airlines and dates simultaneously. Skyscanner’s “everywhere” search is ideal if your destination is flexible. Set price alerts on both and let the deals come to you rather than checking manually.

Budget Airlines vs Train Travel in Europe

The choice between flying and taking the train across Europe is one every budget traveler faces repeatedly. The answer genuinely depends on the route, the timing, and how much you value your time versus your money.

For distances over 4 to 5 hours by train — say, London to Barcelona, Berlin to Lisbon, or Paris to Warsaw — budget flights almost always win on both price and time. On these routes a budget airline ticket booked in advance will typically cost less than a discounted train fare, and save you an entire day of travel.

For shorter distances, the calculation reverses. London to Paris, Amsterdam to Brussels, or Milan to Florence are all routes where high-speed trains are faster door-to-door once you factor in airport transfers, check-in time, and security. Train travel also delivers you directly to city centres, avoids baggage restrictions, and is significantly less stressful. Our full guide on how to travel Europe by train for cheap covers the best routes, Eurail pass strategies, and tips for booking discounted rail tickets across the continent.

The smartest approach for a multi-destination European trip is to combine both — fly the long legs and take trains for the shorter connections between nearby cities.

Cheapest Destinations to Fly to in Europe

Budget airlines have made several Eastern and Central European cities extremely accessible — and these destinations also happen to be the most affordable once you arrive. Flying into these cities on a budget carrier and then spending a few days exploring is one of the most cost-effective travel strategies available to European visitors.

Budapest, Hungary is served by Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet from dozens of European cities. Flights regularly drop below €20 from the UK, Germany, and Italy, and daily costs in Budapest remain among the lowest in the EU. Kraków, Poland is similarly accessible and affordable — Ryanair dominates this route and offers frequent sales to Kraków John Paul II Airport from across Western Europe.

Prague, Czech Republic is well-connected by easyJet and Ryanair and continues to offer excellent value for money, while Sofia, Bulgaria and Belgrade, Serbia are less-visited but increasingly accessible, with Wizz Air and Ryanair both expanding service to the Balkans significantly in recent years.

For a full breakdown of which cities deliver the best value once you land, our guide to the cheapest cities in Europe covers daily costs, accommodation, food, and transport across the continent’s most affordable urban destinations. If you are deciding between countries rather than cities, our guide to the cheapest countries to visit in Europe provides a full country-by-country cost comparison.

How Cheap Flights Help You Travel Europe on a Budget

Transport is typically one of the three biggest costs of any European trip alongside accommodation and food. When you can keep intercity flights under €30 return, the impact on your overall daily budget is significant. A traveler flying from London to Budapest on a €25 Wizz Air fare is spending far less on transport than someone taking a train or booking a last-minute flight — and those savings can be redirected into better accommodation, more experiences, or simply a longer trip.

The key is treating budget airlines as a tool rather than a compromise. With the right booking strategy — advance purchases, flexible dates, secondary airports — you can move between European countries for almost nothing. Our guide to traveling Europe on $50 a day shows exactly how to build a full daily budget around cheap flights, affordable accommodation, and low-cost destinations — with specific numbers and strategies that actually work in practice.

Frequently Asked Questions About Budget Airlines in Europe

Which airline is the cheapest in Europe?

Ryanair consistently offers the lowest base fares across Europe. With a network of over 200 destinations and regular flash sales that bring fares to €5 to €10, it is the benchmark for cheap flights on the continent. Wizz Air is a close rival on Eastern European routes and frequently undercuts Ryanair on specific connections between Eastern and Western Europe.

Are budget airlines in Europe safe?

Yes — European budget airlines are subject to the same rigorous safety regulations as full-service carriers and are overseen by national aviation authorities and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, Vueling, Eurowings, and Norwegian all have strong safety records. The low ticket price reflects a stripped-back service model, not any compromise on aircraft maintenance or operational standards.

What is the best time to book cheap flights in Europe?

For most routes, booking 6 to 8 weeks in advance during a flash sale delivers the best prices. Setting fare alerts on Google Flights and Skyscanner is more effective than booking on a fixed date. Flying midweek (Tuesday to Thursday) and during shoulder seasons (April–May and September–October) also reliably reduces fares across all budget carriers.

Do budget airlines charge extra fees in Europe?

Yes — virtually all European budget airlines charge for hold luggage, priority boarding, and seat selection. Ryanair and Wizz Air are the strictest on cabin bag size and weight, with fees applying if your bag exceeds their free personal item allowance. Always check the specific baggage policy before booking and factor ancillary fees into your total cost comparison.

Start Exploring Europe with Budget Airlines

Budget airlines have genuinely opened up Europe for travelers who would not have been able to afford to explore it otherwise. With fares regularly available for €15 to €40 between major cities, the financial barrier to building a multi-country European trip has never been lower. The key is knowing which airlines to use for which routes, booking at the right time, and choosing destinations where your daily costs are as low as your flights.

Beyond standard budget airline pricing, error fares offer an entirely different level of savings — occasionally making even full-service carriers cheaper than low-cost alternatives. Our guide to finding error fares and secret flight deals covers how to spot and book these pricing mistakes before the airline corrects them.

Understanding the airlines is only part of the picture — knowing how and when to book makes just as big a difference. Our guide on how to find cheap flights covers booking windows, comparison tools, and timing strategies that consistently unlock the lowest prices across all European carriers.

For everything that comes after the flight — where to stay, how to get around on the ground, which cities and countries offer the best value, and how to structure a daily budget that actually works — our complete guide to budget travel in Europe is the most comprehensive resource we have. It covers the full picture of affordable European travel from planning through to execution, with real numbers and strategies drawn from experience on the road.