Europe is Hot and Cheap: KAYAK Declares 2019 the Year of the Eurotrip

With flights from Canada to Europe at a three-year low, KAYAK reveals the most affordable European destinations for summer travel

TORONTO, April 30, 2019 /CNW/ - According to KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, summer flights to Europe are the cheapest they've been in three years with median airfare down 10 per cent nationally. Travel to Europe is also steadily increasing with interest up six per cent compared to last summer. The introduction of low-cost carriers combined with new flight routes from major airlines are making travel across the pond even easier (and less expensive).

To help Canadians take advantage of these cheaper fares, KAYAK has crunched the numbers and put together a list of European destinations that have dipped in price year-over-year.

Reykjavik and Dublin are the clear winners with median airfare between $500 and $750 depending on which province you are flying from and when you book. Increased flight routes to Reykjavik and Dublin (from Canada) have made these cities both more accessible and affordable.

Reykjavik (Iceland) tops the list of European deal destinations for those travelling from Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with round trip flights ranging between $500 and $600.  

For those travelling from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island, Dublin (Ireland) offers the cheapest fares, with round trip flights ranging between $570 and $760. For all European travel, KAYAK recommends booking two to three months in advance for the best deal.

"Flying to Europe, from Canada, has been notoriously expensive with round trip airfares typically well above $1,000. But, for the first time in three years, we are finally starting to see those prices come down with median airfare as low as $500 to some European cities," says Steve Sintra, Canada Country Manager for KAYAK. "Factoring in the European Union's plan to tighten travel security regulation in 2021, now is the time to start checking those European hotspots off your bucket list."

It's clear Canadians are already looking to take advantage of the cheaper fares with seven out of 10 European cities topping KAYAK's summer list of most popular destinations (versus five out of 10 in 2018). The usual hotspots include Paris, London, Lisbon, Rome and Athens, accompanied by first-timers like Dublin and Barcelona – all of which are experiencing price drops between six and 14 per cent.

If your travel dates are flexible, KAYAK recommends saving your vacation days for the end of August. Following the summer travel rush in June and July, flight prices start to creep back down with August 31 as the least expensive week for summer travel to Europe.

About KAYAK
KAYAK helps millions of travellers around the globe make confident travel decisions. As the world's leading travel search engine, KAYAK searches other sites to show travelers the information they need to find the right flights, hotels, rental cars and vacation packages. KAYAK is an independently managed subsidiary of Booking Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: BKNG). For more information, visit www.KAYAK.com.

Methodology
All data is based on median airfares conducted from KAYAK CA and is intended to be used as a guide. Travel dates are May 24, 2019 - September 2, 2019, and search dates are April 15, 2018 - April 15, 2019. To determine year-over-year search interest and pricing, KAYAK considered searches conducted on the KAYAK CA site from April 15, 2017 - April 15, 2018 for travel May 24, 2018 - September 2, 2018. All data was pulled from KAYAK's internal database. Prices may vary.

SOURCE KAYAK

Jill Lindsay, [email protected], 416-342-1801