5 Low-Cost Airlines In Europe To Travel Cheap: Say Yes To Cheap Flights! Last Updated: July 26, 2021

Budget travel is awesome  – you can save money on flights, accommodation, and experiences in many ways than you think.

This article in particular only talks about saving up on flights though and that too, in Europe. 

If you love traveling cheaply like me, I am sure reading till the end will help you a lot. 

While there are more than 5 airlines in Europe that offer cheap flights, I am going to only talk about the ones I had experience traveling while I was in Europe. 

1. Ryanair

Ryanair definitely tops my list. I have flown with them more than once because they offer cheap flights, sometimes as low as 10 EUR or even less! 

But the catch is that the cost mentioned on their homepage is the cost only to get an unallotted seat on the flight. They charge you extra for carry-on, check-in luggage, and other services which add up to your super cheap air tickets. 

That said, they are still pretty cheap compared to other airlines even after the add ons. 

One thing to keep in mind with Ryanair is that you must print your boarding pass before flying. They charge you a hefty fine while checking in if you don’t have a printout. This is something that people usually forget and end up paying more like a fine than the trip cost itself.

Another thing I detest about Ryanair is the length of the armrest on the seat. It can get uncomfortable during long flights. But probably, that’s what you get on cheap flights?  

No food is included on the flight since the ticket price is too cheap for it. 

2. WizzAir 

WizzAir is a more comfortable version of Ryanair and also slightly more expensive. It is more pocket-friendly than other commercial airlines though.

I flew with them once while I was in Spain and had a good experience. 

Headquartered in Budapest, Hungary, WizzAir offers competitive prices to other low-cost airlines. Definitely recommend them!

3. Vueling 

While I was in Spain, I saw Vueling ads pop up everywhere while googling flights. 

This Barcelona-based airline is a tough competition to other airlines like WizzAir and Ryanair. 

Founded about a year after WizzAir (in 2004), Vueling is relatively new compared to Ryanair which was founded in the ’90s. 

Vueling offers flights to Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

On special days, they have some insane deals on the flights but normally the prices are comparable to other low-cost airlines.

4. WowAir

Headquartered in Iceland, WowAir is one of the newest low-budget airlines offering flight connections in Europe and North America. 

WizzAir offers a similar in-flight experience as WowAir. The flight cost is comparable too.

Ryanair can prove to be the cheapest out of all but from an overall flight experience perspective, I would go for any of the other three. 

One of the cool things about WowAir is that passengers flying from the US have an option to choose a free layover in Reykjavik, Iceland while traveling to Europe. 

5. Iberia Express

I consider Iberia Express as a direct competitor to Ryanair for offering highly budgeted flight prices. 

It is also more comfortable than Ryanair. 

Iberia Express is a part of Iberia Airlines focusing on low costs for short and medium-haul flights. Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, they offer flights only from this destination. 

Ryanair is widely operating from different European countries while Iberia Express concentrates on flights from Spain majorly. 

So if you are ever in Madrid and want to fly to other cities in Spain, I would recommend Iberia Express for sure!

Besides this, there is also Easy Jet that offers low costs on flights all across Europe. 

There are a few more which I haven’t experienced so I will not put them down there but this list should suffice. 

If you are planning an extended European backpacking adventure post-pandemic, you can bookmark this article. 

As always, happy to hear your feedback and answer your questions in the comments below!