I’ve explored 40 countries across Europe and flown with all kinds of airlines in the name of a bargain. After digging into 100 routes from 45 major airports, I’ve updated this list for 2026 with the 10 cheapest airlines in Europe that keep fares low.
You’ll see the big budget names like Wizz Air, Ryanair, and easyJet, plus a few carriers that can be great value when you match them to the right routes. I’ve written this the way I plan my own trips. Which airports make sense, where prices tend to drop, and which fees are most likely to blow up the total at checkout.
I’m always chasing the same thing. A flight that costs less than a night out, a seat that does the job, and enough left in the budget for the fun part of the trip. If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place.
How I selected these top 10 cheap European airlines
There are dozens of budget carriers in Europe, but “cheap” means nothing if the flight never takes off or the hidden fees double your ticket price. To make this list for 2026, I ranked airlines based on three specific non-negotiables:
- The “True Cost” Ratio: I didn’t just look at the $15 headline fare. I factored in the total price after adding a standard carry-on bag and seat selection. Some airlines (like Ryanair) have low base fares but high extras; others (like Jet2) charge more upfront but include more.
- Operational Reliability: Cheap flights are great, but getting stranded isn’t. I prioritized airlines with consistent on-time performance records and robust networks that can actually get you rebooked if things go wrong.
- Hub Utility: Does the airline fly to major airports (like Paris Orly), or will it dump you 90 minutes outside the city (like Paris Beauvais)? I favored airlines that save you money on the flight and the transfer.
#1 tip to find cheap flights in Europe
If you want cheap airline tickets to Europe, stop searching when you’re ready to book and start tracking prices while you’re still dreaming. That’s how I’ve saved the most money.
For the past 5 years, I’ve used Going (formerly called Scott’s Cheap Flights). You tell them your US departure airports, then they email you when prices drop. That includes sale fares and the occasional mistake fare that disappears fast. You can also set destination alerts, so if you’ve got your heart set on somewhere like Lisbon or Paris, you don’t need to babysit Google Flights.
Last year, I saved $7k using their alerts. That included $300 roundtrips from Boston to Europe, plus a few intra Europe flights that were cheaper than my airport coffee.
Going has a free plan that gives you a taste of deals, and a Premium version if you travel more often. If you want to test it, start with the free trial and see if the emails match how you like to travel. If it does, my code JON25 saves you 25% off Premium.
Note: I personally pay for my Premium subscription and have used it for 4+ years. This recommendation comes from my actual inbox history!
My quick thoughts on the “Bag Tax” reality check
Before booking any of the budget European airlines below, remember that baggage fees are often not included in the fare. In some cases, you may find that higher tier airlines could be the more affordable option when all is said and done. To give you a realistic idea of 2026 pricing, here is the average price difference I found across these carriers when adding a standard 10kg overhead cabin bag:
| Airline | Avg. Bag Fee (One-Way) |
| Ryanair / Wizz | $20 – $45 (Dynamic pricing) |
| easyJet / Vueling | $25 – $55 (Distance based) |
| Jet2 / British Airways | Often included or lower tier |
Note: Fees fluctuate based on route and demand. Always book bags online, never at the airport.
Now, here are the best budget airlines of Europe in 2026 based on my criteria!
1. 🇭🇺 Wizz Air
- 🏠 Base: Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD)
- ✈️ Best For: Ultra low cost hops across Central and Eastern Europe, plus more Western Europe city breaks
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy only, with WIZZ Priority as the upgrade that helps
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: Small personal item included, everything else costs extra
- 💳 Loyalty Program: WIZZ Discount Club
Wizz Air is still one of the best airlines in Europe for cheap flights, especially if you’re travelling light and you don’t mind a very basic experience. I think of it as a tool. If you want a weekend away for the price of a dinner out, Wizz is often the first place I check.
Wizz keeps expanding its network, and that’s great for deal hunters. They’re adding new London Luton routes to Spain from late March 2026, including Bilbao, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, and Seville. When routes like that drop, you can sometimes catch silly cheap fares in the first wave, especially midweek.
The trick with Wizz is keeping control of the add ons. WIZZ Priority usually includes priority boarding plus a larger cabin bag, so if you need more than a small backpack, it can be better value than paying for baggage later. I decide upfront: go ultra light and take the cheapest fare, or add Priority from the start.
Compared with Ryanair, Wizz often wins on price in Central and Eastern Europe, while Ryanair usually wins on sheer route choice. Compared with easyJet, Wizz is often cheaper, but easyJet can feel smoother on busy city routes and larger airports.
- Read next: Hidden Gems to Visit in Europe
2. 🇮🇪 Ryanair
- 🏠 Base: Dublin Airport (DUB)
- ✈️ Best For: The lowest fares on popular routes, plus a massive number of city pairs
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy only
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: One small under seat bag included, everything else costs extra
- 💳 Loyalty Program: None, it’s all about the price
- 🧠 Pro Tip: Don’t treat Ryanair like a normal airline. Price your bags and seats before you hit pay, or the “cheap” fare disappears fast
Ryanair is basically the bargain supermarket of European flying. When it’s good, it’s almost stupidly cheap. I’ve booked Ryanair flights that cost less than the taxi to the airport.
The value comes from two things. First, the sheer coverage. Ryanair connects an unreal number of city pairs, often to smaller or secondary airports that keep costs down. That’s great if you live near a Ryanair airport and you’re happy to go where the deals are. It’s less great if the airport is miles from your actual destination, because the transfer can wipe out the savings.
Second, the pricing is ruthless. The base fare is often the lowest you’ll see, but it’s easy to turn it into a normal priced ticket with bags, seats, and last minute add ons. So I treat it like a checklist. If I want the “true Ryanair price,” I do three things: travel midweek if I can, pack to personal item only, and skip seat selection unless I’m travelling with someone I actually want to sit next to.
Compared with Wizz, Ryanair usually wins for route choice across Western Europe. Compared with easyJet, Ryanair can be cheaper, but easyJet often feels simpler once you add a cabin bag and want fewer rules.
- Read next: Tips to Save Money on Travel
- You may also like: Adventure Quotes to Inspire Your Next Trip
3. 🇩🇪 Eurowings
- 🏠 Base: Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)
- ✈️ Best For: Germany based travellers who want low fares without the ultra budget hassle
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy, with a more premium seat option on some routes
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: Small personal item on the cheapest fares, bigger bags cost extra
- 💳 Loyalty Program: Miles and More
- 🧠 Pro Tip: Price it like a real trip first. Add your bag, then decide if it’s actually cheap
Eurowings is my go to when I want a budget friendly flight but I don’t feel like playing the full low cost airline game. It’s usually a bit calmer than the ultra budget carriers, and it can feel more predictable once you’ve been burned a few times by surprise fees elsewhere.
Where Eurowings really earns its place is Germany. If you’re starting in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, or Stuttgart and you want sun, it can be a great option for Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and loads of seasonal holiday routes. It also works well for quick city trips where you’d normally assume you’re stuck paying full service prices.
The main thing to watch is how quickly the “cheap” fare changes once you add extras. If you need a cabin bag, seat choice, or a bit more flexibility, the total can drift into easyJet territory. That’s not a deal breaker, it just means Eurowings is best when you know what you need up front and build the fare once, properly.
If you want the best value, look for flights from the major German airports and keep the extras minimal. It’s not always the absolute cheapest, but it can be the sweet spot between price and sanity.
4. 🇬🇧 EasyJet
- 🏠 Base: London Luton Airport (LTN)
- ✈️ Best For: City breaks and short haul routes where you want low cost without loads of admin
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy, with upfront seats and extra legroom seats as paid upgrades
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: Small personal item included, cabin bags and hold luggage cost extra depending on fare
- 💳 Loyalty Program: None, but EasyJet Plus can be useful if you fly a lot
- 🧠 Pro Tip: If you’re bringing a cabin bag, compare the total price against Ryanair before you book
easyJet is often the sensible middle ground. It can still be properly cheap, but it usually feels less like a game of gotchas than the ultra budget airlines. For a lot of travellers, that trade is worth a few extra pounds, especially on busy weekend routes where you just want things to be easy.
The big easyJet advantage is airports. It flies into a lot of major airports, so you’re often closer to the city you’re actually visiting. That’s where the real value shows up. A slightly higher ticket can still be the cheaper trip once you factor in the train, the shuttle bus, and the extra hour of your life you’d rather spend eating, swimming, or doing nothing at all.
The part that catches people out is assuming “cheap airline” means “bag included”. easyJet can still be great value, but only if you decide early whether you’re doing a small backpack trip or you’re bringing a proper cabin bag. If you’re travelling with someone, it’s also worth pricing seats together at the same time, rather than getting to the end and realising sitting together costs more than the flight.
If you’re comparing easyJet with Ryanair or Wizz, the only fair way is to build the total price properly. Add your cabin bag, pick the seats if you care, and then see who’s still cheapest. That one habit saves more money than any promo code.
- Read next: 3-Day Barcelona Itinerary
- You may also like: Beautiful Cities in Europe
5. 🇪🇸 Vueling
- 🏠 Base: Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN)
- ✈️ Best For: Spain flights that don’t cost a fortune, especially when you’re routing via Barcelona
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy only, sold as different fare bundles depending on what you need
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: A small personal item is included, cabin bags depend on the fare and can get pricey if you add them late
- 💳 Loyalty Program: Vueling Club, uses Avios
- 🧠 Pro Tip: If you’re bringing a cabin bag, price the bundle that includes it instead of adding bags one by one at the end
Vueling is a great option when Spain is the whole point of your trip. It can be one of the best ways to fly to Barcelona, and it’s also handy for hopping from Barcelona to the Balearics, like Ibiza, Mallorca, and Menorca, without paying peak season prices on another carrier.
The biggest money tip with Vueling is to think in terms of bundles, not the base fare. The cheapest ticket is built for people travelling light. The second you need a proper cabin bag, the “great deal” can turn into a very average price if you add extras late. Build the trip properly from the start and Vueling usually stays competitive.
It’s also worth knowing that Vueling prices can jump hard around Spanish school holidays and popular summer weekends. If you’re eyeing peak season, booking earlier than you normally would can save you a surprising amount, especially on island routes where there aren’t endless alternatives.
Price wise, Vueling often lands between Ryanair and easyJet. Ryanair can undercut it on the headline fare, but Vueling can win once you add a cabin bag and want a simpler booking. easyJet can be similar, but Vueling is often the better bet when Spain is the centre of the trip.
- Read next: Coolest Airbnbs in Europe
- For more reading: The Body Camp Mallorca Fitness Retreat Review
6. 🇳🇱 Transavia
- 🏠 Base: Paris Orly Airport (ORY)
- ✈️ Best For: Cheap sun routes from France and the Netherlands without the “tiny airport miles away” problem
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy only, with paid seat upgrades if you want more space
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: Small personal item included, cabin bags and hold bags cost extra depending on fare
- 💳 Loyalty Program: None
- 🧠 Pro Tip: If you’re flying with anything more than a backpack, price your baggage upfront because Transavia can look cheap, then creep up fast
Transavia is for the “get me somewhere warm for less” crowd. It’s strongest on holiday routes from Paris and Amsterdam to the Med, the Canaries, and North Africa. If your trip looks like beaches, old towns, and a late dinner in the heat, this airline is usually in the mix.
Here’s why it’s worth your attention for price. Transavia often flies from the airports people prefer, like Orly and Schiphol, not far out alternatives. I’ve had plenty of trips where the ticket on another budget airline was cheaper, then the airport transfer cost more than the flight. Transavia can quietly win on the total.
If you want the lowest prices, I’d start with midweek flights, then nudge the dates around by a day or two. That’s where Transavia’s pricing often softens. In summer, the expensive dates are predictable, mostly weekend heavy and school holiday heavy. Booking earlier than you normally would can make a bigger difference than people expect.
One more thing that actually saves money. If you need a cabin bag, don’t assume it’s included. Build your fare with the bag you’ll really bring, then compare. Transavia is super cheap when you’re travelling light. It’s still good value with bags, but only when you price it properly from the start.
- Read next: Cheap Places to Fly Into Europe
7. 🇳🇴 Norwegian Air
- 🏠 Base: Oslo Airport (OSL)
- ✈️ Best For: Scandinavia and Northern Europe flights when you want a decent price without the ultra budget chaos
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy, with paid seats and extra legroom options
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: A small personal item is included, cabin bags and hold luggage depend on the fare you choose
- 💳 Loyalty Program: Norwegian Reward
- 🧠 Pro Tip: If you’re flying to Norway, check more than one airport. Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim can price very differently on the same dates
Norwegian is the airline that makes Scandinavia feel less like a financial punishment. Norway can be eye-wateringly expensive to fly around, and Norwegian is often the option that brings it back down to earth. Whenever I’m staring at a shockingly expensive fare to Oslo, Norwegian is the tab I open next.
It’s a great pick for the routes that people rely on, not just tourist flights. Domestic Norway is where it can be a lifesaver, and it’s also strong for quick hops between the Nordics and major European cities. The best value tends to show up when you’re not locked into weekend travel. Friday and Sunday fares can jump fast, but midweek often stays oddly reasonable.
The biggest way people overpay is baggage. If you’re doing a backpack trip, Norwegian can be a steal. If you’re bringing a proper cabin bag, treat that as part of the ticket price and build it in from the start. I always check the total with the bag included, because that’s the real number you’re paying, and it stops the “cheap flight” turning into a normal priced one at checkout.
Against Ryanair, Norwegian won’t always win the absolute lowest headline fare. But in the Nordics, it can be better value once you factor in sensible airports, better timings, and fewer little rules designed to catch you out.
- Keep reading: Best Airlines to Fly to Norway
8. 🇬🇧 Jet2.com
- 🏠 Base: Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA)
- ✈️ Best For: UK holiday flights to sun destinations when you want good value without travelling light
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy only, with extra legroom seats as paid upgrades
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: A small under seat bag plus a 10kg cabin bag are included as standard
- 💳 Loyalty Program: myJet2 and myJet2Perks deals rather than points
- 🧠 Pro Tip: If you’re taking a cabin bag anyway, compare Jet2’s total against Ryanair and easyJet with bags added. Jet2 often wins once you price it properly
Jet2 has a very specific vibe, and I mean that as a compliment. It’s built for holidays. If your idea of a trip involves beach clothes, sunscreen, and a bag that definitely isn’t “just a small personal item”, Jet2 can be one of the cheapest ways to do it without playing baggage roulette.
For 2026, the big change is London. Jet2 is launching flights from London Gatwick from late March 2026, which is a serious upgrade for anyone in the South East who’s always had to trek to other airports for Jet2 deals. More competition out of London usually means sharper sale pricing, especially early in the season when airlines are trying to fill new schedules.
Jet2’s sweet spot is classic UK to sunshine. This includes Spain and the Balearics, the Canaries, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Italy, and Cyprus. It’s not the airline for random two day city hopping. It’s the airline for a proper week away where baggage is non negotiable.
If you want the real Jet2 value, compare like for like. Build the Ryanair and easyJet price with the same cabin bag, then check Jet2. I do this all the time and Jet2 surprises me more than you’d expect. One extra tip, it’s worth checking flight only prices against Jet2holidays packages, because the package pricing can sometimes come out oddly cheap.
9. 🇪🇸 Volotea
- 🏠 Base: Asturias Airport (OVD)
- ✈️ Best For: Cheap flights between smaller European cities, especially around Spain, France, Italy, and Greece
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy only
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: A small personal item is included, cabin bags and hold bags cost extra
- 💳 Loyalty Program: Megavolotea
- 🧠 Pro Tip: Volotea is at its cheapest on “awkward” routes. Small city to small city is where it often beats the big names
Volotea is a bit of a cheat code if you’re not trying to fly between the obvious capitals. It connects loads of places that don’t always have great budget options, like regional airports in Spain and France. Think Asturias, Granada, Santander and Jerez on the Spain side, and places like Brest, Strasbourg and Perpignan in France. It does it with prices that can feel weirdly low compared with the alternatives.
The sweet spot is simple. If you’re planning a trip to an island, a coastal city, or somewhere that usually requires a connection, Volotea can cut both the hassle and the cost. I’ve used it for trips where the big low cost airlines either didn’t fly the route at all or only offered it with painful timings. It’s especially handy for Italy and the islands too, with routes that pop up in places like Verona and Olbia.
For 2026, Volotea is leaning even harder into this “small city, direct flight” niche. From Asturias, it’s adding new international routes to places like Paris, Brussels, Rome, Porto and Florence. Florence is also getting a bigger push later in 2026, with new links to Seville, Valencia, Strasbourg and Berlin.
It’s not always the cheapest on the headline route, like Barcelona to Paris. That’s where Ryanair, easyJet, and Vueling love a price war. Volotea shines when the route is more niche and you want a direct flight that saves you a connection and a hotel night.
Just don’t let the extras creep up. Decide early if you’re doing a small backpack trip or you’re bringing a proper cabin bag, then price it that way from the start. If you’re going to book Volotea more than once, Megavolotea can be worth it, because the membership discounts add up quickly when you’re hopping around.
- Read next: Cheapest Cities to Visit in Europe
10. 🇹🇷 Pegasus Airlines
- 🏠 Base: Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW)
- ✈️ Best For: Cheap flights between Europe and Turkey, plus low cost add on flights across Turkey
- 💺 Cabin Options: Economy only, sold in fare packages
- 🧳 Baggage Policy: Light fares can be under seat bag only, cabin and hold bags cost extra depending on package
- 💳 Loyalty Program: BolBol
- 🧠 Pro Tip: Pegasus is a bargain when you travel light. If you need a cabin bag, pick a fare package that includes it up front
Pegasus is what I point people to when they want Turkey on the itinerary without the prices getting silly. It’s often one of the best ways to fly to Istanbul, and the real value kicks in when you treat SAW like a launchpad. Istanbul for a few nights, then a cheap hop onward to somewhere like Izmir, Antalya, Dalaman, or Bodrum can come out cheaper than trying to book a “perfect” direct flight to the coast.
What’s new for 2026 is more European coverage. This includes a new SAW to Ljubljana route starting late January. Moves like that usually come with early pricing that’s genuinely worth grabbing, especially on midweek dates.
Two things to know before you book. First, SAW is on the Asian side of Istanbul, so check your hotel location before you celebrate the fare. A cheap ticket isn’t cheap if the transfer’s a mission. Second, be brutally honest about baggage. Pegasus can look like an unbelievable deal, then you add a cabin bag at the end and the maths changes. Build the total properly from the start and it stays one of the best budget options for Europe to Turkey.
- You’ll also love this: Turkey’s 12 Dreamiest Islands (That Locals Don’t Want You to Know About)
1 comment
Travel and Tourism will become popular due to these Nine Cheapest Airlines.