Fly to Europe

flying to EuropeAre you considering emigrating to France, Germany or perhaps Spain? With Europe just a hop, skip and a jump away from the UK, not only can you get there fast, but for well under three figures to some destinations. The following will give you an insight into how and who you can get to Europe with, travel times, costs and the best ways to book your flight.

How to get to Europe

Europe’s major airlines include Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, Aeroflot and Alitalia. If you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort and an included meal, low-cost airlines such as EasyJet, Ryanair, Germanwings and Air Berlin offer cheap flights around Europe.

There are direct flights from United Kingdom to a range of airports including Moscow Metropolitan Area Airport (MOW), Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport (CDG), Oslo Airport (OSL), Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) and Nice Cote d’Azur Airport (NCE).

Costs and time

Flight prices and times will vary depending on factors such as who you fly with, where you fly to, time of the year etc. To give you an example of a particularly cheap flight, you can get from London’s Southend Airport to Barcelona from as little as £34 one way, with a flight time of just 2 hours.

If you’re not interested in flying budget carriers and want to fly a full service airline, such as British Airways, the same flight will cost around £120 to £150.

From London Heathrow, you can get to major cities like Vienna in 2.5 hours, Paris and Amsterdam in 1.5 hours, Berlin in 2 hours, Athens in 4 hours and Rome in 3 hours.

Airports in Europe

Europe has some of the best airports in the world. According to leading aviation reviewer Skytrax, the best in Europe is Munich Airport (MUC). Located northeast of downtown Munich, MUC is one of the busiest airports in Europe and the second-busiest in Germany, after Frankfurt.

Munich serves as a major hub for Air Berlin, Lufthansa, and Condor and it features airy, glass-heavy architecture. A nearby park features mini golf and a display of historic aircraft.

The second best is Zurich Airport (ZRH). Just eight miles from the heart of Zurich, the airport serves as the home for Swiss International Air Lines.

The third best is Heathrow – the world’s third-busiest airport and the largest of the five primary airports serving London.

Heathrow is in the midst of a major renovation with the addition of a brand new Terminal 2 building. Its seven-year-old Terminal 5 building was named the best airport terminal in the world by Skytrax. Heathrow serves as the main hub for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Try to get into the habit of cross-checking at least three, rather than relying on one search to find the cheapest flight. Also try to book ahead to ensure you get the best deal.