I'm taking a bike & barge trip from Berlin to Malchin mid July 2019. This is a last minute decision and the flights for mid July are crazy expensive! Like $14,000! It's even crazy expensive using flyer miles for the return flight. I found a flight from Chicago to Berlin for 30K. However, the flights from Berlin to Chicago are 57,500. Does anyone know of a city within no more than 5 hours where the flights may be cheaper?x I'd rather pay for the flight, spending a few days in another city and spend the money on lodging and sightseeing, than on a flight. Your thoughts and suggestions are so very much appreciated!
Posted by
613 posts
Check FRA, AMS, CDG, MUC, Dusseldorf. & thru Manchester.
see what Kayak.com can find.
Ask a travel agent about consolidator fares.
Next time, plan ahead. I'm going to Frankfurt return from Budapest in November. Bought business class 3 months ago for $3,200.
Posted by
Berlin
3015 posts
Did you try both Berlin airports? TXL and SXF?
Try Hanover HAJ, Hamburg HAM, Leipzig LEJ. All have fast train connections to Berlin.
Little bit more far away are Munich MUC, Frankfurt FRA, Prague PRG.
If it is an option for you night trains approach Berlin from Vienna and Zurich.
Just checked Chicago - Berlin 7-11 to 7-18 and get good offers around 1.200 EUR (ORD - TXL) and some cheaper options.
In Germany swoodoo.com is a good search engine (also Kayak in background from what I know). The biggest issue is from where you search (IP fencing).
Tip: I do not know how intensively you erase browser trackers and cookies (e.g. Fb, Wa). Facebook makes offers in average approximately 20% more expensive (German evaluation only). Open new anonymous browser window and try approaching searches again with little other dates. Engines recognise the IPs and the searh patterns. So if you are technically advanced enough hide your IP.
Posted by
San Francisco
14985 posts
@ Ig....You also have a direct night train connection from Budapest to Berlin, aside from those listed above.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6993 posts
Copenhagen (CPH) is also not that far from Berlin.
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
At a Dutch ticket agent I saw single tickets to Berlin with Turkish and SAS for an at random date mid July for around EUR 700, and return tickets (back end July) for around EUR 1000 with LOT and Icelandair. I suppose the connections will be miserable, but it is easily earned money.
Posted by
898 posts
The http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ site shows $698 RT ORD-Berlin for several dates, using Icelandic Air.
Posted by
Green Bay
21184 posts
Yes, look at Icelandair, SAS and LOT. $1250 max, and as low as $700 depending on the dates.