We are fortunate enough to be invited to a wedding in Portugal next June. The closest large airport is Portland OR. Flying to Lisbon from PDX is quite expensive. It's been suggested that we fly out of Vancouver BC instead.
I'm looking for suggestions for other places in Europe that might less to fly into and easy (& inexpensive) to then get to Lisbon or Porto. I'm looking at both price and points. Also, if we fly into another city we'd likely spend a couple of days there.
Thanks, Roxann
You can fly direct from PDX to Frankfurt on Condor for around $1000 in June. That is the basic fare. Checked bags, seat selection, and pre-ordered meals are extra. This airport is very close to the Rhine so you could see that area by boat and train, then hop a budget airline to Lisbon.
$1000 is a pretty good fare from slightly small airport to Europe. The only suggestion I would have is to also look at Seattle. Seattle is an IcelandAir hub, but I don't believe IcelandAir goes to Portugal, either. If you can find a good rate and have the time, you could look at a budget European airline to get you from Paris or possibly Madrid to Portugal.
Hi Roxann,
I see 2 options for you to fly into Europe at a reasonable price:
Option A: Fly from PDX to Zurich, Switzerland . Zurich is a better hub to fly into then other European cities coming from the states. It gives you the low airfares. Here is an example for the average fare for June/2019 fight listed on kayak.
https://www.kayak.com/flights/PDX-ZRH/2019-06-04/2019-06-18/2adults?sort=bestflight_a
Option B: Fly from PDX to Amsterdam ,Netherlands. Amsterdam also has low airfares for flights from PDX. I search through kayak and saw average price range for June 2019 flights listed on 12/6/18.
https://www.kayak.com/flights/PDX-AMS/2019-06-04/2019-06-18/2adults?sort=bestflight_a
From those locations, you can fly to Portugal via Ryan Air and EasyJet airlines. The airfare will not be expensive. In conclusion, you will pay for a cheaper flight to Europe from PDX and have the opportunity to visit cities like Zurich or Lucerne in Switzerland, or Amsterdam for a few days before flying out to your wedding engagement in Portugal. If you have any questions, PM me.
Take care,
RJean
I clicked on the first link that RJean provided and it showed an array of flights to Zurich for under $1000 on IcelandAir. However, they are offered by Vayama, which gets terrible reviews on Tripadvisor. Moreover, some options involved several flights and changes, making for an overall flight time to Zurich of more than 20 hours.
I did not go far enough to see if those prices are “live.” Many of the complaints about Vayama says they offer you a price, then before ticketing they tell you that low price is no longer available and you need to pay more.
I would NEVER book through Vayama, or other third party for that matter.
Edit: link to TripAdvisor Air Travel forum comments on Vayama:
Look at post #11 as an example of the price change issue.
Consider the non-stop Delta flight PDX-LHR (London) - should be able to book it for under $1000 round trip. Lots of cheap non-stops from London to Lisbon. You may need to overnight in London on the way back. Non-stop is worth spending a little more on in my opinion; reduces your chances of missing a connection.
Hey Roxann,
You can avoid any third party issues and not deal with a travel agency like Vayama by booking your flight directly with the airline. Here is the link to Icelandair.
The below link is the average fare for June from Icelandair, PDX to Zurich. When you do book your flight, book it on a Wednesday in June. It will give you a lower airfare.
Watch airfares, maybe mid January-February is a good time to check. Right now sales in effect until May. Airlines add their spring/summer flights after the new year hits. Hopefully the wedding is before June14, before the summer fares hit. Also TAP adding new flights this summer Chicago to Lisbon & I’m expecting deals initially when they start marketing those flights, then other airlines generally follow suit. Have a plan with dates with wiggle room, know your fares then book as soon as you see the fares.
We flew in to Madrid and took a TAP flight to Lisbon. We were using ff miles from SLC and it was the most economical way I could find in November.
There are dozens of options, as you can get to Lisbon from most large cities in Europe, not just capital cities. Check Skyscanner or similar website for your options. The Lisbon airport website shows the destinations it serves.
One thing to bear in mind is try to book this as one through ticket so you are protected if there is a delay to your first flight. Although EasyJet, Ryanair etc maybe cheaper, if your first flight is delayed and you miss your connection, you would have to buy another ticket on the day, which could be expensive and is subject to availability.
You could, of course, have a few days in your connecting city and take a value airline on to Lisbon, but you would have the same issue on your return.
Fly to Amsterdam or Paris from PDX. Look on Skyscanner.com. You can get down to Portugal for super cheap once you are in Europe. We are actually flying from PDX to Amsterdam in June and then heading down to Lisbon after a few days.
