Planning a trip in July '08, we'd like to spend a week in Normandy and another week in either Germany or Austria.
Can anyone give tips saving on airline prices?
We're coming from the Philadelphia area. Would we find lower prices flying out of Newark, NJ or Baltimore instead of Philly? We'd probably fly to Paris and spend the 2nd week in either Salzburg area or Munich or Frankfort. I guess it would cost less to fly back to the states from Paris. Any suggestions?
The only way to know if you'd find better prices leaving out of different airports is to price flights with your preferred airline or a travel site such as Expedia or Orbitz. There is no hard and fast rule about what airport is cheaper. It just depends on the carrier. I agree with Kent, though, that you might want to also investigate flying back from Munich instead of backtracking to Paris. Even if the price is basically the same, you can use the travel time you'd save to see more of the area.
Bill try flying into Stuttgart rather than Frankfurt if you're able to fit that into your trip. Airfare is usually comparable if not cheaper.
Try Kayak.com they will search several airlines and indicate the best price. July is a high season for travel. If you can go before May 15 and after September 15 you will save.
I second Jarrod's suggestion about flying into Stuttgart if it works for you. We just returned from a trip to Colmar, France and we flew into Stuttgart. It's a small, easy to manage airport plus there is a subway stop at the airport that takes you to the main train terminal in 27 minutes. From there, you can take the TGV train to Paris, easily travel to other cities in Germany or fly one of the discount airlines to your destination. For us, the airfare from Atlanta was less expensive than any other European destination.
Someone already mention Orbitz which I use to track air fares. The trick is to keep checking back daily, using various points of departure if that works for you. Sales happen with the airlines so you just have to continually shop for them. Once I find a good fare, I go the airline (Delta, Lufthansa, etc.) to make reservations as they seem to have more connections and can tell you if shifting your day of travel might save you a bit more.
Just be thankful that you are not flying from Salt Lake City where the choices are fewer, the distances longer and the fares higher.
Regards, Gary
We do jaws and try to use Stuttgart. Ditto all comments on it. Also, if you plan your trip right you can have an overnight in Paris and it not count as a stop. We got in Paris about 3 in the afternoon and flew out the next morning about 11. Be careful of the small airlines. They have a very strict weight allowance and stick to it. Our ticket cost $35 and the extra was $200 EACH. We use frequent flyer tickets and have flown many of the airlines. The nicest plane we flew on was Air France, the double decker. We were upstairs and the service was wonderful. We will always look for that plane now. Iberia was the worst, but free is free. I do understand that they rates are cheapest.
Bill, I live in Philadelphia and I have repeatedly found the lowest rates out of Philadelphia through Air France. In fact I am flying via Air France to Munich, Germany for $470 round trip in March. I know March is the low season, but I have flown Air France during the high season also and I have always found the best rates. Good luck.
