I’ve started planning a 2027 trip for my son and I. We want to go back to Slovakia for a couple of weeks, but also want to stop in Iceland on the way. I was hoping to fly Icelandair from Portland (PDX) to Vienna (VIE) and do their stopover, but Icelandair does not fly to Vienna. These are just early planning stages, and many things could change. But right now looking at kayak.com it seems that the best strategy is 3 separate one-way tickets: nonstop PDX to Reykjavik (KEF) on Icelandair, stay a few days, nonstop midnight flight on Austrian Airlines to VIE, ground transport to Bratislava and beyond, stay 2 weeks, then VIE to PDX home (probably British Airways with a stop in Heathrow). I’m accustomed to finding a round trip or multicity route on kayak and then going to the airline site to purchase the whole trip, but I assume in this case I go to each airline’s site for its leg of the journey. Is this plan a big mistake? Am I missing something? Thanks in advance.
Posted by
Freedonia
18948 posts
One way tickets will cost more than using the multi-city option.
Go to Google Flights and use the multi-city option for all of your flights. You might be able to find flights on airline's within the same alliance. If that is the case, you can buy all of the tickets on one airline's site.
Be aware that if you buy one way tickets, and you miss a connection because the first flight is late, you aren't protected and will have to buy a new ticket.
While searching, be aware that Bratislava also has an airport.
The trip from Vienna to Bratislava is less than an hour by train or by bus. (I did it three weeks ago.) Many people do it as a day tripl
Posted by
Vancouver, Washington
329 posts
Where in Slovakia are you headed? Bratislava, Poprad, Kosice? Vienna airport is optimal for Bratislava but Budapest works well too. If you’re headed to Kosice then Budapest is the closest major airport with direct trains to Kosice. ( there is a small airport in Kosice.) If it’s Poprad you’re headed to then Krakow would be my choice connecting via train or bus to Zakopane and bus to Poprad.
Come to Rick Steves Portland travel group this or any third Saturday at Panera Bread on Nyberg Rd. In Tigard @ 10:00 am and we will set you straight. I’ve got some Slovakian train travel tips to share. 😉
Posted by
OP
Oregon, USA
235 posts
Thanks for the reminder to try Google Flights also; there were more options there. I do know it's better to book multicity, but I just wasn't able to do that with the selection of flights shown on Kayak. I wasn't too worried about the issue of missing a flight if the previous one was late though, since the intervening times were days to weeks. (Of course, there could always be a volcanic eruption in Iceland!)
We haven't yet decided where we want to start our travels in Slovakia. Our first time there, we flew into the Kosice airport, and it's a nice little airport. The second time we flew into Vienna, took a DayTrip car to Bratislava (there was a LOT of rain), and then the train up to Poprad and Stary Smokovec. But I will note that there are not a lot of convenient ways to land at Bratislava or Kosice. And Poprad airport seems to be only open for British skiers in the winter (hence the Krakow suggestion above). I will look at Budapest if we decide to start in Kosice--good suggestion.
I wish I could come to the Portland travel group meeting, but I'm three hours away :-(
Posted by
Freedonia
18948 posts
Don't limit yourself to Icelandair for Iceland. A few US airlines fly there as well.
As an example, you could fly United from PDX to KEF (with a change at ORD) and then Austrian Airlines from KEF to VIE. Both are in the Star Alliance so you could buy those tickets on the same website using the multi-city option.
If you wanted to fly with OneWorld so you get the nonstop back from London, then AA to KEF, BA to VIE with a change in London, then BA all the way from VIE to
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
12261 posts
Hi Michele. Alaska Airlines is starting a Seattle to Reykjavik service on May 28, extending through September. About time we had a good option other than Icelandair. They are also flying to and from Rome right now.
We often find it useful to go to Seattle to catch an over water flight and often at a lower price than flying out of PDX.