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We’ve taken our Airport Affordability Index international! It’s great to know how U.S. airports stack up, but 2015 is the year of the strong dollar and great overseas buying power. So we have done another data deep dive and compared the average airfares (round trip and including taxes) to the 25 European airports our users search the most in the first three months of the year. We calculated the average airfare based on flight prices from almost two dozen airports in cities across the U.S.

First off, the average were all below $1000. So this may be the summer of the European vacation. And, if Ireland, Italy or Spain are on your bucket list, we have even better news. Six of the eight most affordable airports where in those three countries. In addition, showing that alternative airports can be, well,  a good alternative in Europe too, Paris’ Orly Airport is number two on the list, besting the bigger and busier Charles De Gualle. And London’s Gatwick certainly has the potential to deliver better deals than Heathrow. These airports may require a stop over, but imagine a day in Lisbon or Madrid thrown in as part of the deal.

As is always the case, these airfares are snapshot, and prices will vary with exact dates and departure points. However, we are here to show you that travel comparison matters and that, with a little homework and flexibility, you may be able to go farther than you ever thought.

Take a peak and see what we mean:

 1Dublin, Ireland  (DUB)$620
2Orly, (Paris) France  (ORY)$694
3Capodichino, (Naples) Italy  (NAP)$694
4Malpensa, (Milan) Italy  (MXP)$694
5Warsaw Chopin, Poland  (WAW)$706
6Madrid-Barajas, Spain  (MAD)$710
7Barcelona International, Spain (BCN)$717
8Shannon, Ireland  (SNN)$722
9Schiphol, (Amsterdam) Netherlands (AMS)$729
10Lisbon Portela, Portugal  (LIS)$737
11Charles de Gaulle, (Paris) France (CDG)$738
12Leonardo da Vinci/Fiumicino, (Rome) Italy  (FCO)$739
13Eleftherios Venizelos, (Athens) Greece (ATH)$742
14Gatwick, (London) UK (LGW)$750
15Brussels Airport, Belgium (BRU)$763
16Berlin Schoenefeld, Germany (SXF)$770
17Venice Marco Polo (Tessera), Italy (VCE)$784
18Zurich-Kloten, Switzerland (ZRH)$785
19Franz Josef Strauß, (Munich) Germany  (MUC)$821
20Manchester International, UK (MAN)$870
21Frankfurt International, Germany (FRA)$886
22Edinburgh, Scotland  (EDI)$887
23Keflavik, (Reykjavik) Iceland  (KEF)$922
24Glasgow International, Scotland  (GLA)$936
25Heathrow, (London) UK (LHR)$941

Featured image: xlibber

About the author

Emily FisherLiving a little under guidance of The Beatles, Emily’s travel mantra seems to be “I’ll Follow the Sun.” From her first sailing excursion to the Bahamas to gunkholing in the Caribbean to diving and rafting in Australia and exploring the Croatian coast, Emily’s favorite trips are ones where the day starts with putting on sun screen.

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