On Trip.com, book 3 - 6 months early. Compare flights via its tool, enable price alerts, choose weekday/early flights, and join its loyalty program to earn coins for discounts.
💡 Key Strategies for Finding Deals
Unlocking cheap flights requires a strategic approach. By being flexible and knowing where to look, you can significantly reduce your travel costs.
🗓️ Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates and Times
The biggest factor influencing flight prices is often the time of year and day you choose to fly.
- Shoulder Seasons: Target travel during the shoulder seasons (April-May and September-October). The weather is pleasant, crowds are smaller, and flight prices are generally lower than in peak summer.
- Off-Peak Months: Consider traveling in the off-peak winter months (November to March), excluding major holidays like Christmas and New Year's. This period often sees the lowest fares.
- Mid-Week Travel: Flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are typically cheaper than those on weekends or Mondays and Fridays.
- Red-Eye Flights: Early morning or late-night flights can sometimes offer better value due to lower demand.
Consider Different Departure Airports in Canada
Don't limit your search to just your nearest international airport. Canada has several major hubs that offer direct and connecting flights to Europe.
- Major Gateways: Toronto (YYZ), Montreal (YUL), and Vancouver (YVR) are typically the main departure points with the most flight options and competitive pricing.
- Secondary Gateways: Consider Calgary (YYC), Edmonton (YEG), Halifax (YHZ), or Ottawa (YOW). Sometimes, a slightly longer drive to a larger airport can result in significant savings.
🌍 Explore Multiple European Arrival Cities
While Paris, London, and Rome are popular, being open to flying into other European cities can save you money.
- Major Hubs: Cities like London (LHR/LGW), Paris (CDG/ORY), Amsterdam (AMS), Frankfurt (FRA), Dublin (DUB), and Lisbon (LIS) often have the most direct flights and competitive prices from Canada.
- Budget Carrier Hubs: Consider flying into a city served by budget airlines like Ryanair or EasyJet (e.g., Dublin, London Stansted, Paris Beauvais, Milan Bergamo). You can then connect to your final destination within Europe cheaply.
- Iceland as a Stopover: Airlines like Icelandair and PLAY offer competitive fares from Canada to Europe with a stopover in Reykjavik (KEF). This can be a great way to visit Iceland and save on your overall fare.
🔄 Opt for Connecting Flights
Direct flights are convenient but often come at a premium.
- One-Stop Flights: Flights with one layover are frequently more affordable than non-stop options. Be mindful of layover times to ensure you have enough time to connect without being stuck for too long.
- Strategic Layovers: Sometimes, a layover in another European hub (e.g., London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt) can open up cheaper onward connections to your final destination.
⏰ Book in Advance & Set Price Alerts
Timing is key when booking flights.
- Optimal Booking Window: For international flights, booking 2-4 months in advance often yields the best prices. Prices tend to rise closer to the departure date.
- Trip.com Price Alerts: Utilize Trip.com's price alert feature. Set up alerts for your desired routes, and you'll be notified when prices drop, allowing you to snag a deal.
✈️ Leverage Specific Airlines
Certain airlines are known for offering competitive transatlantic fares from Canada.
- Canadian Carriers: Air Transat and WestJet often have attractive deals to Europe, especially during shoulder and off-peak seasons. Air Canada also offers competitive fares, particularly when booked in advance.
- European Carriers: Look out for deals from airlines like TAP Air Portugal (especially to Lisbon and beyond), Icelandair, and PLAY (via Reykjavik). Major European carriers such as British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, and Air France also frequently have sales.
💻 Putting It All Together: Your Trip.com Search
Now that you have the strategies, here's how to apply them on Trip.com:
- Go to Trip.com: Navigate to the flight search engine.
- Enter Your Departure City: Start with your primary Canadian airport (e.g., "Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)").
- Enter Your Arrival City/Region: Input your desired European city (e.g., "London (LON)" for all London airports) or even "Europe" to explore options if you're flexible.
- Select Dates:
- If you have fixed dates, enter them.
- If flexible, use the "Flexible Dates" or "Price Calendar" features if available, or try searching month by month to spot the cheapest periods.
- Search and Filter:
- After your initial search, use Trip.com's filters to refine results.
- Stops: Filter by "1 stop" or "2 stops" to find cheaper connecting flights.
- Airlines: Look for the airlines mentioned above (Air Transat, WestJet, Icelandair, PLAY, TAP Air Portugal, etc.).
- Departure/Arrival Times: Adjust these to find red-eye or mid-week options.
- Set Price Alerts: If you don't find a deal immediately, set a price alert for your preferred route and dates. Trip.com will notify you when the price drops.
Data was updated on December 19, 2025; please refer to real-time search for specific details.