A Bounty of Europe Travel Deals

'If you’ve ever dreamed of renting a villa in Tuscany, hiking under Iceland’s midnight sun or vacationing practically anywhere else in Europe, the time is now. From Reykjavik to Rome, lower airfares and a strong dollar are making for some of the best bargains in years for Americans.

Round-trip airfares from the U.S. to popular destinations, including Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid and Prague, are down between 20 and 35 percent for travel from April through the start of September, compared with the same time last year, according to Kayak.com.

The decline is largely because of increased competition from budget carriers. Reykjavik, Iceland, where fares have come down nearly 27 percent, is a good example, said David Solomito, the vice president for North American marketing at Kayak.com. “In the last couple of years, Reykjavik has seen new flights open to several cities, including Boston, Baltimore and Newark, and continues to expand,” he said. “This spring, nonstop routes to Philadelphia will be available.”

Norwegian began flying to Paris from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Los Angeles and New York last year and plans to begin service in June to Barcelona from Fort Lauderdale; Los Angeles; Newark; and Oakland, Calif. In Reykjavik, the Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW Air has been expanding rapidly, contributing to lower fares. And Zurich-based Edelweiss announced that beginning in June it would be flying nonstop twice a week from San Diego to Zurich, where Kayak noted the biggest drop in fares, down 42 percent.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/24/travel/europe-travel-deals-airfare-budget.html?