Flights to Europe from the US
270 route guides to 25 Europe airports from US cities, with entry rules, flight times and the best months to go.
Quick answer: Most big US airports have nonstop flights to Europe, and from the East Coast the flight to London, Paris or Dublin is about seven hours. US citizens do not need a visa for short trips to the Schengen Area or the UK, but since April 2026 your fingerprints and photo are taken at the Schengen border under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), and the UK requires an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). ETIAS is not in operation yet, so there is nothing to apply for.
Facts checked November 2026. Schedules and entry rules change, so confirm with the airline and the official government site before you travel.
Europe flights at a glance
| Entry for US citizens | No visa for short stays; Schengen: EES registration at the border, ETIAS not yet in operation; UK: ETA required |
|---|---|
| Schengen stay limit | Up to 90 days in any 180-day period |
| Typical nonstop flight time | About 7 hours New York to London; about 11 hours Los Angeles to Frankfurt (recent schedules) |
| Main European hubs | London Heathrow, Paris CDG, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Madrid, Lisbon, Dublin, Istanbul |
| Alliances | Star Alliance (United, Lufthansa group), oneworld (American, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair), SkyTeam (Delta, Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, SAS) |
| Time difference | London is usually 5 hours ahead of New York; most of continental Europe is 6 hours ahead |
| Quietest months | Usually January to March, outside the holidays |
Where you can fly in Europe
Each city links to every route guide we publish into that airport; each guide covers the airlines, connections and baggage rules, with live fares when the page loads.
- Flights to London (LHR)21 route guides
- Flights to Paris (CDG)11 route guides
- Flights to Amsterdam (AMS)11 route guides
- Flights to Frankfurt (FRA)8 route guides
- Flights to Munich (MUC)7 route guides
- Flights to Rome (FCO)8 route guides
- Flights to Milan (MXP)7 route guides
- Flights to Madrid (MAD)9 route guides
- Flights to Barcelona (BCN)7 route guides
- Flights to Lisbon (LIS)9 route guides
- Flights to Dublin (DUB)7 route guides
- Flights to Manchester (MAN)8 route guides
- Flights to Edinburgh (EDI)7 route guides
- Flights to Brussels (BRU)8 route guides
- Flights to Zurich (ZRH)7 route guides
- Flights to Vienna (VIE)8 route guides
- Flights to Copenhagen (CPH)8 route guides
- Flights to Stockholm (ARN)8 route guides
- Flights to Oslo (OSL)8 route guides
- Flights to Helsinki (HEL)8 route guides
- Flights to Athens (ATH)7 route guides
- Flights to Istanbul (IST)8 route guides
- Flights to Prague (PRG)28 route guides
- Flights to Budapest (BUD)28 route guides
- Flights to Warsaw (WAW)24 route guides
Entry rules for US citizens as of November 2026
US citizens can visit the Schengen Area for tourism or business without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport should have been issued within the last 10 years and stay valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen Area. Some airlines apply stricter checks, so renew early if you are close.
The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, after a phased start on 12 October 2025. It replaces passport stamps for short-stay visitors from outside the EU. On your first entry at a Schengen external border, officers record your passport details, a facial image and fingerprints (children under 12 give no fingerprints). It applies in the 29 Schengen countries: the EU members except Cyprus and Ireland, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Expect the first registration to take longer than later trips, and leave extra time at the border if you have a tight onward connection.
ETIAS, the EU's planned travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is not in operation as of November 2026, and no website issues ETIAS authorizations today. The EU had planned a start in the last quarter of 2026 but has not announced a date, and it says it will give several months' notice before launch. Be wary of sites offering to sell you one now.
The UK is outside Schengen and runs its own scheme. US citizens have needed a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) since 8 January 2025, including for a connection that takes you through UK border control. Passengers who stay airside while changing planes at Heathrow or Manchester do not currently need one, an exemption the UK describes as temporary, so check GOV.UK before you book. Apply on GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app, where the current fee is listed. Ireland is outside both Schengen and the UK ETA scheme, and Türkiye sets its own rules, so check the State Department's country page for each stop on your trip.
Which US airports fly nonstop to Europe
New York (JFK and Newark) has the widest choice, with nonstops to nearly every major European capital. Boston, Washington Dulles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle all have nonstops to the main hubs, and many smaller cities add seasonal summer flights.
The US airlines each lean on their partners. United connects with the Lufthansa group (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels Airlines) and TAP in Star Alliance. American works with British Airways, Iberia and Finnair in oneworld. Delta flies with Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic in SkyTeam, which SAS also joined in 2024. Aer Lingus and Icelandair are outside the three alliances but sell connections through Dublin and Reykjavik.
From the East Coast, New York to London runs about seven hours eastbound on recent British Airways and Virgin Atlantic schedules, and the return is longer because of headwinds. From the West Coast, Lufthansa lists Los Angeles to Frankfurt at about 11 hours. Check the airline for the current timetable.
Gateway airports in Europe and connecting onward
If your city in Europe has no nonstop from your US airport, you connect at an airline hub: London Heathrow (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic), Paris Charles de Gaulle (Air France), Amsterdam Schiphol (KLM), Frankfurt and Munich (Lufthansa), Zurich (Swiss), Madrid (Iberia), Lisbon (TAP), Helsinki (Finnair), Dublin (Aer Lingus) and Istanbul (Turkish Airlines).
Where you connect changes the border process. Connect at a Schengen hub such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Madrid and you clear EES once at that hub, then the onward flight stays inside Schengen with no further passport check. Connect in London and you clear Schengen on arrival at your final city; you need a UK ETA if the connection takes you through UK border control (airside transfers at Heathrow and Manchester are currently exempt). Connect in Istanbul and you enter Schengen at your destination.
On the way home, Dublin and Shannon have US Customs and Border Protection preclearance, so you clear US immigration and customs in Ireland and land in the US as a domestic arrival.
Best and quietest months to fly
June through August is peak season on almost every route, with full flights and the highest demand. Late spring (April and May) and early fall (September and October) usually bring milder weather and easier availability in southern Europe.
The quietest period is usually January to March outside the holidays and school breaks, which is typically the cheaper window for a city trip to London, Paris, Amsterdam or Prague. December fills up around Christmas markets and holiday travel. The fare grid on each route guide shows what is live for your dates.
Booking tips for Europe
Book open-jaw when you visit more than one country: fly into one city and home from another, such as into Amsterdam and out of Rome. It saves backtracking, and on a single ticket the airline protects the whole trip.
A one-stop ticket through a hub often gives you more departure times than a seasonal nonstop, and the long flight is the same. If you choose a nonstop, check whether it runs year-round; many smaller US cities fly to Europe only from spring to fall.
Keep both legs within one alliance or on one ticket so a delay on the first flight is the airline's problem. If you book separate tickets, leave several hours, because EES registration and the UK border can both add time on arrival.
Low-cost airlines within Europe often fly from secondary airports and charge for bags and seats. Compare the whole trip, including the train to the city, before choosing a short flight over a train.
Getting around once you land
Many European hubs have a rail station in or beside the terminal, including Frankfurt, Amsterdam Schiphol, Zurich and Paris Charles de Gaulle, so a train can replace a short connecting flight. Since October 2023 the high-speed trains between Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam run under the Eurostar name.
Within the Schengen Area there are normally no passport checks between countries, but EES counts your days across all 29 countries together. Days you spend in the UK or Ireland do not count toward the 90, but the days you already spent in Schengen stay in the 180-day window.
Route guides to Europe
London (LHR)
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Paris (CDG)
Amsterdam (AMS)
- Austin to Amsterdam flights
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Frankfurt (FRA)
Munich (MUC)
Rome (FCO)
Milan (MXP)
Madrid (MAD)
Barcelona (BCN)
Lisbon (LIS)
Dublin (DUB)
Manchester (MAN)
Edinburgh (EDI)
Brussels (BRU)
Zurich (ZRH)
Vienna (VIE)
Copenhagen (CPH)
Stockholm (ARN)
Oslo (OSL)
Helsinki (HEL)
Athens (ATH)
Istanbul (IST)
Prague (PRG)
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Budapest (BUD)
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Warsaw (WAW)
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Frequently asked questions
Do US citizens need a visa for Europe?
No, not for short stays. US citizens can visit the Schengen Area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The UK requires an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which is not a visa but must be approved before you travel.
Do I need ETIAS to travel to Europe in 2026?
No. As of November 2026 ETIAS is not in operation and no website issues ETIAS authorizations. The EU says it will announce the start date in advance.
What is the EES and what happens at the border?
The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational in the 29 Schengen countries since 10 April 2026. On your first entry, officers take your passport details, a photo and fingerprints instead of stamping your passport, and the system counts your days of stay.
How long is the flight from New York to London?
About seven hours eastbound on recent British Airways and Virgin Atlantic schedules, and a little longer flying back. Check with the airline for your flight.
How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Europe?
About 11 hours to Frankfurt on Lufthansa's listed schedule, with London and Paris in a similar range. The westbound return usually takes about an hour longer.
What is the cheapest month to fly to Europe?
Usually January to March, outside the holidays and school breaks. Late spring and early fall are often a good balance of weather and availability. Check the fare grid for live prices on your dates.
How much validity does my passport need for Europe?
For the Schengen Area, a passport issued within the last 10 years and valid at least three months beyond the day you leave. Some airlines apply stricter checks, so renew early if your passport is close.
Is it better to connect in London or in a Schengen hub?
Connecting in a Schengen hub such as Frankfurt or Amsterdam means one border check and no UK ETA. Connecting in London needs a UK ETA if you pass through UK border control (airside transfers at Heathrow and Manchester are currently exempt), and you clear Schengen at your final city.
