The $400 you saved this year is enough to fly to some of the best travel destinations in the world.
While sometimes it may seem like $400 is barely enough to get you to Florida and back, some of the cheapest travel opportunities are outside of the U.S. right now. International travel is as cheap as ever, and for less than $400 roundtrip, you can fly to incredible destinations like Banff National Park in Canada, Brazil, Copenhagen, Denmark, Costa Rica, and more this year or next.
You might be surprised at how far $400 can get you in 2024. Our team at Thrifty Traveler Premium searches airfare every day, and even we are constantly surprised at how cheap some of these flights can get. Don't believe me? Here's a taste of some of the deals we've sent our members lately.
Europe in the $300s RT (Yes, Really!)
Roundtrip flights to Europe in the $600s are acceptable. When those fares hit the $500s, we get excited. Fares in the $400s really get us buzzing, but sometimes it gets even better…
While this might seem like a cherry-picked one-off, it's not! In the last three months, we've sent our Thrifty Traveler Premium members 20 or so deals that included fares in the $300s roundtrip to places like Germany, Spain, and many, many more.
Why? There's so much competition on transatlantic flights to Europe that these carriers have to drop fares to lure in customers – Delta included. If Delta didn't lower that rate, travelers might just choose low-cost Norse Atlantic who runs the same route on similar prices.
When airlines compete, we win. We heard from dozens of winning travelers who snagged these Boston (BOS) to Barcelona (BCN) nonstop flights for just $343 roundtrip, too.
Just a few months prior, we found those same flights in the $200s as well! These Iberia/LEVEL routes aren't an aberration – they're frequent and legit.
When it comes to roundtrip flights to Europe in the $300s, though, there are three airlines that you should always keep an eye on: Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Icelandair, and Aer Lingus.
Despite being low-cost carriers, these airlines won't nickel and dime you for things like food and drinks onboard, which is why we always send these fares when prices drop. SAS had the latest example.
Read our review of SAS economy!
SAS's hubs in Scandinavia offer quick connections on convenient routes throughout Europe. This fare from Newark (EWR) to Belgium (BRU), for example, comes with clean connections and an unbeatable fare.
Icelandair is even better positioned for convenient connections – with many European flights crossing near the North Atlantic island anyway. Icelandair is a Europe connection machine thanks to its Reykjavik (KEF) hub, and when prices start looking like this, it gets hard to ignore.
Read our review of Icelandair economy!
Finally, there's the Irish carrier Aer Lingus, which routinely – about three times a year or so – drops all of its nonstop routes from the U.S. to Dublin (DUB) into the $300s roundtrip. Frankly, they're due for another sale any day now, but the last time they offered low fares like this, Toronto (YYZ) flyers won the grand price with $391 nonstop rates.
Europe – yes, Europe – can be cheap! You won't need more than $399 to get to your favorite destination this year or next.
Read next: The #1 Trick to Saving on Flights to Europe
Costa Rica & Central America in the $200s & $300s RT
The rainforest, the wildlife, the volcanoes, the beaches – Costa Rica has it all. That's why everyone wants to go there, which is why every airline wants to fly there.
That competition drives prices down throughout the year, meaning a roundtrip to Costa Rica should never cost you more than $399.
Recently, flights to Liberia (LIR) and San Jose (SJO) for this fall and winter have been consistently low.
But those aren't the best fares we've seen this year. Just a few months ago, many of those same routes plummeted into the $200s roundtrip, too.
Costa Rica is usually on most travelers' lists, but this hidden gem might not be…yet.
Roatán, Honduras is an island in the Caribbean Sea where travel is cheap and where you wont find throngs of U.S. tourists, too. Plus, flights in an out of Coxen Hole (RTB) have been low, lately.
Join Thrifty Traveler Premium to get more cheap fares like this in your inbox!
Thanks to service from American and Delta, Coxen Hole is just a quick connection away from places like these.
This deal touched cities on both coasts and in the heartland, all for $399 or less.
South America Under $399 RT
Speaking of underrated travel destinations, South America has to be one of the most overlooked places for Americans to travel. The continent doesn't get the respect it deserves from Americans eyeing Europe and Asia instead.
But fares like this might change their minds.
A trip to Colombia – as many of our Thrifty Traveler team members can attest – should be higher on travelers' lists. It's a short ride down there and it's a destination travelers always seem to want to return.
But it goes even further. Just this week, we found roundtrip flights to Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU) in the $300s roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) on COPA and from Boston (BOS) on Delta.
The Caribbean from $248 RT
If you're not ready for summer to end, book a Caribbean escape this fall or winter to keep the sunshine flowing. And I cant think of a better spot to do so than in Aruba.
These fares are long gone – sign up for Thrifty Traveler Premium to get the next cheap flight deal in your inbox!
The far-flung Caribbean spot screams sandy beaches and warm sunshine, and while it sounds like an expensive vacation, it shouldn't be.
These Aruba (AUA) fares for this fall and winter had our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers dreaming of island time. Travelers looking for flights to the Dominican Republic were also fulfilled this month, too.
Same thing: All for less than $399 roundtrip, your Punta Cana (PUJ) adventure to an all-inclusive resort might be the cheapest international vacation of your life!
Mexico Under $399 RT
When you saw the headline for this story, you probably assumed I was only talking about Mexico, right?
Mexico is a tried-and-true sub-$400 destination for U.S. travelers.
The hot competition heading south of the border leads to consistently cheap flight prices, including ones like these awesome fares to the west coast haven of Puerto Vallarta (PVR).
But the East Coast wasn't going to let PVR have all of you travelers, because there's a new entry into the Mexico flight game: Tulum (TQO).
That's right! You can fly straight to TQO instead of flying to Cancún (CUN) and dealing the masses there.
And with prices like these, it appears you should!
Canada under $369 RT
Our friendly neighbors to the north also deserve some love when it comes to cheap flights. It's been one of the hottest spots to find an affordable fare in 2024, but that's not the only reason why you should visit Banff, Montreal, or Vancouver Island this year or next.
Banff National Park is one of the prettiest places on earth – and it's right in our backyard as Americans.
Plus, over the last year, cheap flights to Calgary (YYC) have been abundant!
Not only are these fares under $400, they're mostly under $300 roundtrip…and they're all nonstop!
Same goes for these flights to Montreal (YUL). No connections required, and under $300 from many cities.
Finally, if a Pacific Northwest adventure is up your alley, a flight to Vancouver Island is the perfect serene retreat for any traveler. Whale watch in the morning from your seaside Airbnb, hike or mountain bike the island's endless trails, and forest bathe your worries away all for the price of a domestic flight.
Bottom Line
If you can save $400, you can fly to some of the best destinations on earth.
Our Thrifty Traveler Premium members know this well, getting alerted to deals flying to Europe, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Caribbean and more all for less than $400.