My first search was on Air Baltic, an airline that serve's Latvia's capital of Riga. What popped up was amazing.
My daughter's airfare between Berlin and Riga was to be 6.03 Lats (LVL). The adults in our party would pay nine Lats each. At the time of the search, a Lat was equal to about $1.85 USD.
Did this mean my daughter could fly that distance for the sum total of $11.15 USD?
Yes and no.
When you go beyond the initial search to actually book these tickets, the family total of 33.06 LVL ($61.16 USD at the time) became 110.20 LVL ($203 USD)! Taxes and fees double or triple each adult, youth and child fare.
Still, the one-way flight between Berlin and Riga for four people at peak season (July) now costs about $208 USD. Not bad, considering a train or motorcoach trip would cost at least that much and require two days of travel.
Renting a car to drive the 1700 kilometer round trip to Riga would cost more than 200 euro because many companies charge per kilometer once you pass 750 kilometers. That's before any of Europe's expensive gasoline and an overnight room is purchased.
Don't misunderstand: Cars, trains, and motorcoaches have distinct advantages, too. You should see more than cities and airports on your trip to Europe.
But on a few legs of your planned journey, a well-placed flight might save precious hours for that extra museum visit, or that village you want to explore.
Do you think Air Baltic's reasonable airfare was the cheapest option?
Click "next" to see even lower European fares.
