Ryanair offers a one-way fare between London and Riga starting at £3.99 GBP, about $7.38 USD. Keep in mind this is a three-hour flight for just more than a hamburger, fries and milkshake would cost at a fast-food burger joint.
It could be worth restructuring my trip so that I arrive from London. Trans-Atlantic fares to London often are cheaper than other European destinations because of traffic volume.
When I tried to book that flight online, it came up as "unavailable." There was no explanation. I am left to guess whether the flight is full, the fare is a lost-leader, or if I'm trying to book too early.
Ryanair offers similar fares from London to more touristy places like Oslo for £1.98 ($3.66 USD) or Salzburg for £0.25 ($.46).
Sometimes, these super low fares come with strings attached. Perhaps there is a more expensive return trip to buy, or maybe the travel dates are highly restricted. As we've shown, the tax on these flights is almost always more than the fare itself.
Something else to remember about flights within Europe: you do not shop for these flights the way Americans look for options in North America. For example, there are few connecting flights on these European routes. Most discount fares involve straight, city-to-city itineraries, and sometimes secondary airports in remote locations.
But if you want to save money--and valuable time--on your next European trip, take a look at the discount airlines of Europe.
More information: Links to some Budget Airline Web Sites for Europe.
