European airfares change constantly — airlines adjust prices hundreds of times per day based on demand, competition, and algorithms. Manually checking prices daily is time-consuming and unreliable. Price tracking tools monitor fares 24/7 and alert you when prices drop, ensuring you book at the optimal moment without the effort of constant checking. The difference between booking at the right time and the wrong time can easily be €50–200 per flight.
Google Flights is the most powerful free flight search tool available, and its price tracking features are excellent. To set up tracking, search for your route and dates, then toggle the 'Track prices' switch. Google will email you when the fare changes — drops are highlighted in green, increases in red. You can track multiple routes simultaneously.
Key features that make Google Flights stand out: the price calendar shows the cheapest fare for every day in a month, making it easy to shift dates for savings. The price graph reveals trends over time — you can see whether fares are rising or falling. The 'Explore' map lets you search for the cheapest destination from your airport, perfect for flexible travelers. Date flexibility options show alternatives within a few days of your target dates.
Join smart travelers getting weekly flights tips and deals — free.
Google Flights doesn't include all budget airlines — notably, it sometimes misses Southwest (not relevant for Europe) and can have incomplete results for some smaller European carriers. It also doesn't track fares on multi-city or complex itineraries well. For these, supplement with Skyscanner or Kiwi.com.
Skyscanner's strength is its flexibility features. The 'Everywhere' search shows the cheapest destinations from your airport. The 'Whole month' and 'Cheapest month' views display the lowest fares across an entire month or across several months. This is invaluable when you have flexibility on either destination or dates (or both).
Skyscanner also has excellent price alerts — set them for a specific route and you'll receive email notifications when fares change. The mobile app sends push notifications, which are faster than email for time-sensitive deals. Skyscanner aggregates results from airlines and online travel agencies, so it often surfaces fares that Google Flights misses, particularly from European OTAs like eDreams, Opodo, and Lastminute.com.
Hopper's unique selling point is its price prediction algorithm. For any route and date, Hopper tells you whether to buy now or wait, and predicts when the price will be lowest. It displays a color-coded calendar showing which dates are cheap (green), average (yellow), or expensive (red). The predictions are based on analysis of billions of historical fares and are roughly 95% accurate according to Hopper's data.
The app sends you notifications when it's the optimal time to book, taking the guesswork out of timing your purchase. One downside: Hopper sometimes directs you to book through its own platform, where prices can be slightly higher than booking directly. Always cross-check Hopper's recommended price with Google Flights or the airline's website before purchasing.
Kayak offers a 'Price Forecast' feature that predicts whether fares on your route will increase or decrease. It's less sophisticated than Hopper's predictions but provides a useful directional signal. Kayak's fare alerts are reliable, and its multi-city search is better than most competitors.
Kayak's 'Explore' tool is similar to Google's but includes a price filter — you can search for destinations reachable under a certain budget. The Kayak app also tracks prices from your phone and integrates with Apple Wallet for boarding pass storage.
Kiwi.com's Nomad feature is designed for multi-city trip planning. You input a list of cities you want to visit, set date ranges and maximum stays, and Nomad finds the cheapest order to visit them. It considers one-way flights, trains, and buses, combining different transport modes. This is incredibly useful for planning extended European trips where the order of cities matters for cost.
AZair is a niche tool focused entirely on European budget airlines. It searches Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, Vueling, and dozens of smaller carriers. Its interface is dated, but the results are comprehensive — it finds fares that major search engines sometimes miss, particularly on obscure routes between secondary airports. The 'anywhere' search with date flexibility is excellent for finding the absolute cheapest flights in Europe.
These are deal-alert services rather than search tools. Secret Flying publishes error fares, flash sales, and unusually cheap flights. Jack's Flight Club (now called Jack) sends curated deal alerts to subscribers. Both focus on genuine anomalies — fares that are 40–70% below normal — rather than everyday low prices. The free tiers provide limited alerts; paid subscriptions (€40–50/year) give early access and more alerts.
For the best results, combine tools rather than relying on one. Here's an effective workflow: use Google Flights as your primary tracker — set price alerts for your specific dates and routes. Use Skyscanner's 'Whole month' view to confirm you've chosen the cheapest dates. Check Hopper for a buy/wait recommendation. Browse AZair for budget airline options that Google might miss. Subscribe to Jack's Flight Club or Secret Flying for exceptional deals on your preferred routes.
Start tracking 3–4 months before your planned travel date. Set alerts for 2–3 route variations (different airports, dates shifted by 1–2 days). When you see a price at or below the historical average shown in Google Flights' price graph, book immediately — fare drops rarely last more than a few hours. Don't chase the absolute lowest possible price; aim for a fare in the bottom 20% of the typical range for that route.
Bookmark this guide and check back before your trip — flights prices and policies change frequently.
Find the best deal from top providers across Europe.
Google Flights is the best free tool overall. It offers price tracking alerts, a price calendar, trend graphs, and an explore map. For budget airline coverage, supplement with Skyscanner. For buy/wait predictions, add Hopper.
Start tracking 3–4 months before your travel date for peak season flights and 6–8 weeks ahead for off-peak. This gives you time to observe price trends and book when fares dip. Setting alerts early means you won't miss flash sales or temporary price drops.
Yes, significantly. European airfares can fluctuate by 20–50% within a single week. Airlines use dynamic pricing algorithms that adjust based on demand, competition, remaining seats, and time until departure. Price tracking tools help you catch the low points in these fluctuations.
If you're flexible on destination and dates, absolutely. These services find error fares and flash sales that are 40–70% below normal prices. The free tiers are useful; paid subscriptions (€40–50/year) offer early access and more frequent alerts. The savings from a single error fare can pay for years of subscription.
Hopper's buy/wait predictions are roughly 95% accurate, so they're a reliable signal. However, always cross-check Hopper's recommended price against Google Flights and the airline's website — Hopper sometimes directs you to book through its own platform at slightly higher prices.
Secret fare tricks, best booking windows, and airline comparison charts — free PDF download.
Free download. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.