Here are 19 of the cheapest destinations to fly to from London's airports
It's great when you've got money to spare and you're willing to spend on a far-flung destination for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, or shell out for a luxury flight experience in a costly first class cabin. Sometimes, though, you just want a cheap getaway that won't break the bank (or dip into your Avios).
That's why we've taken a look at some of the cheapest destinations you can fly to from five of London's airports: Gatwick (LGW), Heathrow (LHR), Stansted (STN), City (LCY) and Luton (LTN). We've looked for destinations that consistently pop up with low (starting) return fares from each airport, by scouring the flights listed on Skyscanner from December 2022 to November 2023.
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Note: Southend (SEN) isn't included in this list, as its starting prices weren't listed on Skyscanner.
Is this an exact science? Err, not really. Flight prices go up and down constantly, new routes are added, and some flights for later in 2023 may not yet be for sale. And of course, starting prices are just that: starting prices. The definition of 'cheapest' varies by airport, too – City's cheapest flights, for example, are more expensive than the options from budget havens Stansted and Luton (served by the likes of Ryanair and Wizz Air).
Of course, if you start searching, you'll find plenty more affordable flights for countless destinations for your chosen airport or month of travel. Think of this piece as inspiration – a starting point – if you're looking for one of the cheapest destinations to reach from London.
Let's take a look...
London Gatwick (LGW)
Milan, Italy
The Italian fashion capital popped up in the search time and time again, with prices starting from £21 return (flying Wizz Air). Low fares popped up over eight months of the year, starting from the £20s to £60s mark, though obviously it's on the cheaper side in winter.
Still, it doesn't need to be scorching to soak up the city's art (including Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper), culture, famous shopping, or to admire the Duomo di Milano up close. Day trips to Bergamo, Verona, and even Lake Como are all possible, meaning its a useful starting point for further exploration.
Malaga, Spain
From £22 return, the Andalusian city of Malaga proved to be one of the cheapest 'from London' destinations. Starting prices ranged from £23 to £42 over 10 months of the year when we looked, so you should be able to bag a bargain flight from Gatwick without much trouble – flying a mix of either Wizz Air, Vueling, BA or easyJet.
Weather-wise, you're looking at average highs of 25C in July and August, and 13C in December and January, to London's respective 16C and 7C/5C (according to Holiday Weather). In addition to the tapas and nightlife the city is known for, you'll have the Costa del Sol's beautiful beaches at your feet. If you like to rove museums, you'll like it here too – there's even one devoted to Picasso, who was born there.
Faro, Portugal
Portuguese gem Faro was also consistently cheap over 10 months, with fares starting from £28 in winter and heading into the £30 to £50 region. For the cheapest fares, you'll likely fly Wizz Air both ways, or Wizz Air and easyJet.
As the capital of the Algarve, you can land and drive to along the coast relaxing holiday at the beach – stunning Albufeira is just 40 minutes away by car – or enjoy a low-key city stay with strolls through cobbled streets and the city's charming Old Town. Positioned near the tip of southern Europe, you're also looking at pleasant weather all year round, with mild winters to shake off the U.K. cold.
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Bilbao, Spain
Over five months, we spotted low fares to the port city of Bilbao in northern Spain, starting from as low as £36 to £52. You'll be flying Vueling.
Perhaps Bilbao is best known for the attention-grabbing Guggenheim Museum, famed just as much for its titanium Frank Gehry architecture as it is for the contemporary art it houses. Still, there's more to the city than this: green space, great music, a love of football, fine dining, the list goes on. It's also part of the Basque Country, known for its stunning stretches of coast, and is one hour, 15 minutes away from San Sebastian by car.
Special mention... Podgorica, Montenegro
OK, so Podgorica isn't one of the very cheapest places you can fly from LGW. However, it did keep catching our eye as we trawled through the many, many (many) fares on offer. We clocked starting prices for returns ranging from £42 to £55 over six months of the year, flying Wizz Air.
If you're looking for somewhere a tad less well-trodden than Spain, Portugal or Italy, then a trip to the Balkans may suit. In Podgorica – Montenegro's capital – you can explore old churches, monasteries and bridges. However, it's well worth getting out of the city into nature –tripping to the surreally beautiful Lake Skadar, and bussing it over to the mountainous coastal towns of Budva and Kotor.
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London Heathrow (LHR)
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin could have landed on this list three times over. It frequently popped up month after month among the cheapest options from LHR, LGW and LCY (with the cheapest fare from Gatwick, and City being slightly more expensive).
From LHR specifically, BA flights to the Irish capital started from £48 to £51 over all 12 months. So, a stroll over the 200-year-old Ha'penny Bridge and an afternoon in an Irish pub, touring the Jameson distillery or watching the local sport, hurling, at Croke Park is within easy reach for travellers on a budget.
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Oslo, Norway
A trip to Norway won't break the bank, as return flights from Heathrow start from £54. We spotted that fare and starting prices up to £68 over seven months of the year, with BA and SAS among the airlines offering the lowest prices.
That's a bonus, because it's not the cheapest city to actually visit. Still, you can make the most of the free Vigeland Park, home to 200 sculptures, its many free museums, or enjoy a wander along the harbour. P.S. If you fancy Scandinavian capitals Stockholm and Copenhagen, flights from LHR can be reasonable at certain times of year, with starting prices from £59 and £61, respectively.
Glasgow, Scotland
If you don't fancy the train to Glasgow – a lengthy five hours, 45 minutes – a flight will drop you off in Scotland's cool second city in one hour, 30 minutes. From LHR, you're looking at fares starting from £51 to £68 (with BA), over 11 months of the year.
In Glasgow, you can expect to indulge in great food, shop at independent retailers, enjoy a themed walking tour or two, and explore museums, galleries, its cathedral and the Glasgow Necropolis. We should note that flights to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness had similar return fares over several months of the year, so your options for a Scottish city break from LHR are plentiful. U.K. cities Newcastle and Manchester were also comparable.
Billund, Denmark
For an unexpected Danish trip, we spotted return fares from LHR to Billund starting from £62 to £68 over seven months of the year via BA.
The birthplace of LEGO, you can expect a few LEGO-themed things to do in this Danish town, from the LEGO House museum to LEGOLAND Billund (which, to be fair, Londoners can experience close to home in Windsor). There's also a family-friendly holiday area complete with water park called Lalalandia. Museums, a sculpture park and nearby Engelsholm Castle offer more to see.
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London Stansted (STN)
Nantes, France
The French city of Nantes appeared month after month with cheap fares in our search of Stansted's cheapest destinations, starting from £19 return, rising to £27 (with Ryanair). Naturally, it seems to be cheaper in autumn/winter.
Nantes is the sixth largest city in France, historically part of the Brittany region, and is known for its historic castle Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne, its Old Town and white Muscadet wine. That's a big check mark next to the usual 'things to do' on a European city break – but, somewhat unexpectedly, on the Île de Nantes in the city centre is a huge, mechanical elephant you can ride on.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Flights to Edinburgh from STN start from around £22 (with Ryanair), meaning a visit to Scotland's capital is well within reach in one hour, 20 minutes, a touch faster than the train's average four hours, 50 minutes (and, unless you're really good at nabbing train tickets, probably a bit cheaper).
Here, you can ascend a hilltop to reach the stunning Edinburgh Castle, shop til you drop on Princes Street, drink on The Royal Mile, stop in a cosy café (such as The Elephant House, where JK Rowling wrote some of Harry Potter) or pub, or mosey past the Old Town's stone buildings.
Related: The whisky drinker's guide to Scotland
Toulouse, France
Toulouse is also a good option from STN, with return fares starting from around £19 to £25 (with Ryanair), seen over several months of the year.
The city – France's fourth largest – is sometimes known as La Ville Rose, thanks to its terracotta architecture and peach-hued Neoclassical palace, Place du Capitole. An excellent choice for snap-happy travellers, it's also a wonderful place to visit for art and museums. If you want to explore further, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Medieval citadel Cité de Carcassonne – is one hour, 10 minutes away by car.
London City (LCY)
Luxembourg
The cheapest flight we found from LCY via Skyscanner was to Luxembourg, starting from £78 return (with LUXAIR). Starting fares appeared pretty fixed for this destination on our search, varying from £78 to £81 for 10 months of the year, and at they are cheapest in June, July and October.
Perhaps this petite European country, nestled between Belgium, Germany and France, hasn't topped your travel wish list – but there's plenty to see and do. You fly into LUX, near the capital Luxembourg City, and find there's more to see than you might expect, from the picturesque Grund quarter to Pétrusse Casemates tunnels. Beyond the city, there's Vianden (home to the namesake castle and a Victor Hugo Museum) and the nature-packed 112km Mullerthal hiking trial.
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Rotterdam in The Netherlands makes a great city break – and return fare starting prices from LCY hover around the £110 to £125 mark over 11 months of the year (with KLM or BA).
A major European port city, you'll often find you're near the water while roaming Rotterdam. It's a design enthusiast's dream, too, with its yellow Cube Houses, Erasmus Bridge and striking, dome-like Markthal, housing endless grocery and street food options. The Netherlands has an excellent train network, too, meaning you can easily hop around on day trips. The traditional town of Delft, famed for its blue-and-white china, is less than 15 minutes away by train, while The Hague is just 30 minutes and student city Leiden around 35 minutes. Even the train to Amsterdam is fast at around one hour, 15 minutes.
Geneva, Switzerland
Over nine months of the year, we spotted flights from LCY to Geneva, starting from as low as £87 (flying SWISS). Starting prices did creep up heading into the summer months, up to £113, tending to be cheaper in autumn/winter.
Fortunately, Geneva is lovely in the sun and a suitably wintery place to spend a few days during the colder season. Blessed with beautiful views of the surrounding Alps and Mont Blanc, this pretty Swiss city is also home to the United Nations building, a museum devoted to watchmaker Patek Philippe, its sky-high water fountain – and is famous for its chocolate. One downside if you're on a budget? Geneva is pretty expensive.
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Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amsterdam needs little introduction and is similarly priced to Rotterdam from LCY. We found it popped up with starting prices from £113 to £125 over 11 months of the year, with low fares available flying KLM or BA.
A dizzying mix of glistening canals, peaceful boat rides, purple houses, bustling shopping streets (De 9 Straatjes) and quieter side ones – not to mention all the locals whizzing around on bikes – there's a lot of Amsterdam to take in just walking around it, before you even get to any of the places that make it one of the world's most popular city breaks, including Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Vondelpark and Anne Frank House.
Related: 13 tips for travelling Europe on a budget
London Luton (LTN)
Cork, Ireland
Ireland's second city frequently popped up as we scoured for the cheapest destinations at LTN, with return fares starting from £18 in January, and heading up to £29 (with Ryanair). When prices started climbing slightly in the summertime, Cork was still among the lowest price destinations we could find.
What a relief – because, when you arrive, you'll soon find out you're in the so-called 'food capital of Ireland', and find the contents of your wallet suddenly disappear on countless pub trips, quality restaurants and multiple visits to foodie paradise English Market. Beyond that, a trip to Blarney Castle & Gardens is on order. So is a jaunt across the harbour to Cobh, particularly as the colourful town was the last port of call for the doomed Titanic, as highlighted in the 'Titanic Experience'. Interestingly, both Cork and Cobh offer prison tours – the former of a 19th-century jail called Cork City Gaol and the latter of an ex-island prison called Spike Island.
Krakow, Poland
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Polish city Krakow appeared to be one of LTN's cheaper destinations year-round, excluding July and August. Starting return fares stayed low at £20 to £29 over seven months of the year (flying Wizz Air). Other Polish cities showed several months of low fares, with Poznan, Lublin and Rzeszow showing low starting fares around the £20s mark for various airlines. In January, February and March (post-Christmas market?), Wroclaw proved cheap with starting return fares of £21 to £22.
Krakow is an easy city break option, though. It has a large market square, Rynek Glowny, dating back to the 13th century. There's Wawel Castle, which has a statue of the legendary Wawel Dragon that breathes actual fire, and a cathedral of the same name. A short visit away are the Wieliczka Salt Mines.
Special mention... off-beat Europe
Though not the very cheapest we could find, it's hard not to notice some of the affordable fares for some lesser-known destinations in Europe from LTN.
For March 2023 alone, we spotted return fares for Ljubljana in Slovenia from £32, from £34, Debrecen in Hungary from £35, Pristina in Kosovo from £37, and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina from £35 (often flying with Wizz Air) . Sure, it might be a bit cold or mild, but... London will probably be cold in March, too.
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Prices correct at time of writing. Featured image of Bilbao by LEONARDO DE LA CUESTA/GETTY