Is there a different method to reach your destination aside from the most straightforward path? Can you locate an affordable flight to a nearby location instead by utilizing a different airport?
Frequently, the answer is affirmative, and it can save you a considerable amount of money if you are somewhat adaptable.
I employ this strategy multiple times each year and it greatly reduces my expenses. During my trip to Europe last year, my initial intention was to visit Berlin, Prague, and Budapest first. However, I flew into Amsterdam because United was offering a fantastic promotion using frequent flyer miles. A few nights later, we took a train. On our return, we flew from Madrid rather than Barcelona, which saved us $200 each on the return flight.
The previous year, we concluded our journey in the Czech Republic but did not depart from Prague. Instead, we took a train to Munich to head back home because we found a significantly cheaper flight from there.
However, options like this are not exclusive to Europe. I have employed comparable tactics to secure lower fares to Asia, South America, and back to Mexico. In the USA, discovering an alternative airport can lead to substantial savings if you’re traveling to the correct city. NYC boasts three airports along with Philadelphia being relatively close. Chicago has two plus additional nearby options. D.C. features three airports all accessible now via train or metro.
Only a Few Countries Have a Unique Flight Alternative
If you wish to visit Antigua in Guatemala, you must first arrive in Guatemala City. For Las Vegas, it’s not very sensible to explore other airport options. The only way to reach the Galapagos Islands is via Quito or Guayaquil. But in many other locations, alternative airports are available, so don’t lose hope if the obvious option is pricey. Be inventive, and you might discover another budget-friendly flight choice.
When conversing with fellow travelers, particularly those who opt for brief getaways instead of extended voyages, I frequently encounter a peculiar mental block. They perceive a destination as being defined by the airport location, struggling to comprehend that traveling elsewhere is easily achievable—without being part of an organized tour.
I often state, “You can book a cheap flight to Cancun, and then simply take a bus or the Maya Train to Merida.”
“Whaaaatt?! How would I manage that?!” is a common response, as if I’ve just suggested navigating a massive obstacle course filled with crocodiles.
I’ve heard individuals express they haven’t traveled to Place X due to expensive flights yet could fly to a city two hours away in another country for hundreds of dollars less and simply cross over. They just can’t connect the dots.
Overland Transit Information Is at Your Fingertips
I found this mindset peculiar when guidebooks contained all the necessary information, but I find it even more baffling now that a correctly phrased search can yield instructions in a few clicks. Websites/apps like Rome2Rio and 12Go have already done the legwork for you.
Of course, you might need to catch a taxi to a bus station, or navigate to the shuttle counter at the airport, but it’s more like reaching level 3 of Candy Crush, not solving a calculus problem.
Savvy long-term travelers understand to always “look for the second right answer,” as Roger Van Oech remarked in his classic creativity book A Whack on the Side of the Head. Simply because you book a low-cost flight on Kayak to the busy San Jose del Cabo airport doesn’t mean you must spend your holiday in pricey Los Cabos. You can catch a bus at 4:00 and be enjoying a sunset drink in La Paz a few hours later.
The following morning, you could be swimming with whale sharks or participating in a similar excursion:
Finding an economical flight to Cancun doesn’t mean you have to linger in Cancun for more than an hour. Take the airport bus to the downtown station or the complimentary shuttle to the Maya Train station, and you can set off on your own adventure to somewhere extraordinary.
The train will carry you all the way to Bacalar or Palenque if you’re feeling adventurous. Additionally, prices in those other destinations will also be more budget-friendly. Indeed, you could even take a domestic flight from a different terminal and travel virtually anywhere else in Mexico for a low price on one of the Mexican domestic airlines.
If you’re fortunate enough to reside in Europe, you have some incredibly cheap flight options available. I checked Google Flights for a month from now, and here are just a few of the one-way choices from London, in U.S. dollars.
Dublin ($20)
Edinburgh ($22)
Prague ($32)
Vienna ($32)
Krakow ($59)
Madeira ($89)
Vilnius ($44)
Kos