$335 Find Cheap Flights from Europe to California

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Europe to California departing on 9/24. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$335
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 8% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 12% increase in price.
Flight from Frankfurt Airport to Las Vegas

Flights from Europe to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Europe to California 
ManyiFlew with British Airways
LHR
-
SFO
Jun 2026
London airport is huge - it took be an hour to transfer from one gate to another gate in the same terminal. Plan accordingly.
DeannaFlew with TAP AIR PORTUGAL
LIS
-
SFO
Jun 2026
Arrive 3 hrs before flight time to allow for new check in process. Facial recognition is now being used.
RobertFlew with French Bee
ORY
-
SFO
Jun 2026
Extra time for the airport, have your devices fully charged.
GabrielaFlew with Scandinavian Airlines
CPH
-
SFO
Jun 2026
Go very early to go through customs. very stressful otherwise. Next time i will give myself 3-4 hours as lines were ridiculously long at Copenhagen airport
RobertaFlew with United Airlines
CDG
-
SFO
Mar 2026
If flying from Paris to SFO, I would recommend if you are not familiar with either terminal to do some research: CDG is very well organized for signage and helpful general customer service. SFO is not as well organized for signs, and the people who work there (at least upon the returning/customs area) don't seem as cheerful. The TSA agents at SFO were super nice to us when we departed! Their French counterparts are not as pleasant - they are really pushing hard to get you through security. So, again, familiarize yourself as much as possible with the different systems to herd you through to your plane and getting in and out of the terminals, and you will probably have a better experience. I recommend looking at online videos and terminal maps, along with transportation options.
Verified travelerFlew with Aer Lingus
DUB
-
LAX
Apr 2026
If continuing from LAX on SkyWest, be prepared for a long walk followed by a bus transfer, and get your necessities before you leave the main terminal areas.
Verified travelerFlew with Lufthansa
MUC
-
SFO
May 2026
I didn’t receive email with the reminder to check in 24 hours before the flight. It would be helpful to get reminders to check in and emails with info/updates with the gate number. I do appreciate emails confirming that the luggage was dropped off. It’s disappointing that it’s impossible to choose a seat without having to pay a free. The check on luggage free is quite high too. It’s Unfortunate airlines charge to check in a luggage.
JanieFlew with SWISS
ZRH
-
SFO
Jan 2026
If you need to do an overnight layover, Grand Hyatt at SFO is perfect and has a 24 hour cafe!
ShengFlew with Aer Lingus
DUB
-
LAX
Jan 2026
Aer Lingus agent booked us a 1-stop reservation via Air Canada to replace our original 2nd leg flight to LAX. I was surprised to discover the new trip only has the 2nd part in the Air Canada system, 1 day before the departure time. I spoke to the ticketing agent again, who really made her efforts to confirm a new reservation for our big group of travelers. I was not happy about the surprise, which can be of a very rare situation, while at the same time I do appreciate the agent's effort to help us get back home ASAP. Lesson learned: even with a printed itinerary, you still need to double check on the carrier website to be sure.
AntonFlew with United Airlines
LHR
-
SFO
Feb 2026
United has a cool arrival lounge in london but it is a bit hard to find, after customs look left
ZeynepFlew with Scandinavian Airlines
CPH
-
SFO
Dec 2025
The lines are long. Make sure to get there at the recommended time
Verified travelerFlew with ITA Airways
FCO
-
LAX
Jan 2026
Be prepared for unintentional mistakes and rudeness due to the language barrier. If you’re on the taller, broader side, there will be 13 hours of discomfort with smaller seating and very tight bathrooms. The food is unsatisfactory so bring supplements.
PeteFlew with ITA Airways
FCO
-
SFO
Nov 2025
“Comfort economy” is worth it. Noise cancelling headphones/earbuds are important, along with an eye mask.
Verified travelerFlew with Iberia
MAD
-
LAX
Jun 2025
Arrive early to the airport, it takes a long time to check in and reach the boarding gates
MichelleFlew with Aer Lingus
DUB
-
SFO
May 2025
Make sure you arrive well ahead of the flight. We were lucky that security lines were pretty short but they could be very long and you do US customs and security in Dublin.
PatrickFlew with Lufthansa
MUC
-
LAX
May 2025
Arrive early. There are a lot of flights and a lot of steps before getting to your gate.
IanFlew with Iberia
BCN
-
LAX
Jan 2025
Be aware that checked in bags are EUR70 per bag. You can board the plane via stairs either at the front or back. I thought the experience was ok a 13 hour flight
Verified travelerFlew with SWISS
ZRH
-
LAX
Dec 2024
Don't pack too much, as the carry-on back size is smaller than most other airlines.
AlastairFlew with British Airways
LHR
-
SFO
Feb 2025
Make sure your free checked luggage is for outward and return flights.
Verified travelerFlew with British Airways
LHR
-
SAN
Sep 2024
Flight overall is good. Service is very good. Bring yourself some snacks, in case the food isn’t up to your taste.
Verified travelerFlew with SWISS
ZRH
-
LAX
Sep 2024
Have Swiss app it keeps you updated pretty instantly of any delays or gate changes
MeganFlew with Iberia
LHR
-
LAX
Sep 2024
Pack light and know you can always get stuff when you land.
NinaFlew with Aer Lingus
DUB
-
SFO
Nov 2024
Make sure you include extra time to pass through US Border Control if you’re flying to the US! Also Aer Lingus bag drop closes 75 mins before flight departure for long haul so bear that in mind!
Verified travelerFlew with United Airlines
LHR
-
SFO
Sep 2024
Download all your music. Add shows and movies to your queue. Bring short so you can relax. Bring long charger cords.
PGFlew with Condor
FRA
-
LAX
Oct 2024
Make sure you have plenty of time to get through the Frankfurt Airport if you are flying internationally.
MajFlew with Scandinavian Airlines
CPH
-
LAX
Sep 2024
Bring snacks! Other than the 2x international meals, everything else is for purchase.
SunnyFlew with Turkish Airlines
IST
-
SFO
Nov 2024
Turkish lounge is so good, however receptionists are anything but receptive: they were inattentive and rude x 4 Airport is very large for a tight international transfer if inbound flight is 30 min late
Verified travelerFlew with United Airlines
AMS
-
SFO
Jul 2024
Fly either Business class or Premium Plus. Realize Business is unaffordable for most but Premium Plus is worth the extra fee.
SimonFlew with British Airways
LHR
-
LAX
Jun 2024
If flying business class I’d research which cabin your aircraft operates. BA have some old business class on the 380 and new business class on the 777. (And 350). The new cabin is so much better. But the food just isn’t as good as it used to be
AmirFlew with TAP AIR PORTUGAL
LIS
-
SFO
Jul 2024
For any flight that's part of a Multi-City flight plan, don't miss it. Otherwise, all your remaining flights on that plan will be terminated.
KaraFlew with Scandinavian Airlines
CPH
-
LAX
Aug 2024
Make sure you request food restrictions! Otherwise they will make you purchase if you are unable to eat their free meal
GzimFlew with Lufthansa
MUC
-
SAN
Aug 2024
Buy your own food, choose seating where you have your own row or someone your flying with.
AmrFlew with United Airlines
MUC
-
LAX
Aug 2024
Boarding takes long time and traveling from T2 is far away from T1
Verified travelerFlew with American Airlines
LHR
-
SFO
Mar 2024
Heathrow is vast, allow plenty of time to drop bags and go through security. At San Francisco the immigration takes a bit of time and we had to wait around 1.5hrs, bare this in mind when booking car rental. The is a shuttle train from the airport to the car rental area which is very slick and efficient.
HenryFlew with United Airlines
FRA
-
SFO
Apr 2024
connection took much longer than I expected; need 20 minutes between taking a shuttle bus and pass through custom before you get on your flight
Ana-MariaFlew with Iberia
LHR
-
SFO
Mar 2024
In London triple check your flight they have multiple leaving for the same destination once - it is easy to get them confused
Verified travelerFlew with British Airways
MAD
-
SFO
May 2024
Terminal 4 in Madrid is not well signed to tell where passengers need to go after each step. Planes are far from the Terminal. Baggage check in is slow.
RubenFlew with Air Tahiti Nui
CDG
-
LAX
Jan 2024
Fly this airline. Get to LAX early. 4 hrs. Its jyst enough time.

FAQs for booking flights from Europe to California

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Europe to California?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Europe to California.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Europe to California?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Europe to California is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Europe to California?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly from Europe to California with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Europe to California?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from Europe to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines fly most frequently to California?

    Europe and California are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are United Airlines (161 flights per week), Lufthansa (145 flights per week), and Air France (122 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in California?

    There are 29 airports in California. The busiest airport is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with 40% of all flights arriving there.

  • Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in California?

    Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in California is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with an average flight price of $820.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Thursday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $972. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Wednesday, where round-trip prices are $1,048 on average.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to California?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally in the afternoon, when round-trip flights cost $1,005 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,005.

  • What is the cheapest flight to California?

    The cheapest ticket to California from Europe found in the last 5 days was to Los Angeles, at $368 round-trip. The most popular route is Amsterdam (AMS) to Los Angeles (LAX) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $368.

  • What is the cheapest month to fly from Europe to California?

    The cheapest month for flights from Europe to California is September, when tickets cost $621 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and January, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $844 and $773 respectively.

  • How far in advance should I book a flight from Europe to California?

    To get a below average price on the flight from Europe to California, you should book around 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 24% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 26 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to California?

    From Europe, there are direct flights to California from 17 cities. The city with the most direct flights is London, with 790 direct flights each week.

  • How many direct flights to California are there each day?

    There are around 294 direct flights from within Europe to California every day. Most flights (48%) depart in the morning.

  • How many direct flights to California are there each week?

    Each week there are around 2,058 direct flights from within Europe to California. The most common day for departures is Friday, with 15% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to California?

    An average nonstop flight from Europe to California takes 13h 07m, covering a distance of 5712 miles. The shortest route is Amsterdam (AMS) to Las Vegas (LAS) with an average flight time of 10h 40m.

  • How many long-haul flights are there to California each week?

    There are not any medium-haul (3-6 hour flight duration) or short-haul (up to 3 hour flight duration) flights to California. Instead, there are 2,058 long-haul flights (6-12 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from London.

  • What are the most popular destinations in California?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Los Angeles (53% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are San Francisco (20%) and Las Vegas (12%). Searches for flights to Ontario (8%), to Burbank (4%) and to John Wayne (Santa Ana) (2%) are also popular.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Europe to California

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Europe to California? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.4
Turkish AirlinesOverall score based on 4424 reviews
7.8Crew
7.5Entertainment
7.5Food
7.3Comfort
7.3Boarding
Airline reviews

Nice, it was nice to have a free night's stay because our layover was over 18 hours.

8.0 ExcellentBetty, Jun 2026
IST - SFO
Read more Turkish Airlines reviews

Nice, it was nice to have a free night's stay because our layover was over 18 hours.

Some of the best service I’ve ever seen on an international flight! The staff were super friendly and accommodating. The food was excellent with lots of choices and attention to detail. The seats are kind of old and narrow, but I have wide shoulders. The only area for improvement was making the cabin a little cooler.

It was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. It’s comfortable the flight attendant. Respect you anything you ask for they gave you except the water.

Extremely bad BAD BAD BAD. NEVER TURKISH AIRLINES EVER AGAIN..PIRATES COMPANY.

The staff at the boarding or the rudest uninformative and no English whatsoever they’re very rude as if they are envious of you travelling I don’t understand how could someone would be this rude and this out of touch and cold

You charged me for luggage although the airline does not- you charged me for seat when customers can pick their own seat at checkout in I travel to Europe slot and I will not use kayak again

To be prepared for being treated with disrespect by the ground crew.

Seats too much and for the price we paid eve thought economy we still had to pay $169 to check a ba that’s ridiculous and also my daughter needed water so she can take her medicine we push the boton for the attendant to get us water they never came we push it 3 times no one came and ask what we needed . Am not happy with the service at all I will not fly with TK anymore

Small seat space for 13 hours flight, they charged for baggage , very bad quality of food,

I was sitting almost in the back, the seats are very tight and there’s no legroom, it’s uncomfortable for a long distance

Since our earlier flight was delayed, we missed this flight and were rerouted on Lufthansa 2 days later.

Scandinavian Airlines is terrible. Flight was late. Lost luggage. Rude flight attendants. Terrible experience.

Ancient aircraft (busted armrests, poor cabin temperature with no option for passenger control). Garbage everywhere. Risible checking of safely conditions on landing. Also, late.

Cut out the nickel and dime pricing for "seat selection" and baggage, To do this on an international flight is just mind boggling. Seriously, why treat customers this way??? Nobody wants these hidden extra fees and everybody hates them. Also plane was too warm and no air vent, and water dripped from the ceiling at one point,

Scandinavian was perfect. Nice A350 with an on time departure and an an experienced crew. What a difference from TAP.

The staff were great, the food was good. I just hate being crammed in a tuna can for 10 hours cause I can’t afford a better seat.

The seats have no legroom. I was bruised on my knees for having them pressed up against the seat in front of me. Then I got food poisoning from the special meal I ordered. Pretty horrible all around.

Maybe more diverse entertainment. Although the inflight cameras were amazing 10/10

Got delayed, we missed our connection because of this and were stranded for hours in Los Angeles with no way to go home. Don't fly Scandinavian Airlines!!

Food is pathetic, and the crew is rude. Not friendly like all other airline carriers.

United has been holding my money for a cancel on another ticket they wouldn’t let me fly for going on 5 months. Terrible service I wouldn’t choose to buy tickets or fly with united again. Very bad experience generally dishonorable and poor service .

The flight got delayed. They forgot to bring the drinks when I asked for it. The toilet is messy.

This was an overnight flight, and in the morning they did know coffee service. How you can throw passengers in a San Francisco airport at 5:40 a.m. in the morning and not giving them Coffee is a crime.

Our flight was delayed several Times due to mechanical issues. Although I understand this may happen at times, it was very inconvenient and we had to book a hotel for an overnight stay. We were traveling with my 3-yo grandson and waiting at the airport from noon until 6:30pm with no reassurance that our next rescheduled flight would depart, we had to decide what’s best for him. A day later, I found out that I may be able to demand compensation if my flight is delayed more than 4 hours. I will hav to read the fine print next time.

Service was professional and quick. Premium economy seat was comfortable given the class

Like: departed and arrived on time. Unlike: Food options for purchase allways bad, 1 of 2 of the crew members not very friendly at all. Seats and leg room aweful. At this point I am thinking on switching to AA.

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly at all times! They went above and beyond to get us into an earlier flight in San Diego to make our connection in SFO possible, because our original flight did actually not make it! I did so much appreciate the UA team and how they made this possible. We also didn’t have seats together on the long flight to Singapore, but they found us seats together last moment with no additional cost! Nobody sat next to us, so that we were able to sleep! Thanks to UA for improving their service and Underpricer for booking this trip! Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future

Crew was great! Good meals. Had room to stretch out

Packed flight, which makes it tough on crew and boarding staff (and the customers of course). But this was great boarding, clear instructions, etc. Traveling on the weekends are always fraught with danger as you have families and less frequent flyers thus more confusion. But this flight went as planned.

Destroyed my suitcase. Tired of talking about it. Cancelling my unite mileage plus account.

The flight attendants were wonderful - one man put my carry on in the bin for me. Very attentive service. Loved the blanket and pillow waiting for me in economy. Food was excellent which is a surprise given the reputation of any airline food. Wine was fine with the meals. Delighted with the new movies - flight went by very quickly. I would definitely fly Lufthansa again.

Generally good. Not their fault but the design of the Boeing 747 had seating supports directly in line with my legs. So my legs always had to straddle this support which caused body misallignment. Such poor design from Boeing. There was no USB port for me to charge my phone. The screen touch control was very poor.

Patrick and the whole crew were amazing! Hope to have this team for all my European trips.

Smooth flight with enough time for connection. Ran out of meal options. In-flight and gate staff were friendly and helpful. Good service overall.

They don’t give information on why a flight is delayed in a timely manner. Very frustrating.

The plane (Mitsubishi CRJ) felt old, creaking and not very new. The crew was okay. Hot water provision was broken so hot beverages could't be served.

Best flight attendants ever! Very customer and service oriented, courteous, professional and helpful.

Never happened. Flight was delayed. Had to be re rojyed

Lufthansa is my favorite airline and have flown oversea with them for the past 25 years: i always found them so professional and incredibly efficient from checking in to arrival. I also love their Munich or Frankfurt airports.

We paid for business class, and my seat did not work at all. Each time I wanted to adjust the position, an attendant had to come to physically force the seat into its new position. They tried to fix it by fiddling with the electronics (military reset, for example), to no avail. Also, the food was just mediocre. We were at the end of a serving section, so they ran out of several choices. (This was on the flight from Los Angeles to Munich.)

Generally very good. I think their service is better than some other big names I used to travel with. Their food variety is second to none - and you can place order beforehand. Their seating design is a bit awkward for service, I'd say. Flight attendants must be tall enough - long legs and arms - to reach the window seat passenger while crossing over the isle passenger. Also appreciated the variety on entertainment.

Lovely big plane. Excellent take off and landing. Cabin crew were so nice. Flight in time no delays

Los Angeles to London. 25th of April 2026. Business class. I was flying backwards with a complete stranger snoring next to me. In Business class. Males and females, strangers lying next to each other. Seats were backwards. I paid for comfort. I got dizziness and stress.

The crew has always been great on BA. They are very friendly and accommodating. I like that they have vegetarian options already in the menu. And the free wine is a nice perk.) I noticed (both directions of my trip) minor upgrades/ replacements needed on the plane itself (touch screen didn't work with touch; bathroom light didn't go on). However, this is one of my favorite airlines.

There was a delay for the San Francisco-London flight, but we were all informed via text and email. The staff was very friendly and nice and the food was good. I do recommend that the airline offer something without eggs or something vegan for the vegetarian meal option. A lot of Indians are lacto-vegetarian, while some could be allergic to eggs/dairy.

Crew were nice, food was good. Boarding was horrendous. We were driven around the airport in a bus forced to climb a long flight of very steep stairs with no adequate handrails to board the plane . In many many years of flying to the US I have never been required to do this . There was no assistance for those needing help getting up the stairs to the plane. A fellow passenger helped me. No idea how other elderly, physically limited passengers or those with young children managed . It was a full flight with crowds trying to get up the stairs. It was an accident waiting to happen.

Horrible, the plane is just old and junky...Filthy restroom, seat was as hard as rock. The food, mystery side dish, inedible..geez..just Horrible. Never flying BA again

the service on Business class should be improved to be at par with industry leaders like Cathay Pacific and Singapore AIrlines. A lot of room for improvement.

Entertainment devices on A380 need to be fixed, the seats might do with updates.

Check-in and boarding were great. On flight staff were rude and disrespectful. Paid for extra room and found it incredibly cramped. Bathrooms kept in poor condition. Overall negative experience.

Everything you need to know for your flight to California

Cabin class types available on flights to Europe

Cabin classes available on flights to Europe. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.