$375 Find Cheap Flights from Europe to California

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Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$375
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 6% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 18% increase in price.
Flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Los Angeles

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

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Europe to California 
Verified travelerFlew with IberiaMAD-LAXJun 2025
Arrive early to the airport, it takes a long time to check in and reach the boarding gates
MichelleFlew with Aer LingusDUB-SFOMay 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 LufthansaMUC-LAXMay 2025
Arrive early. There are a lot of flights and a lot of steps before getting to your gate.
IanFlew with IberiaBCN-LAXJan 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 SWISSZRH-LAXDec 2024
Don't pack too much, as the carry-on back size is smaller than most other airlines.
AlastairFlew with British AirwaysLHR-SFOFeb 2025
Make sure your free checked luggage is for outward and return flights.
Verified travelerFlew with British AirwaysLHR-SANSep 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 SWISSZRH-LAXSep 2024
Have Swiss app it keeps you updated pretty instantly of any delays or gate changes
MeganFlew with IberiaLHR-LAXSep 2024
Pack light and know you can always get stuff when you land.
NinaFlew with Aer LingusDUB-SFONov 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 AirlinesLHR-SFOSep 2024
Download all your music. Add shows and movies to your queue. Bring short so you can relax. Bring long charger cords.
PGFlew with CondorFRA-LAXOct 2024
Make sure you have plenty of time to get through the Frankfurt Airport if you are flying internationally.
MajFlew with Scandinavian AirlinesCPH-LAXSep 2024
Bring snacks! Other than the 2x international meals, everything else is for purchase.
SunnyFlew with Turkish AirlinesIST-SFONov 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 AirlinesAMS-SFOJul 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 AirwaysLHR-LAXJun 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 PORTUGALLIS-SFOJul 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 AirlinesCPH-LAXAug 2024
Make sure you request food restrictions! Otherwise they will make you purchase if you are unable to eat their free meal
GzimFlew with LufthansaMUC-SANAug 2024
Buy your own food, choose seating where you have your own row or someone your flying with.
AmrFlew with United AirlinesMUC-LAXAug 2024
Boarding takes long time and traveling from T2 is far away from T1
Verified travelerFlew with American AirlinesLHR-SFOMar 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 AirlinesFRA-SFOApr 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 IberiaLHR-SFOMar 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 AirwaysMAD-SFOMay 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.
Verified travelerFlew with Air Tahiti NuiCDG-LAXJan 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 (229 flights per week), Lufthansa (193 flights per week), and Air New Zealand (155 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in California?

    There are 28 airports in California. The busiest airport is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with 39% 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 $620.

  • 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 $799. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $963 on average.

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

    The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $650 on average. Morning departures are around 100% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $905.

  • What is the cheapest flight to California?

    The cheapest ticket to California from Europe found in the last 72 hours 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 72 hours was $368.

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

    The cheapest month for flights from Europe to California is February, when tickets cost $634 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and August, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,049 and $949 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 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 29% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 7 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to California?

    From Europe, there are direct flights to California from 15 cities. The city with the most direct flights is London, with 1,198 direct flights each week.

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

    There are around 399 direct flights from within Europe to California every day. Most flights (50%) depart in the afternoon.

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

    Each week there are around 2,793 direct flights from within Europe to California. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 17% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to California?

    An average nonstop flight from Europe to California takes 14h 22m, covering a distance of 5674 miles. The shortest route is London Heathrow Airport (LHR) 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 2,793 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 (42% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are San Francisco (20%) and Las Vegas (11%). Searches for flights to Ontario (9%), to Santa Ana (4%) and to Oakland (4%) 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
Scandinavian AirlinesOverall score based on 1543 reviews
6.6Food
6.6Entertainment
7.6Boarding
7.3Comfort
8.0Crew
Airline reviews

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

10.0 ExcellentKokopelli’s dad, Oct 2025CPH - LAX
Read more Scandinavian Airlines reviews

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 Scandinavian flight was excellent, however the second flight was partnered with TAP Portugal which was not so good. crowded gate area with no chairs, delayed flight, bad boarding process, no entertainment system onboard, and the baggage didn’t get to the carousel until well over an hour which caused our taxi that was waiting to leave. Love SAS, hate TAP.

Really like this airline. Best food for airlines and comfortable seats and attentive staff. Delay was due to air traffic.

1) SAS sent me emails that i could check in but that was just a waste of time because traveling to the us i actually had to check-in at the airport. 2) SAS evidently does not care about vegetarians as it does not offer regular veggie alternatives in the transcontinental flights.

Only one choice for meal seats had no leg room

Service, food was outstanding. They make every effort to make sure that your long flight is as comfortable as possible. The only reason I did not rate them excellent is the way they handled our cancelled flight. They were great about re-booking except for the hotel. A communication breakdown ensued regarding who was booking the hotel for our overnight stay: the city where the flight was cancelled or the city where we were going to lay over for the night. In the end, neither of them did, so we ended up doing it ourselves and were extremely lucky to get a room at all. Given that, I still would not hesitate to fly with them anytime.

I paid extra for our seats on the way coming back from Stockholm to New York the seats were changed and it was totally waved. This happened to three more passengers.

I do not have a problem with the airline but both my two suitcases that were supposed to go from Hawaii to Copenhagen didn’t get on the plane in Seattle. I arrive on Monday the 21st at 10:30 in the morning. I did not get my two suitcases before Friday late afternoon that is unacceptable.

Love thiscsirlibe. So civilized and kind. Good food. Good treatment. On time. Excellent communication.

Flight from Rome to SFO was excellent compared To our flight to Europe from SFO. The food was much tastier. You can see how UNITED is skimping, though. Instead of getting something mid flight you had to ask for it. It was not automatically served. There was a cookie at the end of the arrival meal, for example that tasted like it just came out of a box. They used to serve a little container of nuts, now … a tiny container of nuts, mixed with pretzels. This was business class that you really have to pay for! But this is minor complaints compared to the overall. My major complaint is the position of the even numbered seats by the windows. You have to turn around to see your window & the positioning as some other controls are harder to get at. This is compared to the odd number seat that are perfectly aligned.

The food quality sucks. One must starve if they do not eat flesh Or wheat based products Some variety would be expected. The trivial amount of snacks and or food is inhumane

Flight was timely, relatively comfortable, with decent entertainment and food served. Only problem encountered was with the free messaging which I highly appreciate, but it did not work from iphone to non-iphones.

The internet service I paid for didn’t work at all and the flight crew was not very friendly.

Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.

Check in was quick and easy during early hours. Flight was on time, and customer services was a plus.

I understand that the food on the airplane wouldn’t be fantastic. However, it wasn’t good at all. 😭

The flight was comfortable with the exit row and great service

Plane was crowded and even when we hit altitude, the plane was hot, not enough air flow.

1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!

Food is very turkish. No regard for other natinalities taste and preference. The entertainment can be improved- it was the same menu on 10/8/25 and 10/25/25. The boarding is the worst in the airline industry- I suggest you ask your staff to and watch how other airlines do it.

The best airline for international travel in terms of value you get in business class (service/cost)

I liked the overall flight experience. However, Turkish officials could do a better job at guiding non-Turkish speakers to their connecting flight gates in such a huge & vast airport.

Very small and cramped aisles and seats. Food was poor but the fresh hot roll and hummus was good. No cans of soda given but they had small bottles of water. Crew was nice and pleasant and kept bathroom clean.

We couldn’t fly to Chicago on our booked flight. The flight was overbooked.

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

Absolute worst airline. Charged us $720 to check 4 bags (2 of which were carry-on). Entertainment systems didnt work. And on a 12 hour flight they served 2 meals and never once came around outside of those 2 meals with a beverage or cup of water. Will never fly them again.

Took forever to board. They made announcements without the loudspeaker and since the waiting room was full of screaming kids, no one could hear what they were saying. The business class sleeper seats were designed for tall skinny people. When partially reclined there was nowhere to rest my feet because they did not reach the footrest. and when fully reclined there wasn't room at my sides for my arms. Definitely one of the worst sleeper seats I have ever had.

About an hour delay but we made it to Chicago. I feel that the smaller connecting flights are the ones that cause the delays on the bigger planes that fly international.

The seat space seemed small especially when the person ahead reclined but other than that, very good.

Luggage transfer in Chicago was not performed in time. I received my luggage at my destination two days later.

Give yourself over 2+ hours layover because if flight is slighlty delayed and you miss your connection, Lufthansa will do nothing for you

We would have missed our connection from Munich to Boston but we had a van outside the plan that wisked us to our terminal. Much appreciated and we didn’t even realize that Lufthansa had done this until the announcement on disembarkation. Well organized airline! Will definitely fly Lufthansa again!!!

Everything went well. I will fly with Lufthansa again. And use Kayak whenever I book flights

Bought a seat in a flight that got changed out so ended up paying for a seat I would have had if I hadn't paid.

Food was poor quality and the screens for entertainment didn’t work properly

Food was much better than my outbound flight. On-time. Good service. I had a problem with my entertainment screen, but the attendant fixed it promptly.

I think they overbooked Frankfurt to New York and bumped me off. This changed my return travel I arrived home about 4 hours late. Almost 24 total travel time Totally unacceptable Would not travel with United

United lost my travel information and canceled my original flight. I had a seat assignment but was refused the booking. I had to prove that I went to Germany on United Very concerned about security that no one recorded my passport from Cleveland to NY and NY to Frankfurt I arrived at home at 12:30am on Saturday instead of 8pm I expect a full refund from United Please provide information to assure compensation

Unfortunately, my flight was cancelled because of some sort of emergency over the Atlantic and had to return to London. While I think British Airways made every effort to mitigate the situation, I must say it was still pretty unpleasant. I do appreciate the fact, however, that British Airways put my safety first…and I think the effort to correct a bad situation was very sincere. But I think the process might be handled better in future.

Crew service was poor and very little difference between premium economy and economy. Disappointed.

My bags never made it on the flight and I now have to wait for them to arrive hopefully tomorrow. You can’t even track your bags in the app to see where they are since they didn’t arrive. You have to file a claim and then wait for them to inform you when you will receive your bag. We were already delayed for an hour due to baggage so I don’t understand how my bag didn’t make the flight.

One of the worst experience given the middle seat even asked for the change no one honored,boarded at the end and overall one of the worst experience

It was good although our flight to the UK was cancelled and rescheduled for two days later. This was after we were already seated on the plane. We missed the first leg of our trip. BA did put us up at a hotel and paid for our meals but we lost our hotel costs in Glasgow.

The crew was very nice and pleasant. We were very reluctant to book our flight with British Airlines because we had bad experience with their flight attendants on the previous trips, they were rude and not helpful.

I am a 25+ years American Airlines member. British Airways is simply above and beyond in every customer satisfaction category.

The seat pads are past there sell by date now and are uncomfotable. Also, with screens in the back of the seat, the seats shouldnt be able to recline as this puts rhe screen in your face.

1. The website didn’t allow me to checkin from London as I have Bangladesh passport with US permanent resident card. This pushed me to sit with my wife in the middle of two aisle seats, terrible experience! 2. BA should allow within 24 hours to checkin with other passport holders to choose better seats. A 2nd verification of travel documents can be done at the desk about immigration status. 3. Food options were poor for vegetarian passengers, try to introduce healthy options avoiding carb-dense food ingredients.

Cabin crew lovely and accommodating and I'll always fly BA in the future

Everything you need to know for your flight to California

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