$335 Find Cheap Flights from Europe to California

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Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$335
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 3% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 12% increase in price.
Flight from Frankfurt 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 
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.
Verified travelerFlew 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 (94 flights per week), Delta (80 flights per week), and Air France (79 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 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 San Diego Airport (SAN), with an average flight price of $664.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Wednesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $886. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Tuesday, where round-trip prices are $1,039 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 $978 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 $1,039.

  • What is the cheapest flight to California?

    The cheapest ticket to California from Europe found in the last 72 hours was to San Francisco, at $389 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 $410.

  • 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 $806 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and August, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,072 and $977 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 26% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 19 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 626 direct flights each week.

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

    There are around 198 direct flights from within Europe to California every day. Most flights (52%) depart in the morning.

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

    Each week there are around 1,385 direct flights from within Europe to California. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 16% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to California?

    An average nonstop flight from Europe to California takes 13h 18m, covering a distance of 5670 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 1,385 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 (46% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are San Francisco (22%) and Las Vegas (12%). Searches for flights to Ontario (8%), to Santa Ana (4%) and to San Jose (3%) 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
United AirlinesOverall score based on 9281 reviews
7.7Boarding
8.1Crew
7.1Entertainment
6.6Food
7.3Comfort
Airline reviews

The power at the seat didn't work and the seat itself was difficult to adjust - this was a business class seat. Flight attendant gave me miles to compensate. The attendant was very professional and on top of his game the entire flight.

10.0 ExcellentBill, Feb 2026
IAH - LAX
Read more United Airlines reviews

The power at the seat didn't work and the seat itself was difficult to adjust - this was a business class seat. Flight attendant gave me miles to compensate. The attendant was very professional and on top of his game the entire flight.

the whole trip was smooth, and as comfortable as flying is these days. flight crew was friendly and very courteous and helpful.

Very poor. The flight was delayed from Toronto because some forget to do there job . I got to my connecting gate in San Francisco 10 minutes before the departure.but this didn’t let me board even though the flight was still there for an other 30 minutes. The the gentleman at the unite airline desk told me that they usually wait for passengers but air Canada called and told them not to we I been rerouted to Manila instead of Hong Kong . In San Francisco they mad me check in my carryon bag . I was told the it will directly go yo ho chi minn cuyt but I was told that by the Vietnams airline desk that’s not there I’m 10 hours behind my scheduled flight and looks like I I’m going without baggage. I don’t have a chance of catching ..

First class ticket gets you a choice of chips or nuts. . Just like economy Southwest. Also no screen in the seats. This is first class???!

Flight arrived 30 min early and bag was waiting at the baggage pickup. United Club HNL was one of the nicest in the system

Mean flight attendant. I wanted to reuse my plastic cup, but he (Matthew) said he can't for safety. I then said "I don't want water then" and he poured me a glass. I hope Matthew gets herpes and spends the rest of his life poor, lonely, and homeless.

Yet another flight in which beverage and snack service was skipped. Other that that, firmly mediocre. Landed early, to gate late due to congestion at the gates. Airline's fault or airports fault: unknown.

Both flights delayed. 2nd flight over 3 hours late mechanical issues

Flight was delayed 45 minutes because originating flight was coming from Newark. No complimentary snacks were offered on this 5+ hour flight. No screens for the flight, but movies offered if you had already downloaded the United app (which I hadn't on my ipad). No USB ports, only a flimsy plug-in port near the bottom of the seat that was hard to see and kept coming unplugged.

It was good but only meal served is very less. Meantime good to add rice and chicken in one of meal

Very hot cabin made long flight uncomfortable, even in business class! Food was great. Istanbul business lounge had great food but too few bathrooms and seating . They also need more electric outlets for charging devices. Appreciate the ability to go through fast track lines w business class

The crew on this flight provided exceptional business class service to me.

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

They oversold the tickets by one which was my ticket so I didn’t have a ticket till last second

Not good. I was supposed to be in Mint but got in economy class

Requested food options were always finished. Supplied food items were good but of course not the desired choices.

The airport staff never announced that boarding has started. Both at iad or Islamabad or Istanbul.

Very bad experience with turkish airline tk 0001. Very uncomfortable seats and food ran out and crew was not helpful

The airline could improve its business class seats and privacy in line with its competitors.

I wish they have given us explanations for the delays. And the rebooking process in Copenhagen was too long. I had to wait about 4 hours before they assign me a hotel. From there the handling process (accommodation, transportation and meal) was excellent.

Our trip plan from Kayak stated we were flying SAS. That was not true. The first leg was a Delta flight. We wasted 25 minutes before finding out to check in with the correct airline. Then our SAS flight for the second leg arrived 25 minutes late, and our third leg flight with SAS closed the gate knowing the flight delay was SAS’s fault, and that this flight would only be backed up 5 minutes. The final kicker was that between Delta and SAS, they lost all our checked luggage.

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.

The flight was very cold, and the seats were rather uncomfortable. The food has been better on our other SAS experiences. Most significantly, the luggage with most of my wife's personal items and clothes didn't make the flight. Hoping for a quick resolution, but no real opportunity to speak with a Human has us concerned.

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

Amazing! Everyone was so nice and the food was so good!!

Feels like economy sits are getting smaller especially while eating food

I was surprised how good an American airline can be - I was really impressed.

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,

Excellent service; they helped me reschedule so I can fly in an earlier flight

Wonderful staff. The boarding process can be improved a little better by adequate prior communication but all in all they did fine. However the boarding gate was quite unfreindly to elderly and who needs help with sevral stairs.

Flight map did not work. Crew was great, food was good, plane took off on time and landed early. That's all I can ask.

I had a good comfortable seat. There was nearly an hour delay. There was an accident with the champagne, but I was well compensated. These things happen sometimes.

Very good. Comfortable and I felt well taken care of from start to finish

Bulkhead seats should not be an extra charge. They are extremely uncomfortable. And we missed our connecting flight due to slow luggage retreaval.

Not great - seats were very narrow and food was terrible.

Some of the crew was sassy and not super helpful. The food was okay, but it seems like they were all unprepared compared to my flight I did from JFK to Frankfurt

We missed our flight. There was not enough time built into the layover to get through immigration, customs, bagclaim, bag rechecking, and the long trip to another terminal and gate. Kayak really screwed up. We took the bus up to Wisconsin and then were picked up in Brookfield by private car. It was lucky we didnt miss the last bus out.

We were in premium economy seats that appeared to be locked in plae, No reclining. My aching back.

The seats were comfortable. So many empty seats allowed for stretching out and sleeping. The onboard entertainment was pretty good. The cabin crew were so kind and kept the passengers well- hydrated, and well fed.

We had American Airlines on our return and it was confusing if we were going with Aa or BA I had 2 different flight numbers and didn’t get our gate until it was boarding. So we were a bit nervous as the which it was

Our Jackson, Mississippi to Dallas Fort Worth flight was delayed on 1/19/26.. This was changed to Jackson to Charlotte in the last minute because of this delay. This started some kind of disconnect between American Airlines and British Airways bookings. We could not go past the passport control in London Heathrow. I had to go to the counter and waited for more than 30 minutes to get a new boarding pass. Problems did not end there. Somehow our entire return flight was canceled by someone. I had to make several phone calls over several days to fix the problem – this was not easy from India. Looks like there was some kind of disconnect between two airlines or some agent did not do it right. I’m anxious to know what went wrong.

My touch screen at my seat wasn't working, the films BA advertised on the website for this flight were not available, and the plane was a little dated, food was good and the staff were good, just let down by the aircraft facilities.

Did not like the seating configuration at all with 2+3+2 in business class. Lacking total privacy and comfort

The flight crew was kind, flexible, and accommodating. The seats on the plane were extremely uncomfortable.

Check-in experience, for business call please provide a premium experience

Lost my luggage, ran out of food choices in business class, ground crew was completely unapologetic.

Excellent. The crew and flight were great. Checking in was easy and everyone was very helpful.

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

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.