10 Cheapest European Cities to Fly to From Australia in 2027

• Spain and Italy stand out near the top of the table. Barcelona, Madrid and Milan all produced return fares close to A$1,000 from at least one Australian city, which is unusually low for a journey of this distance.
• Perth tells a different story from the east coast. Vienna and Athens were particularly competitive from Western Australia, while Brisbane produced stronger results for Barcelona, Milan and Dublin.
• The table also shows why searching only from one Australian origin can be misleading. In the most extreme cases, the gap between Australian departure cities was more than A$1,000 for the same European destination.

1. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona produced the lowest airfare in our entire comparison, with a Brisbane return fare around A$1,020. Sydney and Melbourne were not far behind at roughly A$1,170, while Perth was noticeably more expensive.

The reason Barcelona works so well is that it is more than a cheap airport to land at. You can spend several days in the city, continue along the Mediterranean coast, take a high-speed train to Madrid, or cross into southern France without adding another long-haul flight.

That makes the fare useful even if Barcelona is only the first stop. The obvious caveat is accommodation. Hotels can become expensive during busy periods, so a low airfare does not automatically mean a low total trip cost.

Best for: travellers who want Spain and an easy starting point for a wider European itinerary.

2. Madrid, Spain

Madrid was almost as cheap as Barcelona from the right Australian airport. Melbourne stood out at around A$1,026 return, while Sydney was still competitive at A$1,171.

Brisbane and Perth were a different story. Both were hundreds of dollars more expensive, which is exactly why comparing origins matters. Madrid is cheap from Australia only if the departure city and dates line up.

Once you arrive, Madrid is one of the easiest places on this list to turn into a larger trip. High-speed trains connect it with Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Córdoba and other parts of Spain, so the cheapest long-haul ticket does not have to dictate the entire itinerary.

Best for: a Spain-focused holiday with several cities connected by rail.

3. Milan, Italy

Milan is one of the strongest examples of why Australians should search for a European gateway rather than only the exact city they want to visit. Brisbane produced a fare around A$1,031 return, while Sydney and Melbourne were still close to A$1,170.

The advantage is geography. Milan puts you within easy reach of Lake Como, Turin, Verona and Bologna, with Venice and Florence also straightforward by train. If Italy is the plan, arriving in Milan does not mean spending the whole trip there.

Perth was weaker at around A$1,375, so Milan is much more compelling from the east coast. And Milan itself can be expensive, particularly during major events, so accommodation deserves the same attention as airfare.

Best for: northern Italy and multi-city Italian trips.

4. Vienna, Austria

Vienna was one of the most interesting results in the dataset. Sydney came in at around A$1,078 return, while Perth and Melbourne were also close to A$1,150. Brisbane, however, was roughly A$500 more expensive.

That price pattern makes Vienna unusually attractive for travellers from Sydney and Perth. It also happens to be one of the most useful arrival points in Central Europe.

Bratislava is close enough for an easy day trip, and Budapest, Prague and other Central European cities can fit naturally into a rail itinerary. Vienna itself is not particularly cheap once you arrive, but a low airfare can still make it a smart gateway.

Best for: Central Europe trips built around trains rather than additional flights.

5. Athens, Greece

Athens is where Perth starts to look especially good. The lowest fare we found was around A$1,148 return from Perth, compared with A$1,246 from Melbourne and A$1,298 from Sydney.

Brisbane was much weaker at around A$1,780, a difference large enough to change whether Athens belongs on a shortlist at all.

Athens is less useful as a generic gateway to the rest of Europe than Milan or Vienna, but that does not matter if Greece is the actual plan. A few days in Athens can lead naturally into the Peloponnese or onward to the islands.

The important trade-off is that island transport adds cost. A low fare into Athens can still lead to a more expensive trip once ferries, domestic flights and island accommodation are added.

Best for: travellers whose European trip is primarily about Greece.

6. Warsaw, Poland

No destination in this comparison shows the importance of origin more clearly than Warsaw.

From Melbourne, we found a return fare around A$1,155. Sydney was still reasonable at around A$1,259. From Brisbane and Perth, however, the same destination climbed above A$2,000.

That makes Warsaw either a genuinely cheap European gateway or a terrible airfare deal depending entirely on where in Australia the trip begins.

If the price works, Poland adds another advantage after landing. Accommodation, food and transport can often cost less than in Western European capitals such as Paris, Amsterdam or London, so the airfare saving has a better chance of surviving once the holiday starts.

Warsaw also works as a base for Kraków, Gdańsk and wider Central and Eastern Europe.

Best for: Melbourne travellers looking for a lower-cost European trip beyond the airfare itself.

7. Rome, Italy

Rome was one of the most consistent destinations across the four origins. Sydney came in at around A$1,160, Melbourne at A$1,188, Perth at A$1,344 and Brisbane at A$1,394.

That makes it less dramatic than Warsaw or Athens, but potentially more useful. You do not need one particular Australian departure city for Rome to make sense.

The bigger question is whether Milan or Rome better fits the itinerary. Milan is usually the stronger entry point for northern Italy, while Rome makes more sense for central and southern Italy, including Naples and routes toward the Amalfi Coast.

Paying slightly more for the right gateway can easily be cheaper than saving on airfare and then travelling halfway across Italy after arrival.

Best for: Rome, Naples and central or southern Italy.

8. Dublin, Ireland

Dublin was one of the quieter surprises in the research. Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne all produced fares around A$1,200 return, which puts Ireland closer to the cheapest European gateways than many travellers might expect.

Unlike Warsaw or Vienna, there was also relatively little difference between the three east-coast origins.

Ireland is less useful if the goal is a rail-heavy continental itinerary because moving onward usually means another flight or a ferry. But if Ireland or the UK is already part of the plan, Dublin can make more sense than paying more to arrive in London.

The ground-cost warning still applies. Dublin accommodation can be expensive, particularly during busy weekends and events, so the cheap airfare deserves a hotel check before booking.

Best for: Ireland trips and travellers combining Ireland with the UK.

9. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam flips the usual Australian pattern. Perth was by far the cheapest origin in our snapshot at around A$1,174 return, while Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane were all above A$1,400.

For Western Australian travellers, that makes Amsterdam much more interesting than the national numbers would suggest.

The city is also a genuinely useful gateway. Belgium, Germany and other parts of the Netherlands are easy to reach by train, so the airfare can support a wider north-western European itinerary.

Amsterdam itself is the catch. Hotel prices can be high enough to erase part of the airfare advantage. A cheap flight to an expensive city can still be good value, but only if the rest of the itinerary is planned with the same discipline.

Best for: Perth travellers visiting the Netherlands, Belgium or nearby Germany.

10. Frankfurt, Germany

Frankfurt is not here because it is the most exciting city on the list. It is here because it can be a very useful place to arrive.

Perth produced the strongest fare at around A$1,198 return. Sydney and Melbourne were both close to A$1,265, while Brisbane was again more expensive.

From Frankfurt, Germany's rail network opens up a large part of the continent. Cologne, Heidelberg, Munich, Strasbourg and Switzerland can all fit into a wider itinerary without needing another long-haul-style airport day.

That is the broader lesson of this list. The cheapest European city does not have to be the place where you spend the entire holiday. Sometimes its value is simply that it gets you onto the continent cheaply and puts the rest of the trip within reach.

Best for: travellers prioritising onward rail connections over the gateway city itself.

Which European city should you fly to from Australia?

• For the lowest airfare we found: Barcelona from Brisbane, Madrid from Melbourne and Milan from Brisbane.
• From Sydney: Vienna stood out at around A$1,078, with Rome, Madrid and Milan also competitive.
• From Melbourne: Madrid was the standout, followed by Warsaw, Milan and Rome.
• From Brisbane: Barcelona and Milan were dramatically cheaper than several Central European options.
• From Perth: Vienna, Athens, Amsterdam and Frankfurt produced particularly strong fares.
• For Spain: choose Barcelona for the Mediterranean side or Madrid for a wider Spanish rail itinerary.
• For Italy: Milan works better for the north, while Rome makes more sense for central and southern Italy.
• For Central Europe: Vienna is the most versatile gateway in this list.
• For lower costs after landing: Warsaw deserves particular attention if the airfare from your origin is competitive.

The cheapest ticket is only the beginning of the decision. A A$100 saving can disappear quickly if the arrival city requires another flight, an expensive airport transfer or several unnecessary travel days.

For Australians travelling such a long distance, the better question is not just "Where can I fly cheapest?"

It is "Which cheap gateway makes the rest of Europe easier?"

Quick answers

What is the cheapest European city to fly to from Australia?

In our February 2027 fare snapshot, the lowest return fare was around A$1,020 from Brisbane to Barcelona. Madrid from Melbourne and Milan from Brisbane were only slightly higher. These are fare snapshots rather than permanent rankings, so the cheapest city can change with dates and availability.

Which European city is cheapest to fly to from Sydney?

Vienna was the cheapest of the ten selected destinations in our Sydney comparison at around A$1,078 return. Rome, Madrid, Milan and Barcelona also appeared close to the A$1,200 mark.

Which European city is cheapest to fly to from Melbourne?

Madrid produced the lowest fare in our Melbourne snapshot at around A$1,026 return. Warsaw, Barcelona, Milan, Rome and Vienna were also relatively competitive.

Which European city is cheapest to fly to from Brisbane?

Barcelona had the lowest Brisbane fare in our comparison at around A$1,020 return, closely followed by Milan at around A$1,031. Dublin was another strong option at around A$1,167.

Which European city is cheapest to fly to from Perth?

Vienna and Athens were the strongest Perth options in our selected list, at around A$1,136 and A$1,148 return respectively. Amsterdam and Frankfurt were also below A$1,200 in the fare snapshots we found.

Is it cheaper to fly into one European city and travel somewhere else?

Often. Milan, Vienna and Frankfurt are good examples of cities that can work as gateways to a wider itinerary. But the saving only makes sense if onward trains, flights, baggage and accommodation do not cost more than flying closer to the final destination in the first place.

Related reading

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• 10 Warm Places to Fly From Canada in February 2027
• 10 Warm Places to Fly From Canada in January 2027