$136 Find Cheap Flights from Europe to California

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Low season

January

High season

August

Cheapest flight

$136
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 10% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 21% increase in price.
Flight from London Heathrow 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 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 Turkish AirlinesIST-LAXJan 2025
The lounge is very good at Istanbul airport. To experience it
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
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 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.
PGFlew with CondorFRA-LAXOct 2024
Make sure you have plenty of time to get through the Frankfurt Airport if you are flying internationally.
Verified travelerFlew with SWISSZRH-LAXSep 2024
Have Swiss app it keeps you updated pretty instantly of any delays or gate changes
MajFlew with Scandinavian AirlinesCPH-LAXSep 2024
Bring snacks! Other than the 2x international meals, everything else is for purchase.
MeganFlew with IberiaLHR-LAXSep 2024
Pack light and know you can always get stuff when you land.
AbdulFlew with Turkish AirlinesIST-LAXNov 2024
Turkish is the good air line to travel
RoseFlew with TAP AIR PORTUGALLIS-SFOSep 2024
Tao has the best r timing but outrageous fares. Their service has gone downhill in the past 12 years I'm flying them. I much prefer Star Alliance A United / Lufthansa flight. Or an Air France flight. They are both not direct but a much better experience
JerryFlew with TAP AIR PORTUGALLIS-SFOOct 2024
Any other airline would be better. Chose TAP because of being the only direct flight.
RitaFlew with IberiaBCN-SFOSep 2024
Check the seat room, check the price of baggage and don’t take Iberia Level.
HughFlew with LufthansaFRA-LAXAug 2024
I’m a big fan of the airbus 350 but I found that this upgraded 747 was fabulous as well. Your premium economy provides actual significant improvement and legroom and the quality of the seat as opposed to Air France which premium economy is terrible. I upgraded to businessand the last minute you made me to do so as much appreciated. I will keep flying Lufthansa because of the positive experiences I’ve had with you lately.
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
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.
GzimFlew with LufthansaMUC-SANAug 2024
Buy your own food, choose seating where you have your own row or someone your flying with.
fatmaFlew with Turkish AirlinesIST-LAXAug 2024
Relax and enjoy the weather. But for sure you will miss Turkish food and history.
PatrickFlew with Turkish AirlinesIST-SFOAug 2024
Respect of scheduled departure time to catch connecting flight without stress
Verified travelerFlew with LufthansaFRA-SFOAug 2024
Get to the airport in plenty of time.
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
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.
Melissa-MarieFlew with DeltaAMS-LAXApr 2024
Bringing beer home is heavy in your checked bag. Make sure to keep that in mind! Don't mess up like we did! HAHA!
Verified travelerFlew with American AirlinesLHR-LAXMar 2024
book with american airlines they are very nice! food is amazing so you don't need to buy foods before you board.
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.
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
Verified travelerFlew with Air Tahiti NuiCDG-LAXJan 2024
Fly this airline. Get to LAX early. 4 hrs. Its jyst enough time.
Verified travelerFlew with Scandinavian AirlinesCPH-SFOFeb 2024
Don’t buy wifi. My flight to Copenhagen and back had wifi that didn’t work

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 (196 flights per week), Lufthansa (168 flights per week), and American Airlines (161 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 $626.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Tuesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $792. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $1,034 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 7% 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 $864.

  • 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 $261 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 $261.

  • 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 $632 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and August, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,106 and $1,013 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. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 17 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 1,282 direct flights each week.

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

    There are around 378 direct flights from within Europe to California every day. Most flights (54%) depart in the morning.

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

    Each week there are around 2,640 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 13h 21m, covering a distance of 5678 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 2,640 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 (40% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are San Francisco (21%) and Las Vegas (12%). Searches for flights to Ontario (10%), to Burbank (6%) and to Long Beach (4%) are also popular.

See more FAQs

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.
8.0
DeltaOverall score based on 7890 reviews
8.0Comfort
7.3Food
7.9Entertainment
8.2Boarding
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

Seats are much much more comfortable than United, which is what I usually fly

10.0 ExcellentEmily, Feb 2025BOS - SFO
Read more Delta reviews

Seats are much much more comfortable than United, which is what I usually fly

If I pay extra for "comfort+" I expect leg room where I can stretch my legs. I was seated with an attendant's seat blocking my feet. Knee space was fine but my feet had less room than the non-"comfort+" seats. Also, don't go cheap on food when you have flights of 3+ hours. It's insulting.

Only one side of the heafphone jack work. Crew was friendly and helpful.

Great. Flight departed early and arrived early. Deplaning and baggage claim ww were quick.

They separated our seats and moved us to the back of the plane. Hundreds of dollars and thousands of miles used and this was my platinum member experience.

Since it wasn’t a Delta flight, I was not able to sit with my group and there was no entertainment.

Three adults, three children. They did not give us seats together. Two seats together, in row 23, one in 13, one in 14, one in 10, and one in 17. When we got on the plane, the crew tried to ask people to move but basically threw up their hands. One person moved so we had two pairs of seats together. The 1.5 year old sat on a parent's lap (despite having paid for his own seat).

the fight attendants were great and i appreciated that they had season 1 of The Wire from HBO as a viewing option

AC barely worked on a 50 minute flight. It was very warm the whole flight. Flight was very bumpy and hard landing.

Got on the plane and then needed to deboard the plane because they didn’t have any pilots?

Generally good. The aisles have gotten narrower which can slow down boarding. Flight crew was great! Healthier complimentary snacks would be appreciated. Due to earthquake in San Francisco we had to circle in air space for a bit but then had a smooth landing. I laud the flight crew for their patience ;)

We tried to upgrade to economy premium but were told this was not possible as we had booked through United Airlines (and Air Canada was operating the flight). This seemed silly given there was ample space in economy premium. Additionally, we had to wait almost 1.5 hours upon arrival to taxi to the gate. Otherwise, the crew were very pleasant and passengers were friendly.

headphone jack didnt work for the first flight and not much variety

The agents was very rude and they charged me $50 for a carry-on bag saying that it was too big and then I saw someone going on a plane with the same size bag as me

For the most part united was a good experience, how ever when they came by with the snacks and water, they completely passed by my wife and I. As we were in separate rows. On a 5 hr flight we were not offered water

Fantastic crew. Flight was delayed at last minute but we were given updates every 20 minutes and the crew was so friendly and considerate. I miss the touch screens on the back of the seats, wish they would bring that back though.

Beijing PEK to SFO. I had an economy seat on this flight. The seat comfort was acceptable. My main complaint is with the FA’s lack of personality and absence from servicing the plane, specifically restroom care (I wish I could share a pic of the restroom that I captured) and care of travelers—drink cart/availability of drinks. I'm amazed at the level of service on other International travel where a passenger is most often appreciated.

Great. Food going from Australia to the US was better than other way around, but still needs improvement in terms of quality and quantity!!!

I feel bad, but Swiss airlines is not an airlines I will ever fly again. Their cabins are basic, seats are extremely uncomfortable, crew is a hit or a miss with service. What's worse is how they make you feel they are there to make money and not make your travel needs be met or make your travel a pleasure. They charge for 2nd bags, seat selection and felt like a budget arinines frontier/spirit airline attitude and approach. Their business class is from the early 2000s, basic. Additionally, planes going to India, are old, falling apart and not maintained. Even the crew mentioned this is typical of the airline having older planes going to India. Panels detached and loose or stuck with duct tape, seats scruffed up and dirty, seatbelts roughed up. The scariest thing was when I saw a window panel next to where I was sitting loose and dangling. The crew mentioned it's only cosmetic and assured the integrity of the plane was inspected by the maintenance crew. This is where they confessed about planes going to India being old. I UNFORTUNATELY would NOT recommend Swiss airlines to anyone and will NEVER fly with them again!

The ANA crew and their members were all extremely nice and caring. Shout out to the crews for working on Christmas and New Years. Y'all the real MVP

Flight boarded from Gate 39 at OGG, the farthest gate in the terminal. There were no Hawaiian themed amenities for the flight. The first class service was mediocre at best; I received not special welcome or recognition as an executive platinum member of American Advantage program. The flight attendants were more concerned with their cell phones than saying "thank you" to the passengers as we disembarked. Fortunately, the flight arrived at LAX a few minutes early.

Bigger seats. Board back to front! Disembark front to back!

Extraordinary service in business class, and very good breakfast and snacks. A really lovely flight.

This flight didn’t happen because AA agents didn’t let us board the flight

Plane was pretty clean, staff was friendly and helpful, flight left about on time arrived early. Took a long time to board and get off the plane - carry on items didn't have enough room so people had to move all around to find places.

The service and food needs to improve to catch up with other international flights

Would have been good to have a meal since it was a 5.5 hour flight

We boarded after several delays due to mechanical failure and a gate change. The seat cushion in the exit row was very compressed and offered no cushion, making the four-hour journey reasonably uncomfortable. The WiFi worked for a few people, but for most, it did not, and you cannot get entertainment unless you can connect—American Airlines flights do not have seatback screens, and you must use your mobile phone.

AA is always pretty solid. Was on time all the way around today so can’t complain!

Great thanks - a whole row to myself. Good food but film selection not great.

I was very happy with everything, thank you for the smooth flight ✈️

helpful and friendly. The Lufthanza people I dealt with before my holiday were so unhelpful by comparison.

I enjoyed my flight back with Lufthansa because the food was good, and the flight attendants were nice and helped you when you asked a question. The flight attendants always came around and asked if you needed anything which I liked a lot.

Entertainment system is old. Food can be tastier Need to provide toothbrush and toothpaste at least when asked.

The flight was cancelled due to tech problem with the plane

I pre-ordered my meal and did not receive it. The seats are very old, uncomfortable and dirty. The crew was excellent and made my stay on board comfortable and enjoyable.

It was great. The airline staff was very friendly. The FRA security was a bit harsh doing their job but friendly overall.

I wish seats were not reclinable. It's so claustrophobic when the person in front of you spends most of a nine hour flight leaned all the way back. The crew was really nice though and the dinner (red Thai curry) was pretty compelling.

Our flights were severely delayed, then canceled and we had to fly out next day with no sleep accommodation help. This led to our baggage being lost and the service reps after baggage couldn’t be bothered to help. They kept sending us to different counters when we were at the right counter to begin with. The only saving grace was the angel woman supervisor with blond hair who helped us put in a missing baggage claim.

The boarding system was all bogus - employees at the boarding gate were not sound like proffesional or may be possibly rational

Delayed flight due to lack of crew caused me to miss my connection

Please make sure the number of seats matches the number of overhead bins and passengers don't carry on more than one bag.

Seating is tight if you don’t upgrade. Food was decent. Boarding and unboarding was efficient. Smooth flight. Could make upgrades more affordable

Boarding was chaotic. Glad we were group 5 and still had cabin storage available when we boarded. I was expecting crew would get our carryons at the gate since theyclaimed it was a full flight.

Boarding crew is unfriendly as i was asked to handover carryon luggage too upto final destination Bangalore I was not prepared for that and i had to travel without my diabetic and hypertension medicines

American Airlines seemed to run a 'dry' flight. No alcohol was offered at any point with meals. Breakfast was a bit tasteless. The 'hot pocket' whatever that is, was horrid breadish pastry with very little filling. Decaf coffee was horrid. Seats didn't seem as wide or spacious as usual, especually for a ten hour flight.

They did not provide free WiFi, It could be purchased for, I think, around $25, This seemed excessive.

Less than average, low level of shared required information needed during the transfer from airport to another, also the used team during boarding In Indianapolis station is Not Professional

Reliable, great value, but not outstanding in any aspect. This is similar to the experience you get in most international carriers like Etihad or Delta.

Flight got diverted because of an emergency and the crew were fantastic and probably saved that passenger’s life. While in emergency landing some measures could have been taken to prevent additional delays. In general not great experience with BA. I used to fly BA years ago all the time, very disappointed by the whole experience, seats were tight, bathrooms tight.

Book cheap flights from Europe to California

Recent round-trip flight deals

5/24Sat
nonstopLufthansa
11h 05mLHR-LAX
6/9Mon
nonstopLufthansa
10h 25mLAX-LHR
$136
5/24Sat
nonstopLufthansa
11h 00mLHR-SFO
5/31Sat
nonstopLufthansa
10h 25mSFO-LHR
$167
9/8Mon
1 stopUnited Airlines
14h 52mLHR-LAX
9/29Mon
nonstopUnited Airlines
10h 30mLAX-LHR
$423
4/21Mon
2 stopsUnited Airlines
22h 30mLHR-SFO
4/28Mon
nonstopUnited Airlines
10h 30mSFO-LHR
$428
9/11Thu
nonstopBritish Airways
11h 15mLHR-LAX
9/28Sun
nonstopBritish Airways
10h 30mLAX-LHR
$445
9/10Wed
nonstopBritish Airways
11h 15mLHR-LAX
9/27Sat
nonstopBritish Airways
10h 30mLAX-LHR
$446
4/20Sun
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
20h 38mFRA-LAS
5/5Mon
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
18h 01mLAS-FRA
$520
5/21Wed
1 stopDelta
13h 45mFRA-SFO
6/1Sun
1 stopDelta
19h 00mSFO-FRA
$521
9/5Fri
2 stopsDelta
18h 44mFRA-SFO
9/27Sat
2 stopsDelta
18h 25mSFO-FRA
$526
5/6Tue
1 stopAmerican Airlines
17h 50mFRA-LAS
5/26Mon
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
26h 30mLAS-FRA
$529

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Recent one-way flight deals

5/7Wed
nonstopNorse Atlantic Airways
11h 25mCDG-LAX
$197
5/2Fri
nonstopNorse Atlantic Airways
11h 25mCDG-LAX
$200
4/20Sun
nonstopBritish Airways
11h 05mLHR-SFO
$304
5/1Thu
nonstopLufthansa
11h 10mLHR-LAX
$517
5/11Sun
1 stopBritish Airways
18h 24mFRA-SFO
$549
5/22Thu
1 stopLufthansa
17h 40mFRA-LAS
$574
9/2Tue
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
18h 04mFRA-SFO
$838
6/19Thu
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
18h 28mFRA-SFO
$841
5/26Mon
2 stopsUnited Airlines
22h 26mCDG-ONT
$1,629
4/5Sat
2 stopsUnited Airlines
31h 28mCDG-ONT
$1,630

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Last minute flights from Europe to California

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

3/28Fri
multi-stopLufthansa
20h 10mLHR-SFO
5/9Fri
multi-stopLufthansa
22h 57mSFO-LHR
$420
3/28Fri
multi-stopLufthansa
21h 14mLHR-SFO
5/9Fri
multi-stopLufthansa
23h 47mSFO-LHR
$422
3/29Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
20h 04mLHR-SFO
5/3Sat
nonstopUnited Airlines
10h 30mSFO-LHR
$451
3/29Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
30h 20mLHR-SFO
5/8Thu
nonstopUnited Airlines
10h 30mSFO-LHR
$471
3/27Thu
multi-stopDelta
13h 20mLHR-SFO
5/14Wed
nonstopDelta
10h 20mSFO-LHR
$628
3/27Thu
multi-stopDelta
21h 26mLHR-SFO
5/5Mon
nonstopDelta
10h 20mSFO-LHR
$633
3/26Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
17h 00mLHR-SFO
5/9Fri
multi-stopBritish Airways
13h 25mSFO-LHR
$657
3/26Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
16h 40mLHR-SFO
5/3Sat
nonstopBritish Airways
10h 35mSFO-LHR
$692
3/27Thu
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
16h 21mFRA-LAS
4/3Thu
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
13h 50mLAS-FRA
$732
3/30Sun
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
21h 02mFRA-LAS
4/2Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
13h 50mLAS-FRA
$881

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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.

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