$171 Find Cheap Flights from Europe to California

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Low season

January

High season

August

Cheapest flight

$171
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 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 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 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 $588.

  • 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 $787. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $1,023 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 8% 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 San Francisco, at $255 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 $628 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and August, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,081 and $1,014 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 22 weeks before departure.

  • How long is the flight to California?

    An average nonstop flight from Europe to California takes 13h 42m, covering a distance of 5700 miles. The shortest route is London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Las Vegas (LAS) with an average flight time of 10h 40m.

  • What are the most popular destinations in California?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Los Angeles (41% 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 Burbank (6%) and to Santa Ana (5%) 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 7917 reviews
8.2Boarding
7.9Entertainment
8.5Crew
7.9Comfort
7.3Food
Airline reviews

This had nothing to do with Delta… The flights were on time and flawless. The service was excellent. We purchased seats in (aisle/middle) comfort plus since this was a cross country flight. Unfortunately, the woman seated at the window was 300+ pounds and, as might be expected, covered up about a third of the middle seat also. there was absolutely nothing that Delta could have done about that… I just don’t know what the answer should be. If you purchase a seat, you should should be able to use the entire seat and not just the portion that someone else is not sitting/oozing in. Disappointing…there should be something that could be done….I'm just not sure what solution could be.

10.0 ExcellentGary, Apr 2025TPA - LAX
Read more Delta reviews

This had nothing to do with Delta… The flights were on time and flawless. The service was excellent. We purchased seats in (aisle/middle) comfort plus since this was a cross country flight. Unfortunately, the woman seated at the window was 300+ pounds and, as might be expected, covered up about a third of the middle seat also. there was absolutely nothing that Delta could have done about that… I just don’t know what the answer should be. If you purchase a seat, you should should be able to use the entire seat and not just the portion that someone else is not sitting/oozing in. Disappointing…there should be something that could be done….I'm just not sure what solution could be.

I love the free WiFi!! Crew was nice. Bathroom was decent. First time flying delta in a long time and I enjoyed it. Will definitely look into booking with Delta more but I think Delta is a little more expensive than the other airlines.

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

Wonderful and fast TSA checkpoint. The line was fast and our gate was close by

The gate was too far away for the connecting flight

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!!!

One bottle of water and a package of cookies for comfort plus. We had to literally beg a flight attendant for an extra bottle of water later in the flight due to feeling dehydrated.

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!

I like the service and the efficiency. I am lactose intolerant and the lactose intolerant meal in business class was not astounding. Also, the business class fully reclining seats are not that comfortable.

Food was great but they didn't clear my meal tray for 3 hours. You'd think they could check though the cabin now and then.

Upon arriving at IAH, it was informed that the luggage had not arrived. Still waiting to hear back when it will be delivered.

I wasn’t allowed to board with my children. I was charged outrageous costs for basic carry on size luggage. The entertainment screens were outdated and not user friendly.

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.

The seats in row 31 are terrible and small and uncomfortable. Don't ever sit there. The window seat is so close to the curve of the plane is so annoying. I paid extra for this seat and I hated all 10 hours in it.

Food was terrible , crew were excellent , IFE was dire . Overall comfortable seat and cabin. Nothing special .

If my tv wasn’t broken and I wasn’t in a seat that didn’t allow for sleeping

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.

Book cheap flights from Europe to California

Recent round-trip flight deals

5/17Sat
nonstopNorse Atlantic Airways
11h 25mCDG-LAX
5/31Sat
nonstopNorse Atlantic Airways
10h 35mLAX-CDG
$285
5/4Sun
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11h 25mCDG-LAX
5/12Mon
nonstopNorse Atlantic Airways
10h 35mLAX-CDG
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2 stopsUnited Airlines
27h 24mLHR-SFO
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1 stopUnited Airlines
33h 45mSFO-LHR
$434
5/12Mon
2 stopsUnited Airlines
20h 42mLHR-SFO
5/19Mon
nonstopUnited Airlines
10h 30mSFO-LHR
$438
4/26Sat
1 stopLufthansa
15h 50mLHR-LAX
5/3Sat
1 stopLufthansa
13h 31mLAX-LHR
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4/26Sat
1 stopLufthansa
15h 50mLHR-LAX
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nonstopLufthansa
10h 35mLAX-LHR
$494
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1 stopBritish Airways
14h 25mLHR-LAX
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nonstopBritish Airways
10h 25mLAX-LHR
$497
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11h 20mLHR-LAX
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nonstopBritish Airways
10h 35mLAX-LHR
$524
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2 stopsAmerican Airlines
18h 25mFRA-LAS
9/28Sun
1 stopAmerican Airlines
15h 25mLAS-FRA
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8/20Wed
1 stopBritish Airways
16h 15mFRA-SFO
$559
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19h 15mFRA-LAS
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4/17Thu
nonstop
11h 25mCDG-LAX
5/2Fri
nonstop
10h 35mLAX-CDG
$414
4/19Sat
multi-stopLufthansa
15h 40mLHR-SFO
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multi-stopLufthansa
24h 20mSFO-LHR
$429
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11h 20mLHR-LAX
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nonstopBritish Airways
10h 40mLAX-LHR
$533
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multi-stopUnited Airlines
23h 55mLHR-SFO
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24h 11mSFO-LHR
$548
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multi-stopUnited Airlines
21h 00mLHR-SFO
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nonstopUnited Airlines
10h 30mSFO-LHR
$552
4/20Sun
multi-stopBritish Airways
17h 09mFRA-SFO
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multi-stopBritish Airways
21h 05mSFO-FRA
$557
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multi-stopAmerican Airlines
21h 55mFRA-LAS
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multi-stopAmerican Airlines
17h 45mLAS-FRA
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20h 45mFRA-SFO
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multi-stopAmerican Airlines
22h 58mSFO-FRA
$571
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nonstopDelta
11h 00mLHR-SFO
4/23Wed
nonstopDelta
10h 20mSFO-LHR
$815
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multi-stopDelta
13h 00mFRA-LAS
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multi-stopDelta
23h 20mLAS-FRA
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Everything you need to know for your flight to California

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