Mia13

My boyfriend and I are planning on backpacking through europe. The problem (or blessing) is, we are on no time restriction, just budget. We have been saving along time, and want to just travel as long as our money will last us, before heading home (US). We were wondering is it safe to buy one way tickets into someplace (Amsterdam, London, etc) and then fly standby home when we are ready? We don't want to close ourselves in to a few weeks if our budget allows more, but we don't want to get stranded either! Any advice? Has anyone ever flown standby from Europe to US?

Thanks!
Mia

copain1

Get stranded? I don't think so. But you should be willing to stay at an airport for a very long period of time. Flights are packed and it's not because there are more people flying, it's because they are cutting back on service. And it's only going to get worse. Give yourself an endpoint. If you find you are able to stay longer then you can always attempt to change your ticket. For a price of course. But I think that would be worth the price as opposed to showing up at the airport and waiting for a seat.

adrienne

Have you looked into the price of one way tickets; often they are more expensive than round trip tickets. Airlines used to have open return tickets but I'm not sure they still do this. I would call a few airlines and see if this is a possibility with flying standby on the return. As the previous poster said it will be difficult to fly standby with so few seats available.

Why don't you pick a definite amount of time (perhaps 2 months) according to your budget and if you have any money left over keep it for the next trip. Your money won't last as long as you think it will. And if you've never traveled before you might get tired of being away from home for an extended time and living very frugally.

If you post your budget people can advise how much time your money will last and you'll have a better idea of how long you can be away and plan your trip accordingly.

hetismij

You may even have trouble getting in to Europe on a one way ticket - just the same as the US do not like Europeans with one way tickets so are the Europeans. One way tickets are often more expensive than a cheap return, and standby flights are not as available as they used to be.

I would book a return to save hassle on arrival.

Don't forget also that you are limited to 3 months in Schengen countries without a visa.

Heimdall

Suggest you look at http://www.statravel.com/ or another company specializing in student/backpacker's travel. My daughter used them several years ago for her RTW, and they may have the sort of plan you require. You don't have to be a student to qualify.

spaarne

I agree with the above that a one-way ticket to Europe is a no-go. You can be refused admission at Amsterdam if you can't prove that you are returning to the USA. The customs officials have asked to see my return air ticket in the past.

Make an itinerary and a budget. Buy the RT and if you change your plans pay the penalty, usually about $100.

Gretchen

All has been said.YOu probably cannot enter Europe on a one way ticket. One way tickets are usually 2 or 3 times the amount of a RT ticket. "Walk up" ticket prices which you are calling "standby" can be in the thousands of dollars. What budget do you think you have at the moment? per day? Just interested, and probably some will have some idea about its adequacy.

Sarvowinner

I flew one-way from Dublin to New York on Aer Lingus a couple of years ago and the price was very reasonable. I did have a ticket for a flight from NYC to Australia.

Sarvowinner

Just did a dummy booking on Aer Lingus - next March NYC-AMS via Dublin is USD 313.00.

hetismij

And I just did a dummy booking, same airline, same route, same month - return fare $272.

Gretchen

Great fares. Made 7 months out. Look for a flight back to NYC tomorrow or the next day.

julia1

I had to fly standby 2 years ago because a work stoppage caused me to miss my return flight and my ticket was cancelled - Heathrow to Seattle. I ended up spending 3 days hanging around the ticketing desk in Terminal 4 waiting for a cancellation on any BA flight that would get me to the west of U.S. - Vancouver, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc. All flights were full, all day, each day - and if there was an open seat, it was given to someone who was arriving on a delayed flight from Europe, Africa or Asia and had missed their onward connection. I had visions of ending my days never having left Heathrow T4 again. I spent my nights in an airport hotel so I could be at the airport ticket desk first thing each morning, as soon as it opened. All in all it was an expensive and tiring and boring lesson in how NOT to spend 3 days ever again. On the 4th day I finally flew.