I have been checking Airfare Watchdog and Kayak for rates to Rome, travelling in August. While there are some decent fares to Italy for Spring travel, rates soar to around $1,200pp in the summer.

Does anyone have any other sources to check or ideas on cost saving routes? Do the airlines typically have a "sale" or price war in the summer?

Any input is greatly appreciated....otherwise, Italy will have to wait for another time!

Thanks everyone!

Summer airfare to Europe is simply more expensive than in the shoulder season - it's the peak tourist season. You might do a bit better than $1,200, though.

I'm seeing rates from NYC to ROME for about $1,000 on the ITA travel matrix, which is a decent place to start. $900 if you depart on August 31, of course.

Departing from where? And are your dates flexible?

However, based on the reading (and complaining) I am seeing on airfares this year I think for a lot of us $1,000 may be the new summer "realistic fare" The airlines have a lot less capacity so they don't need to "fare war" like they have in the past.

Flight prices do seem to be up this year. Check flights into and/or out of Pisa, Florence, Bologna, Venice and Milan. Sometimes the prices are lower and may fit your itinerary, although it may require more connecting than you desire.

Good luck!

CarolA brings up a good point about flexible dates. Sometimes it's cheaper to fly on Tuesdays, Weds or Thursdays.

Always amazed to see people post these questions without stating from where they are flying, and almost as often, to where they are going.

My oversight Aramis...never happened to you before?
Leaving from Newark, NJ

Aug 16 - 26 $1033 on Aer Lingus

If you have a different date range post it and I'll have a look.

One thing you might consider is flying into the cheapest European city you can find and then taking an intra-European flight to Rome. I know that a lot of people are "afraid" to do this because you are on your own if a flight is missed, but all you need to do is turn it into a 2 city vacation.

2 nights in London followed by 12 in Rome, for example. You can either fly back to your gateway European city the night before your flight home, or book an early morning flight back to the gateway from you final destination while having a later day flight (not unusual for flights back to the US) booked onward to the US. Lots of time for a delay but you spend extra time in the airport if your first flight is on time.

August 9 - 18 $989 Aer Lingus (departing from JFK)

I echo Aramis. Find a cheap entry port and then travel on a European flight.

You might check London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Madrid, and Frankfurt. From there you can take a "domestic" flight to Rome.

$718 to Duesseldorf, and $726 to Frankfurt, on the same days, for example.

The Aer Lingus was out of JFK, these two are out of EWR.

And just to follow up on Aramis' point, you could then fly from, say, Dusseldorf on August 18 (a day after you arrive on the 17) to Rome on Ryan Air, returning to Dusseldorf on the 25th. That RT flight on Ryan Air is priced at 70 Euros.

Woyzeck - my Polish flight finding doppelganger!

At this time last year, there were deals on Eurofly. Do they still exist?

I guess it's now known as Meridiana Eurofly out of NYC.
http://www.meridiana.it/en/index.aspx

I love a good fare finding challenge.

>>Woyzeck - my Polish flight finding doppelganger!

It's actually a reference to the play by Georg Büchner.

I guess that's fair coming from a guy who owes his nick to a novel by Monsieur Dumas, rather than his own nationalistic background.

Great suggestions Aramis and Woyzeck. I'll keep searching and hoping.