Novice going needing advice on air travel.
 

The wife and I have made two trips to Europe in the past but the round trips have been to the same airport. This time we are going on a river cruise starting in Amsterdam and then attending a reunion in Germany so we must get a return flight from Frankfurt. How should I book my flight or check prices when I'm making a round trip but at two different locations? I want to shop prices. The trip is around the first of Sept. Is a travel agent the best option or should I call an airline?

There is a choice to say multi city. You put in your departure airport and date then the return

It isn’t difficult to do. As Vicky stated above, use a travel site like Expedia or Travelocity and select multi city as your search template.
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After finding suitable flights, it is recommended that you actually purchase your tickets directly from the airline, rather than through a third party site. When you’re comparing fares, pay attention to fees for baggage and other “extras.” Personally, I am willing to spend a little more for a nonstop flight and I prefer booking on foreign airlines since, in my experience, Europe has a very clear system of compensation if something messes up your trip, unlike American carriers.

Definitely look at different airlines when pricing your route out. It would be a multi ticket and sometimes a connecting flight may or may not be worth it. It really depends as does buying round trip or one ways each way. Then go with what works best for you.

Be sure to allow plenty of time to be in Amsterdam before the cruise. Arrive at least early the day before. Even better, arrive a couple of days before to give time to see Amsterdam and perhaps a few close by towns like Haarlem, and to be rested when the cruise actually starts.

You definitely don't want two one-way flights. It's highly likely that would be a lot more expensive. As mentioned, search for a multi-city flight. Kayak is another place where you can compare airlines, then when you choose the price and connections you want, it will take you to the airline's own site to actually book it.

I mentioned 2 one ways as I have seen some people get good deals that way and why I said look at all options and do what is best for the OP and their route. I just had a friend who just did that for a cruise in about 8 weeks from now. She got a really good price as when I looked at going to the same place, she got a much better deal then what I had found with my research. I never thought to look into a one way.

Be sure to also check with the cruise line what fare they will offer you. They likely will also give you the flexibility to fly out of Frankfurt rather than where the cruise ends.

some cruise lines will offer a fixed price from just about any US airport. For example, viking is currently offering $999 or maybe its $1299 fares.

One of the best places to look for flights is flights.google.com

Another good service is www.skyscanner.net , which also has suggestions involving budget airlines. However, I don't plan multi-flight itineraries with a same-day connection, especially if one flight is with a budget airline; if you miss the connection, you might have to pay through the nose for a new last-minute ticket.

As others said, once you've food a good flight, you can go to the airline site to actually book the flight.

I think I wasn't clear on what I meant by a "same-day connection" in my earlier post. If you have a same-day connection on a single itinerary, the connection is guaranteed. Even if the itineraries are independent, the connection may be guaranteed if the airlines are code shared, but you should at least confirm this when making the second reservation.


The problem arises if there is no connection between the two airlines. If you reserve a flight from Palermo to Naples on budget airline Volotea, planning to connect there for a United flight to New York, you run a big risk. United will not guarantee the connection. If the Volotea flight Is late or cancelled, and you miss the connection, you may have to buy a new ticket for your flight to New York, and it could be outrageously expensive. In that situation, I would plan to spend the night in Naples before the second flight.

Sounds like a wonderful trip!
I wouldn't use a travel agent who might push their own connections, or call an airline who would only promote their flights.
I think independent research would produce better results. Do you have a family member or friend who has experience with this? They could help walk you through it. I always look at the actual aircraft seat map, also, to find better seating layouts for a long international flight.

We have friends who have done group tours and cruises and been unhappy with the flight options they provided. There were many changes in the airlines, flights and connections, and extremely inconvenient times for the flights. I would rather control my experience.
Enjoy!