Cheap flights to
Lisbon (LIS)

Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about flight patterns, and while there’s no day of the week when flights are magically cheaper, there is a time period when it’s best to book. We call it the Goldilocks Window because it’s not too close to your departure date but not too far away either. The window is about 1–3 months before a domestic flight and 2–8 months before an international flight.

If your dates aren’t flexible or you plan to travel during a peak travel season, you should start looking on the earlier side. So if you want to visit Portugal in June, start looking for flights in November. Last-minute deals are practically non-existent during busy travel seasons. In fact, fare jumps happen 21, 14, and 7 days in advance of departure dates, so it’s best to book before those points if at all possible.

Sometimes, fares just don’t get cheaper. This can be especially true of summer in Europe. People want to visit, so airlines have no reason to drop prices. Before you give up on visiting Lisbon this summer, try our Greek Islands Trick. Despite the name, it works all over the world.

If you really want to fly from Atlanta to Lisbon for a summer holiday, you could be looking at a price tag upwards of $1,000. Instead, check out fares to London, which can be found for under $700. Pair that with a low-cost airline ticket (often less than $100) from London to Lisbon, and you’ve saved yourself extra money you can put toward a hotel. It’s more work, but it can be worth it.

Travelers living near Atlanta probably don’t consider flying out of other airports. Why would they when the world’s busiest airport is in their backyard? Believe it or not, there are some cases in which you could actually save money by looking at long-haul flights from other cities––even cities that require their own flight to reach.

We see ridiculously cheap fares from all sorts of airports, big and small, and those only looking at their home airport can miss out. If you see a roundtrip airfare from New York to Lisbon for $250, for instance, then adding a $200 flight from Atlanta to New York would still save you money. Even Atlanta residents can benefit from checking out deals from other airports before booking a trip.

Summer is always the busiest travel season in Europe and for good reason. Not only are kids on summer break but warm temperatures draw tourists who prefer to explore in sunny, summer weather and hit the beaches. Of course, lots of people wanting to travel during a specific timeframe means airlines can charge more for tickets.

The more flexible you can be with your travel dates the better your chances of finding deals. We like traveling during the shoulder season, on the edge of the high and low seasons, when you can find good deals but you’ll still generally have nice weather. In Lisbon, it's late spring and early fall. Not only will you get cheaper hotels and flights, but you’ll also have fewer crowds and better weather (summer can be almost too hot to walk around!)

Winter is even cheaper, though it can be rainy. If you’re okay carrying an umbrella and spending time at indoor attractions, it’s a good time to save. Thanksgiving week is another great time to find deals. Most Americans travel domestically that week, so international fares often drop.

If you do plan to visit during peak season, try to travel on the cheapest days to fly: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Avoid Fridays and Sundays, the most expensive days.

One of the easiest ways to find cheap flights is not to look for them at all—let technology do the work for you instead. Set up a fare alert for your travel dates and simply wait for an email telling you prices have dropped into your price range or by a noteworthy amount. We recommend doing this before the Goldilocks WIndow we talked about above so you can see prices drop. Don’t forget to set multiple alerts if your dates or airports are flexible.

LIS is the largest airport in Portugal, and more than 135 airports in 48 countries offer direct flights. In the US, there are direct flights to Lisbon from New York, Newark, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington (DC), Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco. Most US visitors to Portugal can reach Lisbon with just one connection.