International Flight Prices Are at Historic Lows Over the Holidays — Here's Where to Book a Cheap Trip

If you're looking to spend Thanksgiving abroad this year, you can be thankful for bargain fares to some very appealing destinations.

Want to be grateful from a gondola in magical Venice? You can, for just $589 round trip from the U.S., according to data from the travel app Hopper. Prefer an island escape and shorter flights? Head to St. Thomas for $366 round trip or to Aruba for $878 round trip.

Craving authentic Portuguese pastéis de nata and live fado music? Fly from the U.S. to Lisbon for $456 round trip. That's 30% less than you would have paid in 2019.

Of course, you may not want to wait too long to book your flights. Those who do could find themselves paying up to 40% more for their tickets, according to Hopper.

Aerial panoramic view of Cancun beach and city hotel zone in Mexico. Caribbean coast landscape of Mexican resort with beach Playa Caracol and Kukulcan road. Riviera Maya in Quintana roo region on Yucatan Peninsula
Aerial panoramic view of Cancun beach and city hotel zone in Mexico. Caribbean coast landscape of Mexican resort with beach Playa Caracol and Kukulcan road. Riviera Maya in Quintana roo region on Yucatan Peninsula

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Travelers looking to celebrate Thanksgiving abroad will fare better than those traveling domestically, but they too should expect to see higher prices the longer they wait.

Consumers can expect to spend around $620 for an international roundtrip airline ticket over Thanksgiving, according to Hopper. That's 17% less than you might have paid in 2019, when similar fares were around $750. Wait until the week of Thanksgiving, however, and you may find yourself paying closer to $820 for a roundtrip flight abroad.

Still, international airfares are at historic lows heading into the holiday season. And Nov. 24, the day before Thanksgiving, is when travelers can expect to find the cheapest international flights, Hopper says.

This year, travelers can also expect to find Thanksgiving deals on travel to Cancun, Rio de Janeiro, Geneva, Cairo, and Dubai. Average flight prices for travel between the U.S. and Cancun for Thanksgiving travel are around $338, Hopper says. Flights to Dubai are coming in at $687 round trip.

For travel to Dubai, Emirates Airlines is discounting children's fares by up to 75% and throwing in passes to the world expo that's scheduled to run through March 2022. That deal is valid on travel through March 31, 2022, but flights have to be booked by Oct. 30.

Meena Thiruvengadam is a Travel + Leisure contributor who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 U.S. states. She loves historic plaques, wandering new streets and walking on beaches. Find her on Facebook and Instagram.