Book an Open Jaw Flight to Europe
An open jaw flight lets you fly into one European city and out of another, eliminating backtracking. Book directly on airline websites or use Google Flights to search multi-city options. Expect to pay $50-150 more than a roundtrip, but you'll save time and ground transport costs.
- Budget
- $50-150 more than a roundtrip ticket, but often saves money on ground transport back to origin city
- Duration
- Flights are same length as roundtrips, but you save 1-2 travel days by not backtracking to your arrival city
- Best Time
- Book 2-4 months ahead for summer travel, 1-2 months for shoulder season, 3-6 weeks for winter
- Visa Required
- No different from roundtrip — depends on countries you visit
Step by step
Understand what open jaw means
Open jaw = fly into City A, out of City B. You handle ground transport between them yourself. This works when you want to travel linearly across Europe (London to Rome) instead of making a loop back to your starting point.
Choose your entry and exit cities
Pick cities that make geographic sense for your route. Flying into Amsterdam and out of Barcelona means moving south through Europe. Flying into Paris and out of Frankfurt means backtracking. Major hubs (London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Rome) usually offer better prices and flight availability.
Search using multi-city booking tools
On Google Flights, click 'Multi-city' instead of 'Round trip.' Enter your home airport, your European arrival city, then add a second segment from your European departure city back home. Search the same way on airline websites. Momondo and Kayak also support multi-city searches.
Compare against a simple roundtrip
Search the same dates as a roundtrip to your arrival city. If the open jaw costs $200+ more, consider the roundtrip and taking a budget flight or train back to your starting point. If it's under $100 more, the open jaw almost always wins on time and convenience.
Book the open jaw as one ticket
Always book both flights on a single ticket. This protects you if your outbound flight delays and you miss your connection home. Two separate one-way tickets offer no protection and usually cost more. Book directly with the airline when possible.
Plan your ground route
Once you've booked, map your overland route between arrival and departure cities. You can take trains, buses, or budget flights for internal European segments. Build your itinerary knowing you need to end up in your exit city on departure day.
Questions people ask
Is an open jaw ticket actually cheaper?
Usually not cheaper than a roundtrip ticket — it typically costs $50-150 more. But it saves you the cost and time of getting back to your arrival city. If a train from Barcelona to Amsterdam costs €180 and takes 12 hours, paying an extra $100 for an open jaw makes sense.
Can I book an open jaw with points or miles?
Yes. Most frequent flyer programs treat open jaw as a standard award ticket. Some programs (like United MileagePlus) allow open jaw bookings at the same mileage cost as a roundtrip. Search the award calendar using the multi-city tool on the airline's site.
Do I clear customs twice?
No. You clear immigration and customs once when you enter Europe (at your arrival city) and once when you return home. Your exit city just handles departure formalities. Within the Schengen Area, you won't even see border control when crossing countries overland.
What if I want to visit more than two cities?
You can book a true multi-city ticket with stops in several cities, but prices increase with each segment. For most European trips, book the open jaw for entry and exit, then use budget airlines, trains, or buses for the cities in between.
Can I change just one leg of my ticket?
This depends on your fare class. Basic economy tickets usually can't be changed at all. Standard economy and above typically let you change either leg, but you'll pay a change fee plus any fare difference. Some airlines now waive change fees on premium fares.
Budget
Open jaw flights from North America to Europe typically cost $600-900 in low season (November-March), $800-1200 in shoulder season (April-May, September-October), and $1000-1500+ in summer (June-August). Expect to pay $50-150 more than an equivalent roundtrip ticket. From the UK or Ireland to continental Europe, open jaw tickets run £80-200. From Australia or New Zealand, expect AUD $1400-2200 or NZD $1600-2400 depending on season.
Packing
- Mobile boarding passes or printed confirmations for both flights
- Your planned route between entry and exit cities
- Rail pass or budget airline bookings if you've pre-purchased internal transport
Related: multi-city and open-jaw tickets, Europe and how to plan a two-week trip from scratch.