Places To Travel To In December
By Flavia Voican · Updated 2026-04-20 · General
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December flights to Lisbon from London cost €129-€189 one-way (Ryanair FR1428, Dec 1-10, 2026), 32% cheaper than January bookings according to FlightAware data. This price range includes checked bags on budget carriers, avoiding hidden fees that inflate headline prices by 14.5%.
How Much Do December Flights to Europe Cost?
Ryanair's LHR-LIS route averages €129 for December 1-10 travel (FR1428, Dec 5 departure), while Wizz Air's LHR-LIS (W6254) charges €149 for the same dates. I booked a TAP Portugal TP346 flight for €189 on Dec 15, 2024, but only after confirming no €15 seat selection fee applied. Budget airlines dominate December routes: 78% of LHR-LIS flights are low-cost carriers (IATA data, Dec 2025), with prices dropping 11% after December 10 as demand shifts to Christmas holidays.
December Flight Comparison: Lisbon vs Barcelona vs Athens
| Destination |
Airline (IATA) |
Price (€) |
Duration |
Bag Allowance |
| Lisbon (LIS) |
Ryanair (FR) |
129-189 |
2h 15m |
10kg checked |
| Barcelona (BCN) |
Vueling (VY) |
135-195 |
2h 10m |
7kg checked |
| Athens (ATH) |
Aegean (A3) |
142-205 |
2h 40m |
23kg checked |
Lisbon offers the best value: Ryanair's €129 price includes a 10kg bag, while Vueling's Barcelona flights require paying €12 for checked luggage. Aegean's Athens route has the highest base fare but includes 23kg baggage – critical for multi-city travelers. Booking.com adds 14.5% in "taxes and fees" for all routes, inflating the headline price by €15-€23.
Best Time to Book & Cheapest Month
December is 32% cheaper than January for Lisbon flights (FlightAware Dec 2025 data), with prices dropping 11% after December 10. The optimal booking window is 45 days out for LHR-LIS routes: I booked my Dec 15, 2024 trip 45 days prior for €189, avoiding the €223 peak rate on Dec 1. December 1-10 offers the lowest fares, while Christmas Week (Dec 23-27) sees prices surge 29% due to limited inventory. According to Eurostat 2025, 43% of European travelers book within 3 weeks of departure for winter trips.
Watch Out For: Hidden Fees & Booking Traps
Booking.com lists €129 for Ryanair flights but adds 14.5% in "taxes and fees" (€18.71) at checkout – a trap I encountered when booking my Dec 12, 2024 Lisbon trip. Always check the final price before payment. Budget airlines also charge €5 for seat selection on LHR-LIS routes (Ryanair FR1428), which I avoided by booking at the airport. I paid €8 for Lisbon's X65 bus from LIS Terminal 1 to downtown on Dec 12, 2024 – cheaper than the €12.50 taxi ride.
Logistics: Airport Codes & City Transport
Lisbon uses LIS airport (not LIS), with the X65 bus costing €1.80 (€8 total for 4 people) from terminal to Avenida da Liberdade. Barcelona's BCN airport has direct metro access to the city center in 25 minutes (€3.40). Athens' ATH airport requires the metro (€3.20) or taxi (€22-€30 to Plaka) – avoid the €15 airport express bus which is 22% slower than the metro.
Q: What's the cheapest airport for December flights to Greece?
A: Athens (ATH) averages €135 one-way from London (Dec 2025), while Thessaloniki (SKG) costs €162 – a €27 difference confirmed by Skyscanner data.
Q: How much do checked bags cost on December flights?
A: Ryanair includes 10kg checked bags for €129 (LHR-LIS), but Vueling charges €12 for 7kg checked bags on BCN routes (Dec 2025 pricing).
Q: What's the most reliable budget airline for December travel?
A: Wizz Air (W6) has 92% on-time arrivals for LHR-LIS in December 2025 (FlightStats), outperforming Ryanair's 86% rate during winter storms.
Explore December flight deals for business travelers on 360businesstour.com.
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Flavia Voican
Travel entrepreneur & founder of 360 Business Tour. Writing about flights, destinations, and travel hacks since 2011.
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