Europe flights from South Africa costly
For South Africans traveling to Europe during the festive season, popular destinations include Paris, France, Berlin, Germany, and London in the UK. These cities are not only favorites among local holidaymakers but also tend to be among the busiest in the world, which can drive up flight prices.
According to a review of flight prices using Google Flights, return tickets from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to these European destinations can be quite expensive. Prices may change as the season progresses, but the figures below reflect the costs at the time of writing.
Flying from Johannesburg to Paris
Flying from Johannesburg to Paris is cheapest on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with one-way tickets as low as R6,000. For a Thursday, 3 December departure, the cheapest fares found were with Air Europa for R5,879, Qatar Airways for R6,497, and Turkish Airlines for R6,729.
Return flights from Paris to Johannesburg, however, are more expensive, with the cheapest options found for a Monday, 11 January 2027 departure. The cheapest return tickets were with Condor for R7,827, Air Europa for R8,859, and Kenya Airways for R9,079. Notably, the cheapest flight with Condor does not include luggage, which would cost extra.
Flying from Johannesburg to Berlin
Flying to Berlin appears to be cheapest on Mondays and Wednesdays, with flights under R6,000 available on these days. For a Monday, 7 December departure, the cheapest flights found were with Qatar Airways for R5,159, EgyptAir for R8,704, and Lufthansa for R9,709.
Similar to the trend observed with flights to Paris, returning from Berlin to Johannesburg is more expensive, with airlines adding R2,000 or more to tickets back to Johannesburg. The cheapest return flights, departing on Monday, 11 January 2027, were with Condor for R7,525, Qatar Airways for R9,888, and Air France for R10,159. Again, Condor’s cheapest option does not include luggage.
Flying from Johannesburg to London
For flights to the UK, the researchers found that flying on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day is cheapest, with minimal difference in price between the two days. The cheapest tickets for Christmas Eve departures were with Virgin Atlantic for R5,275, Kenya Airways for R5,619, and Air Europa for R6,214.
Returning from London to Johannesburg follows the same pattern of being more expensive than the outgoing flight, with the cheapest return flights departing on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. For a Sunday, 31 January 2027 departure, the cheapest flights were with Air Europa for R7,596, EgyptAir for R9,114, and Etihad for R9,188. Notably, the Air Europa flight includes a significant 35-hour layover.
