Cheapest destinations and best days to fly for a Christmas getaway from France named

A list of the cheapest routes during the Christmas holiday - and what dates to fly on - has been drawn up by a French consumer website.

RMC Conso compiled the list of cheap destinations using price comparison websites, both for travel inside of France and abroad. 

Cheap Christmas flights to and from France 

For international destinations, it assessed flights using price comparison website Kayak between December 14, 2024 and January 6, 2025.

The prices given are an average for a return flight from multiple airports across the country, meaning in some cases, actual prices may be cheaper.

Flights to and from Milan saw the cheapest tickets overall, with a cost of €111 for a return flight across the holiday period (in economy).

The next nine destinations were: 

• Geneva (Switzerland), €133

• London (UK), €137

• Venice (Italy), €143

• Rome (Italy), €156

• Berlin (Germany), €162

• Lisbon (Portugal), €168

• Madrid (Spain), €173

• Copenhagen (Denmark), €180

• Prague (Czech Republic), €185

Toulouse is the cheapest domestic destination 

RMC Conso also looked at flights between all major French airports via comparison site Liligo, for journeys between December 21, 2024 and January 6, 2025.

Again, the figures given in the study are an average for a return flight from all major airports to the destination.

• Toulouse, €120

• Bordeaux, €124

• Lyon, €125 

• Nantes, €129

• Paris, €131

• Lille, €146

• Nice, €147

• Marseille, €161

• Strasbourg, €189

Winter travel tips 

If you are planning on a cheap winter break, it is best to book tickets as early as possible. 

Note that first-class tickets are around 12% cheaper during the winter period. 

Ticket prices rise as the number of available seats decrease - and waiting for a last-minute deal may leave you out of pocket or unable to find any seats at all. 

The busiest date for Christmas travel will be Saturday, December 21, which travellers would be wise to avoid.

In general, tickets are usually cheapest on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as these are the quietest days for travel, however this year Christmas Eve falls on Tuesday, December 24, which will likely skew the equation.

Return tickets are cheapest on December 26, with Kayak estimating travellers can save between 18% and 28%. 

However, while this is not a bank holiday in most of France (with the exception of Alsace and Moselle), in some other countries such as the UK it is, which may affect travel services on this date.

Read more: Some French flight prices for 2025 have already increased due to budget plans