Greece is emerging as one of the most cost-effective destinations for German travelers in 2026, provided bookings are made at the right time. According to a major analysis by Opodo, based on flight prices from Germany in 2025, November is the cheapest month to fly to Greece, while the timing of the booking—day, hour, and distance from departure—can reduce costs by several dozen percentage points.
Specifically, the data show that the average airfare price in November for Greece amounts to €256, during a period when demand decreases but travel experiences remain unchanged.
Affordable options are, of course, also found among competing destinations, with the lowest flight price recorded for Turkey in January (€209), followed by Italy in January (€221), Spain in May (€226), France in January (€215), and Greece and Portugal in January (€287).
Opodo’s analysis is based on all flight bookings from Germany between January 1 and December 31, 2025, and accurately maps out when it is most advantageous to book trips for 2026. The main conclusion is that booking timing is one of the most powerful levers for saving money, regardless of destination.
For European travel, the most effective booking “window” is identified as 31 to 60 days before departure. During this period, the average price stands at €225 and is approximately 18% lower compared to last-minute bookings.
Opodo also identifies clear patterns regarding the days on which bookings are most advantageous. Overall, Saturday and Monday emerge as the two most cost-effective days to “lock in” low prices, as in 4 out of the 12 months of the year the best deals were found on these days. For travelers heading to Africa and the Americas, Wednesday is consistently more advantageous, while for Asia it is Monday and for Oceania Tuesday.
The time of booking is also of particular interest. On an annual basis, the cheapest time to book a flight is at 11 p.m., with an average price of €302, offering a clear advantage to night owls. In January, a month of intense price fluctuations, the best time shifts to 4 p.m., with an average price of €249. For transatlantic and long-haul flights, patterns become even more pronounced, with America offering the lowest prices at 4 a.m. and Oceania showing a narrow “window” around 7 a.m., when prices drop dramatically before soaring in the evening.