These are the cheapest — and most expensive — cities in Europe to visit this year

A trip to Europe might be a way to save money on travel this year.

In Europe, hotel rates dropped amid a global scramble to find ways to save money. Travel specialists say that average airfares from the US are down.

Another good thing for the US? It was the first time in 20 years that the U.S. dollar and euro were equal.

A three-night stay in a hotel in Paris that charges 250 euro per night would cost $767 today, compared to $841 in July 2019.

Cheap Air.com found that the lowest airfare to Europe was down 15.1% from last year.

According to the study, flights to Europe from cities across the United States averaged $908 this year, down from an average of $1,070 in 2011.

According to the study, travelers looking to find the cheapest flights to Italy can fly into Milan. The number of flights to Venice and Rome decreased.

Cheap Air.com reported that flights to Europe's most visited cities, such as London and Paris, fell, albeit to a lesser extent.

Almost every major American city experienced price drops in flights. Airfare went up by 1.8% in Boston. Boston is the second cheapest US city to fly to Europe. The average airfare to Europe this year is $636 per ticket.

People behind the study were surprised by the drop in airfares. The results showed more cheap flights to Europe than they expected.

Travelers looking for cheap flights to Europe can access Cheap Air.com's Summer Europe flights calendar, which predicts deep discounts will restart on Sept. 4.

Hotels.com says that many hotels are more expensive now than they were before the swine flu hit.

In parts of Western Europe that is not the case.

During the busy summer travel season hotels usually increase their rates. Competition is increasing for rooms and rates in top destinations.

The company highlighted Madrid and Copenhagen as places with good hotel rates for August vacations.

Hotels in many European cities will be cheaper in August than they were before the swine flu outbreak.

Italy and France are not included in this list. According to Hotels.com, Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera is one of the season's most expensive getaways.

Domestic travel is more cost effective than international travel. According to Squaremouth, that hasn't been the case for the last two years.

The company's data shows that the average cost of a domestic trip is about $500 more than an international trip.

That doesn't apply to all spots. Travelers are spending the most money to go to Greece, followed by Italy and France.

The average cost to go to Greece this year is around $7,600, according to Squaremouth’s review of thousands of travel insurance policies purchased from January to mid-June.

In Greece, the average nightly hotel rate is $610 in Mykonos and $434 in Santorini, but are as low as $204 in Ionian Islands and $162 in Crete.

Even cheaper is Athens. In April, Greece's capital city was named one of the world's best-valued city breaks for families by the travel website The Family Vacation Guide.

The average daily cost for a family to visit Amsterdam is double that of Istanbul and less than $150 a day.

Las Vegas was ranked the world's most expensive city for family vacations due to the high hotel room rates.