Europe Unlocked Research
Tuesday was the cheapest day to fly out of the UK and Wednesday the cheapest day home in our 2026 fare tracking, both about a fifth below the week's average.
Written By Rick Blyth
Happiest at 36,000ft as the sun rises above the clouds
6 min read
Published on 11th November 2026
Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly out of the UK, and Wednesday the cheapest day to fly home. In our 2026 fare tracking, both were about a fifth below the week's average, while Friday out and Sunday home cost the most.
That's for Ryanair and easyJet flights booked 6 to 8 weeks ahead. Here's the detail, day by day.
Tuesday was the cheapest day to fly out and Wednesday the cheapest to fly home, both about a fifth below average. Friday out and Sunday home cost the most.
Ryanair and easyJet, booked 6 to 8 weeks ahead
The day of the week you book made almost no difference: 0.3% or less.
7,151,170 daily prices
Measured across 113,538 Ryanair and easyJet flights booked 6 to 8 weeks ahead, each day against the week's average on the same routes. One-way base fares; out and home are separate one-way flights.
| Day | Ryanair | easyJet |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | -7% (£34) | -10% (£63) |
| Tuesday | -23% (£26) | -21% (£56) |
| Wednesday | -18% (£28) | -14% (£63) |
| Thursday | +3% (£39) | +11% (£84) |
| Friday | +31% (£53) | +32% (£100) |
| Saturday | +15% (£43) | +21% (£94) |
| Sunday | +6% (£39) | -11% (£63) |
Against the week's average on the same routes, booked 6 to 8 weeks ahead, with the typical one-way fare in brackets. These are one-way flights, each direction on its own.
Tuesday was the cheapest day to fly out: 23% below the week's average with Ryanair and 21% below with easyJet. Wednesday came next, and Monday wasn't bad either.
Then it climbs towards the weekend. Friday was the dearest day to fly out, 31% above average with Ryanair and 32% with easyJet, and Saturday was dear too. Sunday split the two airlines: a little above average with Ryanair, but 11% below with easyJet.
| Day | Ryanair | easyJet |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | +12% (£38) | +12% (£81) |
| Tuesday | -14% (£27) | -10% (£63) |
| Wednesday | -21% (£24) | -18% (£57) |
| Thursday | -16% (£27) | -17% (£56) |
| Friday | About the same (£33) | -8% (£62) |
| Saturday | +1% (£31) | +9% (£76) |
| Sunday | +53% (£57) | +39% (£99) |
Against the week's average on the same routes, booked 6 to 8 weeks ahead, with the typical one-way fare in brackets. These are one-way flights, each direction on its own.
Wednesday was the cheapest day to fly home: 21% below average with Ryanair and 18% below with easyJet. Thursday was nearly as good, and Tuesday wasn't far behind.
Sunday was by far the dearest day to come home: 53% above average with Ryanair and 39% with easyJet. Monday was dearer than average too.
A Friday to Sunday weekend uses the two dearest days of the week: Friday out was 31% above average with Ryanair, and Sunday home 53% above. Saturday out and Monday home were dearer than average too.
So if you can go midweek, it's the easy win. Out on a Tuesday and home on a Wednesday or Thursday puts you on the cheapest days both ways.
Because these are one-way fares, out and home don't have to be on the same airline. You can fly out with one airline on its cheap day and home with another on theirs.
You don't even have to come home from the same city.
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Barely. The day of the week you book made almost no difference: 0.3% or less, whichever day it was. The day you fly matters far more, and so does how far ahead you book. Ryanair fares were cheapest 4 to 8 weeks out, and easyJet's 6 to 12 weeks out. There's more on that in the best time to book flights to Europe and on the best time to book Ryanair flights.
📌 Key points
- Tuesday was the cheapest day to fly out of the UK, about a fifth below the week's average.
- Wednesday was the cheapest day to fly home, with Thursday close behind.
- Friday out and Sunday home cost the most.
- A Friday to Sunday weekend uses the two dearest days. Midweek is the easy win.
- The day you book barely matters. The day you fly does.
In our 2026 fare tracking, Tuesday was the cheapest day to fly out of the UK and Wednesday the cheapest day to fly home. With Ryanair, Tuesday out was 23% below the week's average and Wednesday home 21% below.
Tuesday, if you're flying out of the UK, and Wednesday if you're flying home. Thursday was nearly as cheap for coming home. Friday out and Sunday home were the dearest.
Tuesday. Flying out of the UK on a Tuesday was 23% below the week's average with Ryanair and 21% below with easyJet, booked 6 to 8 weeks ahead.
Friday to fly out of the UK and Sunday to fly home. Sunday home was 53% above the week's average with Ryanair and 39% with easyJet.
Yes, in our data. Tuesday and Wednesday were the cheapest days to fly out, and Wednesday and Thursday the cheapest to fly home. Friday and Saturday out, and Sunday home, were the dearest.
Yes. Media outlets, websites and other publications are welcome to use them, but must credit Europe Unlocked with a link to this page.
We've done the searching, so you don't have to. Find city breaks from your airport, with lots under £100, or see weekend breaks if it has to be a weekend.
