For thrifty travel-loving types in Europe, a certain low-cost carrier stands out amongst the rest, and while we all love to critique its endless extra charges and lackluster customer service, the chance to fly a thousand miles for 9.99 euros comes as a welcome perk to many of us.

Not just one but several budget airlines criss-cross the continent and well beyond. To explore new horizons, consider these three budget airlines serving airports close to U.S. installations:

Wizz Air: the low-cost Hungarian carrier based in Budapest flies to 154 destinations in 45 countries. Those based in Germany and Italy will find themselves well connected to a myriad of central and East European destinations.

From Frankfurt International Airport, travelers can reach the likes of Budapest, Kyiv and Sofia; from Frankfurt-Hahn, flights connect with even more exotic choices including Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu and Timisoara in Romania; Kutaisi, Georgia; Lviv, Ukraine and Skopje, North Macedonia. From Karlsruhe-Baden-Baden, you’re connected with Belgrade, Serbia; Kutaisi, Georgia; Sibiu and Timisoara, Romania; Skopje, North Macedonia and Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. From Memmingen/ Munich West, cities suddenly accessible include Belgrade and Niš, Serbia; Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu, Suceava, Timisoara, and Tirgu Mures in Romania; Chisinau, Moldova; Kyiv; Skopje and Ohrid, North Macedonia; Podgorica, Montenegro; Pristina, Kosovo; Tirana, Albania; Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sofia and Varna, Bulgaria.

Those based in Naples can take advantage of flights to Bucharest, Budapest, Sofia, Vienna, Warsaw and Kutaisi, Georgia. From Catania, options include Bucharest, Budapest and Iasi, Romania; Katowice, Krakow and Warsaw, Poland; London, Sofia and Vienna. From Venice Treviso, there’s service to Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi and Timisoara in Romania; Chisinau, Moldova; Kutaisi, Georgia; Skopje, North Macedonia and Tirana, Albania.

Visit: thanks to flights into its third-biggest city Kutaisi, the Caucasus nation of Georgia is more connected to Europe than ever before. Unique wines, spicy and delicious cuisine, ancient monasteries, rugged landscapes and warm and welcoming people entice intrepid travelers.

Eurowings: this German low-cost carrier making up part of the Lufthansa Group serves more than 200 domestic, European and international destinations. A four-tiered pricing system provides options to suit all types of budgets.

Just a few of the cities served by Eurowings flights include Catania, Florence, Naples, Pisa, Venice and Verona in Italy; Birmingham, England; and Cologne-Bonn, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Nuremberg, Saarbruecken and Stuttgart in Germany.

Eurowings flights out of Stuttgart link the city with most of the usual traveler favorites and well beyond. Summer season destinations more off the beaten track might include Zakynthos, Greece; Bastia, France, Jersey in the Channel Islands, or Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From Saarbruecken, there’s a direct flight to Palma de Mallorca in Spain.

Visit: From April 3, direct flights will link Stuttgart and Malta at fares starting at 31.99 euros. The delights of Malta include a mild climate, gorgeous beaches, fascinating history and lively nightlife for starters.

Condor: this German airline based in Frankfurt operates flights to leisure destinations in Europe and far beyond. Although its parent company Thomas Cook Airlines collapsed in 2019, the company continues to wing its way through the skies.

A selection of beloved vacation destinations bookable out of Frankfurt in the summer season includes Paphos, Cyprus; Mykynos, Greece, Toulon, France and the Spanish island of Ibiza. From Stuttgart, fly to Dubrovnik, Croatia or Corfu, Greece.

Visit: new on the summer flight schedule for 2020 is a flight to Tivat, Montenegro. The route will be offered twice weekly from May out of Frankfurt at fares beginning at 66.99 euros. Things to do in Tivat might include admiring the yachts in Porto Montenegro or exploring the Bay of Kotor, a stunningly beautiful body of blue, blue sea framed by craggy mountains.