5 Underrated European Destinations Americans Will Be Able To Fly Nonstop To In 2026

Share The Article

Tired of hearing about Paris and its twinkling Eiffel Tower? London and the red telephone boxes and moving bridges? Venice and its jam-packed canals?

Whether you're already familiar with Europe's tourism powerhouses or you've read about them so much they no longer pique your interest, perhaps it's time to go off the beaten path a little and explore the lesser-known Europe most tourists are still sleeping on.

Historically, connectivity between the U.S. and anywhere northwest of Germany, or south of Rome, where most of these hidden gems lie, has not been great. For Americans, that would usually entail flying first into a major Western hub, then connecting onward to their final destination.

We still don't have our long-awaited flights to Albania (hopefully at some point in the future), but as soon as next spring, we'll be able to fly nonstop to these 5 underrated EU spots.

Bye-bye time-consuming Frankfurt transfers, hello smooth sails into the offbeat side of Europe:

Sofia, Bulgaria

As we confirmed a few weeks ago, Bulgaria's own GullivAir will be launching nonstop flights from New York's JFK and Chicago's O'Hare to the national capital, Sofia, sometime in April 2026.

The actual starting date, flight frequency, and fares aren't yet known, but it will mark the first-ever Transatlantic connection between America and this up-and-coming Eastern Balkan country.

As for Sofia, it offers visitors an eclectic cityscape featuring Ancient Roman, later Byzantine, and Ottoman mosques, as well as socialist-era structures. It's a little rough around the edges, and not unanimously adored by casual travelers, but you can't deny it has character.

The new route will also pave the way for Americans to discover the wider Bulgaria, and cities like Plovdiv, the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe (yep, older even than Athens or Rome), and Varna, on the Black Sea Coast, are set for a significant surge in demand.

Split, Croatia

Speaking of beaches, United is again proving to be a pioneer in U.S.-Balkan connectivity and launching the first-ever flights between Newark (EWR) and Split, Croatia (SPU) in April.

After a string of successful summers servicing Dubrovnik, Split will be United's second Croatian bet, and if you're asking us, it's already a surefire hit:

Think of a UNESCO-listed Old Town criss-crossed by cobbled alleys, spilling out of the walls of a 4th-century Roman palace, a palm tree-lined marina, backed by lively bars and seafood restaurants, and picture-perfect pebbly beaches hugged by turquoise waters.

Split is also a great base for exploring Central Dalmatia, a historically rich region dotted with ancient sights.

Don't miss Klis, a medieval fortress featured on Game of Thrones as the slaving city of Meereen, and Hvar, an island off the Split coast known for its stone-built, harborside capital, and UNESCO-protected 2,400-year-old agricultural landscapes.

Sardinia, Italy

Can't get enough of those paradisiacal Mediterranean views yet? You're in luck in 2026, as Delta Air Lines is set to operate seasonal round-trip flights between JFK and Sardinia from May.

Sardinia is Sicily's underknown sister, and an equally-sized island in the Med packed full of picturesque mountain villages, ancient archaeological zones, and white-sand calas running along the turquoise-most seas you've ever seen.

The flights won't be reaching Cagliari, the Sardinian capital, but Olbia (OLB), in the northern half of the island. Olbia's the gateway to the aptly-named Costa Smeralda, where Sardinia's best beaches meet its clearest waters, and a short ferry ride away from the pristine Maddalena archipelago.

Flights will be available 4x weekly, every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and tickets can already be purchased directly from Delta's website.

Malta

Got room to fit in another Mediterranean getaway? The teeny-tiny nation of Malta, which comprises the namesake island of Malta itself, and the smaller Gozo and Comino, will be hosting Transatlantic flights for the first time in 25 years, beginning May 2026.

A courtesy of Delta Air Lines, again, flights will go on their round-trip trajectory on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, linking their JFK hub to Malta International Airport (MLA).

The airport itself is only a 15-minute drive to Valletta, Malta's fortified harbor capital, 23 minutes from Mdina, a walled town that sits among Europe's oldest, and 17 minutes from Sliema, the party hub, where most of the beach bars and young crowds are.

Malta's true unspoiled charm, however, is found in the even-smaller Gozo, at a 29-minute ferry crossing: known for its sandy bays, crystal-clear waters, and Victoria (Rabat), a fortress-like historic capital home to a landmark Baroque cathedral, it is one of the Mediterranean's best-kept secrets.

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Mediterranean Europe is getting hotter with every summer, and if you're not exactly keen on sunburns and sweating cobs the instant you step outside of your AirBnB, Santiago de Compostela is a great cooler-cation alternative.

Sitting on the climate-wise much more mild side of Spain, on its North Atlantic Coast, it is not only a major pilgrimage site drawing in devout Christians from all over the world, but a UNESCO World Heritage Site of a medieval city dominated by a 13th-century cathedral.

The cathedral is the endpoint of the Way of St. James, where the saint, one of the original Twelve Disciples of Christ, is reputedly buried. A masterpiece of Gothic and Baroque, this soaring monument will have atheists themselves questioning their lack of faith.

The good news is, as soon as May 2026, you can fly direct from EWR to SCQ with United, 3x a week, on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while everyone else gets hosed down by angry locals brandishing water pistols in Barcelona.

Nope, you didn't read that wrong.