Flying Within Europe: 2000
These days you can connect European cities by air as economically as by train. Any good or bad experiences flying within Europe? How about the cut-rate European airlines? Are the various air passes worthwhile?
We Americans are used to pushing the envelope regarding carry-on luggage — two bags plus women bring their purses. But, flying within Europe, you are allowed only ONE carry-on and when you check in at the airport your bags will be weighed and if they are over you will be charged.
I flew KLM from Paris to Amsterdam and when we boarded each person had to check their bag in a size template to make sure it fit. If not you had to gate-check the bag, no exceptions.
KJ <email>
USA 11/27/00
These past few years I have taken many short flights within Europe on Virgin Express Airlines (www.virgin-express.com). Virgin Express is based in Brussels and currently has service to Shannon, Stansted, Berlin, Heathrow, Gatwick, Copenhagen, Madrid, Barcelona, Nice, Milan, Rome, and Rotterdam.
Their prices are unbeatable. Just a few weeks ago I flew one-way from Brussels to Rome for about $60.
I have been extremely pleased with this airline! Also, it is super-easy to use their online 'E Ticket' booking. All you need to do is show up at the airport with your confirmation number and ID.
Be sure to pick up their inflight magazine, 'Red Hot.' I find that it is always packed full of helpful information about the various cites that it serves. Bon Voyage!
K. Candler-Tiberio <email>
San Clemente, CA USA 11/03/00
We had a great experience flying Ryanair - with one proviso! We didn't know about this airline until we were in Germany; they fly from outside Frankfurt and Hamburg to outside of London and to Dublin. They have NO office in Germany, and if you inquire at the Reise-Buro or tourist info offices, they usually know nothing. I called from Germany to Ireland to make reservations - with 3 days notice we flew from Hahn (outside Frankfurt) to Dublin for $98 each. I highly recommend this airline - true, no free refreshments, but for the price and the convenience, this is a small price to pay!
Pamela Moore <email>
Las Vegas, NV USA 10/25/00
Keep in mind that in Europe, you're only allowed ONE carry-on bag. We had to check our main bags because they considered our daypacks one bag!
Kerri DeVault <email>
Seattle, WA USA 10/25/00
Rick Steves was right on about flying out of Spain. We got a great deal from Madrid to Paris....cheaper than the train and we got there in 2 hours. We saved a lot of time and another overnight hotel-train ride.
Paul Tuttle <email>
Albany, Berkeley, CA USA 10/17/00 A few comments on how to book cheap fares out of London, from a resident who pores over the Travel sections of several London newspapers each week:
Part of it is an attitude. I've made up a laundry list of places I want to visit before I book flights. I'm flexible about where I go on a particular weekend, and willing to wait for fare sales. This way I maximize thrills while minimizing costs.
RyanAir is my favorite low-cost airline in the London area. Ryan is a good deal any time, but cheapest booked off-season at the last minute.
I flew with a companion to Aarhus (Denmark) for £29 each RT in late September by booking during one of their regular fare sales where they offer tickets for as little as £9 (plus taxes), £5, or even £1 plus tax round-trip at the very end! This afternoon I spotted another sale in the Times and bought three RT weekend flights (to Frankfurt, Lubeck/Hamburg, and Dublin) for between £24 and £27 each. In US these amount to between $40 and $45 each RT - amazing value!
Ryan has particularly strong offerings to Italy, Ireland, and Scandanavia and some unique French options also. They fly to some offbeat places, like Dinard (Brittany-Normandy border), Carcassonne, Aarhus, Malmo, Nimes, etc.
To score the best fares on RyanAir I would hit the website (www.ryanair.com) regularly, but particularly at the beginning of each month off-season for travel in that month. Their best fares are last-minute, 1-3 weeks before the flight. The seats are set close together.
Buzz is another favorite. They fly to Paris and are particularly strong in France. They fly to Vienna, and have lots of options to Germany. They offer periodical fare sales and are best booked 2-6 months ahead during these sales. Try registering at http://www.club-buzz.com and they may send you e-mails about their fare sales. Seat room was much better than on RyanAir and Go, and I find their website easiest to use of the London cheapies. The downside is that their fares (while excellent value) are usually double those of RyanAir's wacked-out fare sales. Their web address is http://www.buzzaway.com
Go (www.go-fly.com) is another worthy alternative. It has flights to Munich (uniquely for the cheapies) and Prague, is quite strong in Italy, and is the only cheapie to go to Spain and Portugal. Cramped seating and sometimes late-leaving. Go has a e-mail travel club also(http://www.go-fly.com/gomail/index.htm).
Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) is overrated in my view. The prices don't seem competitive whenever I have looked, and it doesn't seem to offer 'fare sales'. However, if you can travel at improbable times (like Saturday night) Easyjet might be for you. I haven't flown them because I always have found better alternatives for the money.
One more thing: If you don't score the lowest fare on any of these carriers, you might be able to get a better deal flying from Heathrow or Gatwick from Travelocity.co.uk. Travel costs from London to Heathrow are low because of the tube, and the airlines running from Heathrow and Gatwick tend to give you free meals and drinks. Since fare prices can be the same (or a little more), schedules better, and transport costs much lower, this can be the better value for money. I bought a RT flight home for Christmas to Chicago for less than £300 ($420) on Travelocity, and other prices can be competitve except with RyanAir and the lowest fares of the others. It is worth a visit.
Don Stadler <don@stadler.fsnet.co.uk>
London, UK 10/08/00
my sister and i flew on ryan air twice in april while in europe...we flew from london stanstead into kerry ireland to go to dingle peninsula...and then from dublin to outside of paris and then took a bus into paris. both flighst were great. cost was approx 120.00 dollars per all luggage except one small bag must be checked. you must arrive on time, and you must pay for drinks including soda. but it was cheaper to fly than take a ferry to ireland...it was also cheaper to fly to paris rather than go back to london and take the chunnel. and of course flying also saved time...
susan <suernmom@aol.com>
jacksonville, fl USA 10/04/00
In August I flew twice within Norway with Braathens on good old 737s using their Northern Light Pass. Oslo-Trondheim and Trondheim-Tromsø were each US$60 plus airport taxes (roughly $80 and $70 respectively). You just go up to the ticket counter, show your US passport & ask for the pass. It's got to be the most convenient way to go north & saved me at least 24 hours of travel time. (One curious thing: Braathens splits up economy class into "Best" and "Back" — the $60 fare is for the latter category, wherein you have to pay for your coffee. Even so it was the cheapest cuppa joe in Norge at 10NOK.) The NLP was only good for summer travel, so check next year to see if they're doing it again. Happy trails.
Cösmø <cosmo_logical@yahoo.com>
Baltimore, MD USA 09/19/00
We had 2 positive experiences with europebyair.com. We flew from Paris to Athens and Athens to Venice for $99 each way (on Axon Air and Alpi Eagle/Olympic Air). Even though we had Eurail passes we saved time by flying. Both planes were new and actually better than the Air France flights from Miami.
michele watson <mdwgjr>
USA 09/19/00
While trying to book airline fares within Europe this summer, I spent hours on the Internet on American and United sites. Wanted to go from Stockholm to London and then later from Oslo to London (Heathrow) to catch plane from London home.
Came across a strange set of cities and airline. I discovered Ryan Air flew from Malmo to London for about $40. Took overnight train to Malmo and then Ryan to London — only a two-hour flight. Airports in Scandinavia appear to be less crowded and hassling than ours at Honolulu.
Going from Oslo to London Heathrow was a nightmare to plan because cheaper flights by Go, Buzz, Virgin Express, and Ryan usually do not fly into Heathrow. Took overnight train to Copenhagen and then spent day there and then took Virgin Express from Copenhagen to Brussels to Heathrow. Was very convenient except had too much layover in Heathrow. Was told at Copenhagen I could not take my purse and small plastic bag on plane as carryon luggage (but did so anyway).
Flying is much cheaper in Europe on these small airlines than taking the train. Most Europeans fly Ryan or some similar airline when they go on vacation.
Suzanne Reyes <SReyes9295@aol.com>
Kapolei, HI USA 09/15/00
I have to agree with all those who flew British Midland Airlines. Comfortable flight, wonderful service, and a good price (we got a $99 flight). On our flight from Frankfurt to Britain they served small sandwiches instead of peanuts or pretzels — a real treat!
Judithe <athompson@zoomnet.net>
Gallipolis, Ohio USA 09/11/00
Flying within Europe, you should expect that any checked baggage which is not locked will be opened and searched after it has gone through to the baggage handlers. By whom, I don't know. But this happens pretty regularly. If it can be searched, it will. Best advice — lock everything! But you can also have fun with this one: At the end of a trip, we usually put all our dirty underwear in one zipper compartment and leave it unlocked...
Bob L
Derby, UK 09/03/00
When flying within Europe be aware that even if you normally travel first or business class in other parts of the world that withing Europe Business class is a major rip- off. The prices are really expensive and the seats normally always the same in Business or Economy. This is becuase airlines change the partition between business and economy for each flight. So if u go one way in business and back in economy you could be in the same seat. Service is almost the same too. Plus the flights are short so it doesnt really matter, the service that is
Chris <Ctank422@aol.com>
Boston, ma USA 08/14/00
Virgin Express has a strict carryon limit (very small), so be prepared to check your duffel when you take their flights.
First-time Europe
USA 08/05/00
Flew from London (Stanstead Airport) to Prague and back in July for 70 GB pounds on Go Airlines! Great price, and both airports were very easy. Trains and coaches going directly to Stanstead from Liverpool Street Station in London. Stanstead airport is a dream! New, internet access right in the check-in area, tram/train thing that takes you to your gate. Short line up at customs, even shorter for EU people. You have to buy food if you want to eat in the air, but we got smart on the way back and brought our own food onto the train.
bettyboop
Vancouver, 07/31/00
I did two flights on Air France while in Europe this year, one RT Frankfurt-Madrid and the other RT Frankfurt-Bastia (Corsica). The price for both trips was far less than the train or (for Corsica) the train and ferry, and of course a lot faster. Even in coach class, they serve you a magnificent gourmet lunch with wine! Also, when our flight from Madrid to Lyon was delayed 40 minutes due to air traffic controller problems, the flight crew assured us that all the connecting flights at Lyon would be held for us, and they were! Another note about Air France — if you are a Delta Airlines frequent flier, you can earn Delta miles on Air France. Finally, it is definitely cheaper to connect through the Lyon Airport (St.-Exupery).
Mary from Oregon
USA 07/24/00
Having just traveled on Air Europa, I can offer some warning for those who book via Internet or phone. You must arrive very early (90+ minutes) at the airport, even for the simplest domestic flight; with your confirmation, you need to go to a "will call" ticket booth to have your tickets printed out. This took us 35 minutes. Then, you still have to check in at the gate a minimum of 30 minutes before departure (airline policy), or you lose your seat, even if you've already paid. We got to Madrid airport 50 min. before departure, and never made it on the flight to Barcelona.
Steve <kuch3@yahoo.com>
S. Pasadena, CA USA 07/15/00
For cheap airfares around Europe check out the following sites:
www.easyjet.com
www.go-fly.com
www.ryanair.com
www.buzzaway.com
Easyjet and Ryanair model themselves on SW Airlines in the US. A bit like flying buses and they sometimes fly from secondary airports (which can be a good thing), but if you book in advance their fares are unbeatable. Go and Buzz are British Airway's and KLM's attempts to get in on the budget travel act. Easyjet and Go are ticketless so you can buy over the Internet, note down your reference number and just turn up at the airport.
Dirk Singer <dirk_singer@talk21.com>
London, UK 07/14/00
Now from Prague to London round-trip for $140! Cheaper and faster than a sweaty train ride of 18+ hours. Ask a travel agent in Prague
DBG
Lakwood, OH USA 06/08/00
On a recent trip to Europe, we took three inter-Europe flights instead of training it as we wanted to cover more ground. I would suggest the train as they are wonderful and comfortable and you can see all the scenery, but if you have a short time to cover a lot of ground check out www.europebyair.com, the flight coupons are $99 for an intereurope flight anywhere (as long as there is no connection) and they will make your reservations in advance if you choose or you can leave them open to make them in europe yourself. You just have to buy the coupons before you go. We flew all the way from Paris to Athens as well as Copenhagen to Brussels and Athens to Venice, all for $99 each! Keep in mind that you do have to pay airport taxes which ranged around $10-$20 per person depending on the place. The planes are small but not Prop planes and the Greek airlines are the greatest. I highly suggest Axon Air if going to Greece.
Lisa Masters <lisa@dragonstear.com>
green mountain falls, co USA 06/07/00
We learned that it can be cheaper to fly from London to Paris or Brussels than take the Chunnel. In fact, two one-way tickets were less than one Chunnel ticket. We booked our flights on Virgin Air via the Internet. That part was simple. However, once we took the Gatwick Express to Gatwick to catch our flight, we found out it had been cancelled. The Airline put us on a coach to Heathrow. It was nice to see the countryside but what on ordeal. We thought the flight would be like taking a US domestic flight. Wrong. Jammed packed, no leg room, and rude people. However, those pains were worth it to save money.
Tony Derailer
Austin, TX USA 06/04/00
I recently got some great flight bargains to, from, and within Spain at www.air-europa.com. They have internet specials for flights between now and July 1st. For example, one way Paris-Madrid is 9750 pesetas ($53)! Madrid to Jerez de la Fronterra is 5000 pesetas ($27). Compare that to taking the AVE to Seville... This is an "internet-only" offer, so don't bother calling their toll-free number.
Steve
South Pasadena, CA USA 06/02/00
I highly recommend British Midland, also. Last December I flew BM from London to Paris for $107 roundtrip. Everything from the checking in, boarding, and the meals served was first class.
Carolyn White <WhiteCarolynA2@JohnDeere.com>
Davenport, IA USA 05/31/00
I flew from London to Dublin on British Midland this past March and it was excellent. It was only an hour and 10 minute flight, but they served the best food and the flight service was excellent. Definatly put our regular coach to shame here in the USA. Highly recommend British Midland!
velvet rogers <velvetr@candid.com>
oklahoma city, ok USA 05/22/00
Discount flights within Europe can be difficult to arrange from the US. You often can pay only in the originating country. If credit card payment is accepted, that can be done from the US. Eastern countries often do not have credit card as an available option, cash only is the rule. One way I have used to originate pre-booked travel in europe, especially Eastern Europe, is frequent flyer tickets. They can usually originate at any either end of the allowed itenerary. Frequent flyer tickets must be sent to the home address of the member, so if you are using it to have a friend or relative visit, they cannot pick up at the airport or city ticket office. You will have to mail them.
Recently I booked a charter flight from England over the phone. Charged to my US credit card and the ticket was sent to the Gatwick office of the travel company. This was Thomson Holidays, one of the biggest in the UK. Agents may be able to arrange the ticket delivery, but I think the large travel companies with a web presence (like Thomson) are easier to deal with.
Michael Thomas <mmthomas@usa.net>
Houston, TX USA 05/04/00
During a trip we just completed, my wife and I flew Spanair from Barcelona to Madrid. I bought the tickets from Spainair's US office about six months before the flight and paid about $115 for both of the tickets. The flight was great, the service was friendly and it was slightly cheaper than Iberia. It was a great value and I would recommend the airline. Why bother getting a crummy night's sleep on a train when one can fly in about two hours (includes getting to/from the airports and waiting for the plane).
Dylan <norming@teleport.com>
Portland, OR USA 05/02/00
EuropeByAir.com's web page indicates that currently there is no minimum purchase limit on number of air passes per person (normally, you must buy at least three of the $99 passes). No indication of an expiration on this special.
Michael Miller
Lawrence, KS USA 04/30/00
Bargain flying is now available throughout Europe from europebyair.com. For just $99 (plus tax) you can fly between nearly 130 European cities. (And now Greece has been added with AXON air.) europebyair.com Flight Passes are open tickets to fly on any one-way, non-stop flight in the europebyair.com system. Purchase your passes (minimum of 3) before you arrive in Europe by using their online purchase form, by calling 888-387-2479, or by speaking to your travel agent. You may also make flight reservations when in Europe. There are no mileage charges, no fare zones, no blackout days, and reservations can be made in advance or on the go. They are valid for 120 days and are non-refundable. Airline members include Air Greece, Air Liberte, Air One, AlpiEagles Airlines, Augsburg Airways, AXON Airlines, Croatian, European Air Express, Estonian Airlines, Jersey European, LTU, PGA Portugalia, LTU/RAS, Spanair, TTA Trans Travel, Virgin Express and VLM.
Steve Dickey <steve@dickey.com>
Depoe Bay, OR USA 02/29/00
Although my preference is train travel (esp. the high-speed lines), flying within Europe can be very easy and cost-effective and can save lots of time. Keep in mind that some of the carriers can't be sold by travel agencies in the US and the pricing structure is totally different. In comparison to the US, where a last minute airline ticket will cost a fortune, Europeans live for cheap "last-minute" travel deals (especially in Germany). Since Europeans have so much vacation time to play with, the entire travel market is geared for the last-minute leisure traveler.
There are also tons of charter flights to "leisure" destinations like the Canary Islands, Mallorca, Greece, Turkey, Southern Italy, Tunisia etc. from cities in Northern Europe. Frequently they are charter divisions of the national carriers. Check newspapers or ask locals for a good travel agency. Am Ex Travel probably won't have the deals you're looking for.
Charters will frequently get you to resort destinations non-stop w/better times. Unfortunately they don't always fly everyday and can have very costly change/cancellation fees. Be very careful when purchasing and make sure you understand your time/date limitations.
Flying with a charter or last-minute works best if you are totally flexible, but it can save you unbelievable time and money. A lot of flights offer hotel/meal packages for great prices. I flew non-stop RT Munich to Santorini on Condor (charter division of Lufthansa) for $195 in shoulder season. If you are feeling up for an adventure, go to a Last Minute travel agency in a major European city, look on the board for departure cities and buy your ticket for the next day to an exotic destination. Otherwise, as a student, wait until you are in Europe and go to a Council Travel, STA or USIT travel agency to buy one-way youth/student tickets with great stopover options.
Lisa
San Francisco, CA USA 02/16/00
Virgin Express has dropped its Rome to Barcelona flights effective March 4, 2000. Hope this airline gets a 1-800 number and adds more flight destinations.
sara kaup <skaup@ucsd.edu>
San Diego, CA USA 02/03/00
How to get from Athens to Rome in 2 hours in the lap of luxury?
While traveling around the Mediterranean for 9 weeks this fall, I took 9 flights within Europe. Some of my flights were arranged before I left by my (amazing) travel agent Mishla at High Adventure Travel (they specialize in multiple-hop trips).
The best deal she got for me was an amazing flight on Thai Airways from Athens to Rome for about $150. It originates in Thailand and stops in Athens and then Rome. There are almost always empty seats after passengers get off in Athens. The flight runs on Tuesday and Thursday mornings (early!). You might have to book with a travel agent in advance, which is what I did. Not only was the flight cheap, it was a huge 777 jet with amazing service and food, and plenty of room to stretch out and sleep.
Other flights were arranged spur-of-the-moment while in Europe: Barcelona-Madrid $67 one way(!), Lisbon-Madrid $200 (not a bargain), Cairo-Luxor $120 (cheaper than the awful long train), Samos-Athens $55, and Athens-Santorini $90.
D. Matties <debmatties@yahoo.com>
Washington, DC USA 01/08/00