Starting trip in Nice and ending in Bordeaux
Jan 9th, 2012, 07:35 AM
#1
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Starting trip in Nice and ending in Bordeaux
Hi! We'd like to hear your suggestions about which airports to fly in and out for our upcoming summer trip!
We thought of flying into Paris, then taking a low cost carrier into Nice from Paris...as our trip will begin in Nice and ending in San Sebastian/Bilbao in Spain. Should we fly out of Bordeaux? Or take a low cost carrier from Bordeaux into Paris? We also want to think of the hubs that are cheaper to fly into as well. What are the best logistics out of this trip? What experiences have you had? I would appreciate any tips you can share with us.
Thank you!
We thought of flying into Paris, then taking a low cost carrier into Nice from Paris...as our trip will begin in Nice and ending in San Sebastian/Bilbao in Spain. Should we fly out of Bordeaux? Or take a low cost carrier from Bordeaux into Paris? We also want to think of the hubs that are cheaper to fly into as well. What are the best logistics out of this trip? What experiences have you had? I would appreciate any tips you can share with us.
Thank you!
Jan 9th, 2012, 07:44 AM
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Why not an open jaw, flying directly into Nice and flying out of Bordeaux?
The cost and time of travel (paying extra for checked luggage, getting to the airport at least one hour before departure, flight time, getting from the airport to Paris proper)between Paris and various French cities when flying may not be better than taking the train if one obtains PREM tickets purchased two (or is it three?) months ahead of time.
The cost and time of travel (paying extra for checked luggage, getting to the airport at least one hour before departure, flight time, getting from the airport to Paris proper)between Paris and various French cities when flying may not be better than taking the train if one obtains PREM tickets purchased two (or is it three?) months ahead of time.
Jan 9th, 2012, 07:56 AM
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Flying from Bordeaux to Paris to catch a transatlantic flight home is a PITA. I always take the TGV. If Nice were my starting point, I'd probably fly into Paris and take the TGV there, too.
It's three months ahead of time, Michael.
It's three months ahead of time, Michael.
Jan 9th, 2012, 08:10 AM
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I wouldn't take the TGV from Paris to Nice if Nice were my starting point, that's a lot of hours in transit (not to mention planing for a couple hours between landing the TGV to make sure you don't miss it). I'd just make sure I had a flight that transferred at the same airport, that's all. I do it all the time when I want to start my trip in some other major city in France (and I tend to end in Paris). I always fly Air France which makes it easy as they have lots of local flights so I can always get one at CDG within a couple hours of my landing. And they transfer the bags and if the first flight is delayed, they have to put you on the next one for no cost if they are both their flights.
Jan 9th, 2012, 08:28 AM
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It seems that the most logical flight choice would be to fly into NCE and fly out of BIO. If you are ending your trip in San Sebastian/Bilbao, why not end your trip in Bilbao and fly home from there? It would probably cost more than the CDG in/out flights, but I presume you are interested in lowering the overall cost; in which case you need to factor in the time and the cost of traveling to/from your real destinations.
Jan 9th, 2012, 08:31 AM
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<i>. If you are ending your trip in San Sebastian/Bilbao, why not end your trip in Bilbao and fly home from there?</i>
Add to the total cost the cross-border drop-off fee unless the OP drops off the car in Hendaye and takes the train to San Sebastian.
Add to the total cost the cross-border drop-off fee unless the OP drops off the car in Hendaye and takes the train to San Sebastian.
Jan 9th, 2012, 11:57 AM
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I think you are making a lot of assumptions about flights that may not be true (I know one isn't, the idea that landing in Paris and then flying to Nice on some other airline than the one you used to get to Paris will save you money). I know on Air France, flying to other cities than Paris doesn't add on hardly anything, and I've seen a few cases when I was planning where it was actually cheaper to fly into Marseille, for example, than Paris. The flights always go through Paris, of course, and you transfer. Other times I've seen it add on maybe US$25-50, but I've never seen it cost a lot so it wouldn't ever make sense to fly on a different airline to do that. Having it be on the same carrier means they transfer your bags and you don't have to worry about missing a connection and losing the entire value of your second ticket.
FOr example, I just checked AF on arbitrary dates in June (6/10/12, return 6/17/12). And it was cheapest to fly into Nice and out of Bilbao, actually. Cheaper than just a RT Paris, cheaper than flying into Nice and out of CDG and cheaper than flying into Paris and out of BIO. I don't know why, but it was and I've seen that same kind of thing before on Air France. In any case, I've learned not to assume flying into or out of those cities where you really want to be costs a lot more than just Paris, at least on Air France, which is just what I'm most familiar with. That was using JFK, however, as the departure point in the US (they have nonstops to Nice in summer).
I'd check out airfares before assuming you can't fly in and out of the cities you really want.
FOr example, I just checked AF on arbitrary dates in June (6/10/12, return 6/17/12). And it was cheapest to fly into Nice and out of Bilbao, actually. Cheaper than just a RT Paris, cheaper than flying into Nice and out of CDG and cheaper than flying into Paris and out of BIO. I don't know why, but it was and I've seen that same kind of thing before on Air France. In any case, I've learned not to assume flying into or out of those cities where you really want to be costs a lot more than just Paris, at least on Air France, which is just what I'm most familiar with. That was using JFK, however, as the departure point in the US (they have nonstops to Nice in summer).
I'd check out airfares before assuming you can't fly in and out of the cities you really want.
Jan 18th, 2012, 06:38 PM
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Thanks for all the feedback! I appreciate them! The reason it is so frustrating to figure it out is because our guide informed us we would need to fly out of Bordeaux instead of Bilbao because of the car drop off fees...too expensive to drop them off in Bilbao, hence to drop the car off in Bordeaux. I do like the nonstop flight from JFK to Nice and I know the seats are limited on our travel dates!
Jan 18th, 2012, 07:58 PM
#9
As poster Michael mentioned earlier, you could drop the car off in Hendaye, France, on the border, next to Hondarribia, Spain, close to San Sebastian, take a taxi or bus, or rentanother car in Spain, easy. Fly out of Bilbao.
Jan 18th, 2012, 08:10 PM
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It seems you are trying to apply one liner rules to optimize something which is not defined, at least not clear to me. You mentioned "guide". Is this a person, a packaged tour, a book or what? How much latitude do you have you in changing the sequence of the destinations? Is Madrid or Barcelona part of your itinerary? I did not find out that you are driving in your original post. What places in Spain are you planning to visit with a car?
If you are interested in reducing the overall cost, trying to optimize one component without looking at impacts on overall cost and logistics would likely to end up with undesired results.
If you are interested in reducing the overall cost, trying to optimize one component without looking at impacts on overall cost and logistics would likely to end up with undesired results.
Jan 19th, 2012, 01:08 PM
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Will check out Hendaye- thank you!
Sorry, I was not clear. Yes, a driving trip starting in Nice with our guide--going through southern France, then Costa Brava, Barcelona, and wrapping it up in San Seb/Bilbao.
Hence, the challenges of figuring out where to fly into and out from. Maximize the times. I did look at Nice-Bio vs. Nice-Paris vs. Paris to Paris. I would love to spend time in Paris, but since we have two weeks in southern FRance and Spain, we need to fly home and save our remaining vacation for the rest of the year
I wouldn't want to spend ONE night in Paris and rush home...as I would love to experience Paris for a week (never been there) so Paris needs to be a separate vacation
We had thought of going out of Bordeaux via Paris but it seems crazy...to be at the airport, seeing Paris but NOT to be there...so I thought I would concentrate just flying out from where we would be.
I hope I am being clear now. Thank you thank you!
Sorry, I was not clear. Yes, a driving trip starting in Nice with our guide--going through southern France, then Costa Brava, Barcelona, and wrapping it up in San Seb/Bilbao.
Hence, the challenges of figuring out where to fly into and out from. Maximize the times. I did look at Nice-Bio vs. Nice-Paris vs. Paris to Paris. I would love to spend time in Paris, but since we have two weeks in southern FRance and Spain, we need to fly home and save our remaining vacation for the rest of the year
I wouldn't want to spend ONE night in Paris and rush home...as I would love to experience Paris for a week (never been there) so Paris needs to be a separate vacation We had thought of going out of Bordeaux via Paris but it seems crazy...to be at the airport, seeing Paris but NOT to be there...so I thought I would concentrate just flying out from where we would be.
I hope I am being clear now. Thank you thank you!
