6abc

We are just about ready to book flights going from Philadelphia PA (USA) to Marseille France and returning from Nice back to USA.

Looks like our best route is through US airways. We wanted NON-Stop to Europe and with one stop before Marseille. (there are no non-stops to Marseille on any airlines.) Currently looking at around $1970 for 2 people (base price around 450 each)

Going out on Oct.2 returning on Oct 16, 2010. We have been watching the fares for several weeks and also watching the planes get fuller and fuller. I am not quite in panic mode yet but will probably book in the next few days. I don't think we will see a decrease in the fares.
Any comments?

The main question I have is in reference to the selection of flights and the different airports they fly into.

US Air does a transfer in either Munich (international), Frankford or Zurich. We have a transfer time of about 2 hours before our flight leaves for Marseille. Any comments on any of the airports....Which is easier to navigate through etc.

Thanks in advance
6abc

J62

All 3 of those airports are pretty good for connections. Zurich is the smallest and easiest - on a recent connection there it took me 21min from the time the seatbelt sign was turned off to when I arrived at my connecting gate. Both flights were on Swiss.

I'd be comfortable with anything on the order of a 90min connection at any of those 3 airports. I've done 60min connections at both FRA and MUC and cut it close on more than one occasion - mostly since the incoming flight from the US was late.

sententia_25

Just out of curiosity, what is your itinerary in France? Are you going to focus your stay more on Provence or do you just want to do more of the coastline? If you are going to do more of the coastline, I would recommend flying into Nice because its extremely affordable to get to anywhere on the coast from there, even Marseilles. I've also heard good things about Nice's airport and its extremely close to the center of Nice. However, if you plan on trekking more of Provence in near Aix-En Provence then I would stick with Marseilles. I just find that flying into one city and leaving out of another tends to be a more expensive option but if the prices are comparable then I say go with your original plan. I hope this helps!

SuzChicago

I would suggest you drive up to Newark and get an Open Skies flight into Orly and a connection on Air France into Marseilles or Nice. Open Skies is an all business class airline at a great price and the Air France flights between Orly and Marseilles seem to run about every hour.

Underhill

The Nice airport is indeed a very good one.