ksm

I will be traveling to both London and Milan Italy (from Washington DC) in April. Are the "local" airline such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet reliable to make that trip to and from (London/Milan) or should I just fly into one city and out of the other city. Are those two the best options for for local travel? If I fly into Heathrow is it pretty easy to get to one of the other airports in London for the local travel (it seems that Ryan and Easy Jet fly from Gatwick, Luton, or Stanstead)? Thanks for the help

kammie_joy

Hi. A great resource for narrowing down your cheap airline options in Europe is www.harefares.com. I found 4 airlines (including Ryanair and Easyjet) that fly from London to Milan...Germanwings and TUIfly.

Which airport you choose to fly in and out of is very important. Last summer I flew into LHR from North America, and had a connecting flight out of Stansted. I had to take a bus between the airports and it took close to two hours and was about $40 USD. Luton and Gatwick are closer to Heathrow, but I must emphasize that you allow a lot of time for the transfer. If you miss your flight with one of the cheap airlines, they will not reimburse you or put you on the next flight. Hope that helps!

ksm

Thanks kammie_joy; I was afraid the commute to another airport would be alot; My problem is I now have to spend the first part of my trip in Milan when my ticket is to fly into London, so I am trying to figure out the best logistics. If I spend the night in London what location/area might be the best (I generally use points and stay at a Marriott and I know there are quite a few in the area) to get a quick tour of the highlights of London, but closer to Gatwick for a flight out in the evening or following day?

Cowboy1968

Unfortunately not really related to your hotel question, but I would also check the baggage allowances of the low cost carriers which are usually much less than those for travelling to/from the US.
Excess baggage fees can be quite steep with those carriers.
I may also be a factor which airport these airlines serve in Milan (Linate, Malpensa, and Bergamo/Orio al Serio), and how easily or not you will get from there to Milan (esp. with late night arrivals). Ryanair goes into Orio al Serio which is almost 50km from Milan (1hr by bus), Easyjet serves Linate which is hardly 10km from downtown Milan (and price for taxi won't kill you) and Malpensa (almost 50km away from Milan).

TonyM

Save time and find something that flys into Linate! The drive into the city is easy and there are shuttles that go from there to the main train station all day long. From there you can easily get around Milan. Don't go to the Malpensa airport as you'll be so far from the city and wasting time.

LoveItaly

Hello ksm, I can't answer your questions but if you do happen to fly into the Malpensa Airport here is the website for their Malpensa Airport shuttle that takes you to the Central Train Station in downtown Milan. A comfortable bus, luggage is stored underneath the bus.
http://www.malpensashuttle.it/e-default.htm

flanneruk

Is the airline you're taking from Washington to London - by defintion an airline fewer people use for international travel than Ryanair - reliable?

Both Ryanair and Easyjet are chosen for international journeys by more people than any US airline. In fact, Ryanair carries more people on international journeys than any other airline anywhere in the world, ever. And, with zero fatalities since either started operations, they're a great deal safer too.

Whether they're cheaper, once you've worked out all the costs, than BA or Alitalia from Heathrow, is something only you can work out. Go to the respective airline sites and calculate the costs at the time and date you want to travel.

ksm

thanks for all the great information. I have heard the weight restrictions may be an issue, so I will pack accordingly when I decide. I am not as worried about the Italy end of the trip because I have family friends who will be picking us up at the airport and I will discuss with them options. I am more concerned on the London end because I will have to rely on public transportation there, so if I stayed at Marriott London County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road would that be relatively easy to get to Gatwick airport. How long before my flight would I have to leave to assure getting to the airport on time?

alanRow

<<< so if I stayed at Marriott London County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road would that be relatively easy to get to Gatwick airport >>>

Victoria or near London Bridge would be a better choice for Gatwick as you can get a direct train to Gatwick.

With County Hall you have the following options

a) take a taxi to the station
b) take the tube (more than one for Victoria) to the station
c) walk to Waterloo East, get on a train, get off at London Bridge, wait for next train to Gawick
d) Take train from Waterloo to Clapham Junction, then another to Gatwick

ksm

thanks alanRow; I love specifics like that! Two questions:

About how much would a taxi cost ((a) option)?

Can you recommend a hotel near London Bridge or Victoria?