hi, have just decided on a cruise for my 80 year old mom and me next May (2008). we are taking the princess holyland cruise after much deliberation (she wants to see this area). i have been quoted 1500 plane tickets (estimating)flying into venice and out of athens. am used to shopping on the net and am going through a travel agent for this trip as i have no cruise experience. seems like this rate could be better. am wondering about flying into milan and then taking the train to venice. we would probably spend a day in milan to see the sights. any ideas on what would be cheaper? maybe flying into rome? have done some preliminary investigation but this is a year away and now flights for may 2007 are very high! i prefer flying SAS or BA due to shorter time from seattle. please help!!! am trying to budget.

Is $1500 for both of you or each?

I would go to kayak.com and put in the various cities you mentioned-I always do that, to see which comes out cheapest-play around with dates and cities to see if you can come up with a better rate than 1500.00-although bear in mind that May is high season in both Italy and Greece.

May is not that high a season, and I think you can do better on your own. Just check often and early (starting around late fall).

Both SAS and BA has premium economy sections that are too much more expensive than coach, which you may want to look into as well.

Cindy-I went to kayak.com just now, and if you put in hypothetical dates of May 15-May 23 2007, RT, SEA-VCE-ATH you get a best fare, all taxes incld. of 1082.00/pp-that's quite a difference from what you've been quoted

Wait until after the first of the year when the "open skies" agreement goes into effect. Air France has already announced a new direct flight from Seattle to Paris and Iberia will be flying out of Boston and Washington D.C. beginning in June of this year. Airfares are expected to drop on all trans-Atlantic flights after the first of the year.

I still think that you could fly either JFK or Alanta nonstop Seattle to Venice and then nonstop home Athens to Atlanta or Jfk to Seattle on Delta.

Sorry should have clicked on Seattle to Jfk or Atlanta to Venice then Athens to JFK or Atlanta to Seattle.

We are 3 going in/out of Rome this
May (2007)

We went thru Kayak.com and are paying
$652 r/t each - with a one hour stop over
in Frankfurt - departing out of JFK
on Lufthansa.

Hope you can get to kayak.com for a
really good price too.

Check out whichbudget.com for flights within Europe. We're in Seattle and I think others who have mentioned waiting until Air France starts flights here (in June!) are right.

thanks for the advice. i think i will take a chance and wait until air france et al fly here. can't get too much more expensive than $1500 pp anyway!

I would at least consider flying into London and taking a budget flight from there (www.skyscanner.net)

Last year we flew back from a cruise ending in Athens to Gatwick on Easyjet for less than 100 Euro for two including taxes and fees.

The potential problem with using ANY flight within Europe that isn't part of your trans-atlantic itinerary would be the checked luggage weight restrictions which for some people going on cruises can be a real problem.

Because I like the overnight flight on British Air out of Seattle, leaving 6:00pm-ish... I transfer from Heathrow to other European spots. I am not sure this is good advice for Venice (but works for Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva).

Milan to Venice is only a 3 hr. train ride so that works too. I wouldn't include going thru Rome if that's not a place you're spending time.