Are there discount airlines in France? I am thinking of going from Paris to a coast for a few days, I think flying would be more time efficient. Any suggestions?

there are quite a few no frills airlines operating in France now, but most go there from another hub (ie, Virgin Express flies to Bordeaux and Nice from Brussels).

Within France, I think Air Littoral may be about the only one www.airlittoral.com They have cheap flights from Paris Orly to Nimes, Beziers, and Toulouse. Air France can be competitive sometimes, also, as they have lots of routes and are getting more competition now, especially to cities such as Nice.

are you really saving time flying over the train?? by the time you go to the airport, allow for check-in, etc and travel to the arriving city you may be just as fast by taking a hi-speed train??

Solotraveller,

Yes, EasyJet and Aeris have service to several domestic destinations from Paris. Nice for example is faster and cheaper to reach this way than by train - at least if you book early enough.

www.easyjet.com
www.aeris.fr

Hope this helps,
Andre

Be aware that weight limits are different for international flights and flights within France. If you're traveling with a large suitcase, you could have to pay extra.

I'm considering taking a plane from Paris to Toulouse just because it's still at least a couple hours faster than taking the train. I'm looking at taking Air France from Orly. I think $200 CAD is a bit pricey, but I still think it's better than taking a train and wasting several hours of visiting time. Any idea if prices will fall closer to my planned departure date (a Friday morning)?

With the hassle of security and waiting, not to mention potential delays, I can't imagine a plane is better than a train.

<b>TGV!</b>

&lt;&lt;With the hassle of security and waiting, not to mention potential delays, I can't imagine a plane is better than a train.&gt;&gt;

Even without looking at fares or schedules, I can EASILY imagine that PARIS-Perpignan is WAAYY better by air than by train.

I flew it, many years ago, as part of a Fly'Rail'n'Drive package offered by RailEurope. It was a great deal that no longer exists. The route was served by Air Inter, a subsidiary of Air France that may not even exist any more as a separate entity.

Best wishes,

Rex

Yeah Air Inter was gobbled up by Air France. Perpignan isnt too bad via TGV but it is still a long haul. I have taken easyjet from Toulouse to Paris and it was fine.