Getting from Nice to London
 

I'll be travelling from Nice, Fr to London early October. Whats best the route? Train? Fly? Is it a memorable ride that is worth the $200. Or should I take the late evening flight to Heathrow for $150. Keeping in mind I'll be dragging along a week and halfs worth of luggage.

How about Easy Jet? WE did it for about 9 pounds each the other way. It was a nice flight. But you won't fly into Heathrow. Check out your date for current fares -- they go up as the time gets closer, which it is for you.
www.easyjet.com

I'm not sure what you mean by a week and a half's worth of luggage. That should fit in a carryon if you're doing it right. We were lugging three months worth, and were slightly overweight, but they didn't charge us extra as they say they will.

I just bought a one way ticket on Easy Jet for next Friday evening from London (Gatwick) to Nice. It was $64 (including all airport taxes and a charge for using my American Express Card).

You've just found out why the more unthinking train fans never get anyone to persuade the rest of us to agree with them.

It's a 10-12 hour train journey: there's one connection a day at Lille, but the others need you to cross Paris. The train takes you through some of France's nicest towns and cities: nice, that is, to be in - but pretty nothingy to see from the train (France's recent ability to build railway stations that look just like airports is extraordinary). The scenery's OK - indeed quite pretty through Burgundy - but not much to write home about.

In fairness, it's more comfortable than Easyjet - but at four times the price or more, it ought to be. The one consolation you might have is thinking how much the French taxpayer is subsidising you.

If you ever get the chance, though, it is an exhilarating drive. The most convincing proof of a benign God is that She spaced some of the world's best restaurants along this route in such a way that it's possible to lunch and dine sublimely all the way.

Something that neither Mr Easyjet nor Mr SNCF can offer.

So true, so true, flanneruk. I'm a diehard train fan. But when the jets started becoming the true bargain, I had to re-evaluate. I'm usually not in a rush to get somewhere, but even at that, it's hard to still justify that kind of train trip when it costs sooooo much more.

Air France often has good fares when you buy in advance--check out the web site, using the French one, as flights within France don't come up on the English one. Then you can call the U.S. number and buy tickets.

Going from France to England should be an international flight, meaning you won't get the measly 50-lb baggage allowance for flights within France only.

Maybe they're more generous now, but my understanding last year was that flights within Europe don't qualify for the larger transatlantic baggage allowance.

In addition to Easy Jet, BMI also fly this route and they go into LHR.
www,flybmi.com

For all the discount airlines, I like
skyscanner.net

Thanks everyone.... Easyjet is defintely the way to go!!

Pilgrim is right, intra-European flights generally do not qualify for the heavier baggage allowance, 20 kilos is normally the limit.

Easyjet will bring me into Luton Airport... any suggestions on how to get from there to London... I'm staying at the the Ritz near Green Park Station.

I notice you already posted asking for directions on another post, but I'd also suggest that using a car service (Justairports for one) would be your best bet to get from Luton to the Ritz. You didn't mention the "dragging along a week and halfs worth of luggage" on the other post which leads me to think that the tube suggestions aren't so good.

I know this is off-topic to the thread but for a 10-day trip, luggage doesn't need to be something dragging you down.

You're not allowed into the Ritz if you came on EasyJet.

The Ritz checks all visitors' tickets to make sure their guests aren't degrading the Ritz brand.

Note to anyone discovering this thread in 2010: to understand this reference to the Great Transportation Squabble of 2004, check Vabarone's other postings from today.

fly! easyjet as Patrick sez.