I just bought online my first-ever Ryanair tickets-- Marseille-Sevilla-- and am confused about their check-in policy. I am an American citizen with a US passport, currently living in France with a French carte de sejour (actually, what I will have is a provisional renewal of last year's carte de sejour). Can I check in online or must I check in at the airport? If I have to check in at the airport, can I wait and pay their fee at the airport? I tried to tell them I am not EU/EEA but then it wouldn't let me buy the ticket online.

See "online checkin" at

www.ryanair.com/site/EN/conditions.php

You are not entitled to online checkin. It's claimed you can get the fee refunded.

<<< To qualify for Online Check-in each passenger MUST BE AN EU/EEA CITIZEN (including Switzerland) and present either a valid passport or National Identity Card, issued by the government of an EU/ European Economic Area (EEA) country which matches the document details printed on their online boarding pass, at both airport security and the departure gate. >>>

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs....uest=documents

Get there earlier than usual as I have had to go to another window to do this.( very often a line, and I believe they only accept Visa, no cash some places, or so they say at window)

At Frankfurt Hahn the girl never sent me to be charged as she acted like she didn't know what I was talking about.

But have had to pay 5 euros at other airports.

Thank you, flanneruk, alanRow, and lincasanova, for your helpful info. After all the horror stories I've heard about Ryanair I was apprehensive about buying a ticket and then about check-in and cabin baggage and now I know what to expect--I think!

Just to warn you that when Ryanair say ONE BAG as hand luggage they really do mean ONE BAG - not one bag plus a bag of magazines, purse, food...

If you can't get everything into one bag then expect a £30 or €30 fee before they'll allow you on the plane

In Marseille we were sent to another window and had to pay 5 euros. We could not check in online.