We were planning to train from Milan to Paris---found out it is cheaper and much faster to go by plane!! Check out Easyjet for most places in Europe!

You are correct, flying is often cheaper, but do be careful.
Many ( most) discount airlines use airports that are far out from the city and that can add some travel time and expense.
But you are correct, its hard for us North Americans to get into our heads how lucky the Europeons have it with all the discount airlines,since here land transport is usaully cheaper then flying.

EasyJet, however, uses standard airports that are not far from the cities.

Here are your main concerns with EasyJet:
Allow plenty of time to check in. If you are standing in line and check-in closes, too bad for you. If you get through check-in and get delayed by security, again, too bad for you. So I'm always there two hours early. The consequence of missing the flight is that you will have to pay the price for a walkup ticket, which can easily be hundreds of Euros, with no guarantee of when the next seats will be available.

Watch luggage restrictions, and the extra charges for exceeding them. These are reasonable (to me), but just be sure what you are bringing.

If you are connecting back to your international flight home, don't make the connections too short. I prefer at least an overnight, plus travel insurance that specifically covers this scenario. Like any airline, EasyJet and other budget carrier flights are occasionally cancelled and rescheduled and delayed.

If you get your ticket on the Internet you do not need to go through check-in (at least in France and Italy). Just go through security and go stait to the boarding point. First to board are repeatl pasengers with a A card (coasts something like ¢ 50). Then, the next one's to board are disabled or people with young children. The third "batch" are travelers with the famous I-Tickets. Some agressivity required but not too bad.

Non-EU citizens still have to check in at the counter.

<<< Non-EU citizens still have to check in at the counter. >>>


[online check-in is ]Available to ALL passengers carrying hand baggage only (strictly limited to one piece no bigger than 55x40x20 cms)

http://www.easyjet.com/EN/Flying/index.html

Thanks for the update. This seems like a change, or is it Ryanair that has that restriction about non-EU people?

Here is a tip that I came across...I booked with a budget airline who took you in a free bus to their airport check-in..However,this was only at certain times..And coming back I got in late and was faced with an eighteen pounds taxi-fare back to nearest town....If they say free bus ,ask as to when it operates up to...

hi wordsmith,

do check the full price including taxes, baggage charges, insurance [which unlike the other charges you have to cancel as the default option is to include it] etc. etc.

then add in the cost of travelling to and from the airport both ends, the cost of airport food, the time spent there, posible delays etc.etc.

if you add that lot together, the train may still be better value. and you get the experience of travelling, as opposed to being transported. and the scenery.

here's a vote for the train.

regards, ann

<<<do check the full price including taxes, baggage charges, insurance [which unlike the other charges you have to cancel as the default option is to include it] etc. etc.>>>

Then I suppose we should include the default trip insurance from somewhere like Rail Europe as well.

<<<then add in the cost of travelling to and from the airport both ends, the cost of airport food, the time spent there, possible delays etc.etc.>>>

While airports are generally slightly further from city centers, there are still going to be transportation costs associated with getting to the train station. Certainly you should account for the additional time required at an airport. I'm not sure I follow the airport food logic as an additional cost. If anything train food costs are going to be higher, because as is the case with the OP the train journey is significantly longer than the flight. I also don't follow the delay example. Sure their are airport delays, but I've also experienced significant train delays in Europe as well.

<<<if you add that lot together, the train may still be better value. and you get the experience of travelling, as opposed to being transported. and the scenery.>>>

That depends on what you are looking for. I picked a random week long round trip in June for the cities in question in the original post. The train cost is $224, the flight $106. The flights are about 1:30 half, the trains 7:30. Again it depends on the person, but as an economist would say the opportunity cost of having four additional hours in the next city (factoring in 2 hours at the airport) versus spending more time on a train is pretty high. I could visit a museum in that time, etc.

Don't get my wrong, I take the train all of the time on trips to Europe. Mainly if it is significantly cheaper or a comparable journey time once I factor in the additional time spent at the airport (for me this usually means train journeys under 4-5 hours). In this case there is a $100 dollar difference in favor of a flight, and a 7 hour difference in actual travel time in favor of the flight. For me that is an easy decision.

I'm a Europe flight convert as well, depending on cost, time, distance,etc. Found fares as low as $20-30 EU between Rome/Munich, Paris/Munich, Split/Stuttgart, Munich/Lisbon. (Not all were that cheap, but most were on the super cheap side)

I also always look at taking a one-way flight on the budget airlines and train it the other way, to get the experience, but my fiscal and time considerations have been trumping all lately. I use www.flycheapo.com to find the airlines from each airport.

It's RyanAir that permits only EU pax to check-in on line. However, non-EU pax who have only carry-on luggage (as per RyanAir's rules, not necessarily anybody else's) can get that fee back once they've checked in at the airport.

Or at least that's what RyanAir's web site says. I'll be doing it in person in September, so we'll see.

Thanks for all of your advice---if we get there early do we have to worry? Are the flights often oversold???

hi wordsmith,

i suppose it would be possible for a "cheap" flight to be oversold, but I've never been on one yet. There's a first time for everything.

as for getting there early, i can only speak of easyjet, who often have one long line for all flights. just get in line and check in.

the problem comes if you are short of time - usually they will call out for passengers travelling to a destination where the flight is about to close - then there is no problem pushing to the front of the queue.

if you're at an airport where they have separate check-ins, just wait in the line or sit in the cafe til it opens. or do a mad dash!

regards, ann

In fact, it is rather difficult for a low cost airline to be oversold because you pay when you book. No one can hold tickets or similar situations. I've used them many times and never had heard of that problem with them.