Ryanair: traveling the skies of Europe on a budget.
PHOTO LOUIS ALCORNTraveling throughout Europe proves much simpler and more affordable than hopping around the United States. Europe’s efficient network of trains, roads, and airports set the table for easy travel in planes, trains or automobiles. However, the tolls associated with driving on main highways paired with the eight-dollar-a-gallon gas price tend to push budget travelers toward the other two modes of travel. If you happen to choose the aerial option, keep the following tips in mind before you get excited about booking that ten dollar flight from London to Paris on Ryanair.
1. Ryanair and other “budget” airlines make their profit from the small print and hidden fees.
The advertised price always comes with an asterisk. With astronomical fees added in, everything tends to add up quickly. Fuel tax, for example, typically eclipses the initial ticket price. Any amount of checked baggage is going to cost you as well.
PHOTO LOUIS ALCORN2. Avoid checked baggage fees by packing smart.
Carry-on baggage must not exceed ten kilograms and must fit within specific size parameters. Before boarding, flight attendants literally go through the line with a scale and a box. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fly. At that point, you’re stuck with a mandatory fifty-Euro checked baggage fee. Passengers are also afforded only ONE carry-on item. If you are holding your jacket in your hand, they consider that another item. If you’re worried about not having enough clothes at your destination, then wear lots of layers on the flight. On my flight to Dublin, I wore two t-shirts, two flannels, a scarf, and a leather jacket. Also keep in mind that you will probably buy something at your destination, so leave a bit of extra room in your bag so that you can bring it back!
3. Understand your destination.
Make sure that you do some research on the airport in which you plan to arrive. These smaller airlines typically fly into smaller, auxiliary airports outside of the main city. For example, your destination on the website may read BARCELONA, but Barcelona has three airports. El Prat is just outside of the city and easiest to access with a metro connection. The Girona airport, on the other hand, sits quite a ways north of Barcelona. This will require paying another twenty Euros to sit in a poorly air-conditioned bus, with eighty other people, for an hour and a half until you arrive in Barcelona proper. Sometimes it’s worth booking a more expensive flight into the better-served airport.
PHOTO LOUIS ALCORN4. Super cheap flights occasionally reward the flexible traveler.
If you have the time and flexibility to travel at non-peak times, occasionally you’ll be delighted by flights with listed prices of ten Euros and lower! You’re not going to find a cheap flight to Dublin around St. Patrick’s Day, but you will sometimes in November. Keep in mind that flying with budget airlines means fees still add to the price tag, but it may be worth it in the end, all things considered.
