We all want to travel around Europe on a cheap budget these days.
In recent years, budget and cut-price airlines have sprung up in almost every European country, all of them fighting furiously with each other to offer the best cheap airfare deals. But do we really benefit from these discounted European travel prices, or do the drawbacks of trying to travel Europe cheaply outweigh the pros? Do low budget airfares blind us to the extra annoyance that the cheap price might be hiding? Let’s look at some current cheap travel deals to Europe and see what we find.
Almost every European country now has at least one no-frills budget airline. Easy Jet and Ryan Air are becoming very well known and popular in Great Britain and Ireland. Germany has four or five low-cost airlines and specialists in cheap airline tickets. Meanwhile, in Sweden, SAS has just launched its own economic branch called Snowflake.
At first glance the fees charged by these airlines may seem ridiculously low; Ryan Air has given away its flights almost free in the past, although you still have to pay airport tax of around £20. But where is the trick? Is there a cheat? Can you really travel around Europe by plane without spending a fortune?
Here’s the deal if you want to travel Europe on a cheap budget:
First, low-cost airlines in Europe almost always use provincial airports outside of the city, often forty or fifty miles from their respective city centers. This can add up to two hours of travel time to your trip at each end. You also have to pay for the bus or train connection to go from your airport to the city center. Be sure to add this price to the cost of your ticket when comparing prices between cheap airfare deals and the prices charged by major airlines. In most cases, the major airlines fly you to the city center airport, thereby reducing travel time and the cost of any additional transportation.
If you are unlucky enough to miss a flight, you could literally be stuck in a very rural airport overnight with all food outlets closed and no way to get back to town or city.
Second, you only get what you pay for. European low-cost airlines may not offer food and beverage service on board. Or, if they do, they will charge you for it at a higher rate. Coffee, sandwiches and beer can be very expensive. To be fair, many of the flights are only an hour or two long, so snacks and drinks may not be a big deal.
Third, calculate the total travel time and compare it to the costs. For example: it takes five hours to go from central Glasgow in Scotland to central London by train and costs around £25 each way.
Now, you can take a cheap flight from Glasgow to London, only to find that both airports are forty miles from the city center. That immediately adds three hours to your travel time, not counting waiting at airports, handling luggage, and all the extra hassles that come with it. You will also have to pay separately for the bus or train ride from the airport to the city center and vice versa. Unless your airfare is extremely cheap, you may end up spending more money in the long run on a less comfortable ride. Check everything carefully in advance if you can.
Fourth, the cheap airline ticket prices quoted are for APEX travelers only. You may have to pay a lot more if you need to change your flight times. Cheap airfare prices are also usually only available if you buy well in advance – buying the day before or on the day will add a big premium to the price. The baggage allowance is also on the medium side, often no more than 15kg or 20kg per person. Any more than that and you’ll face a hefty premium on your cheap ticket.
In short, you can travel Europe cheaply by carefully choosing your discount airline package. But try to weigh all the additional hidden costs when comparing airline ticket prices. You should also take into account the additional travel time it may bring to arrive at a provincial airport.
Remember: don’t get too hung up on all of this!
Traveling around Europe is fun, whatever you do.
