Heading to Europe Questions

[Uncarved]

Just a few questions for those travelling buffs out there. I'm flying into London and have some questions that i hope some CPer's could help me with.

1. What is the one of the DECENT Airlines (NOT AIR CANADA) to fly over to London with that has some reasonable rates (ie. British Airways, British Midland)?
2. I plan flying into Ireland when i get there, and fly back to London from there, should i try and book my ticket here or over there?
3. What would be the best way to travel into France and Germany, if the Bus/Trains take to long i would rather fly as i would only have 2 weeks to do this part of the trip.

And on a side note... how long has it been taking people to get their passports? I need to renew mine but not until after this trip, but im not sure if they will let me hold on to my current one while i am waiting, as i need it to work in the States this summer.

Thanks

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by Uncarved

1. What is the one of the DECENT Airlines (NOT AIR CANADA) to fly over to London with that has some reasonable rates (ie. British Airways, British Midland)?

If you fly British Midland, you will end up flying Air Canada. That is all that I know, however, I do not know of any other airlines. I've heard people say Zoom is bad, and I do not know of many other airlines, so to my knowledge, the other other one is British Airways. I have not flown Air Transat so i cannot comment.

[liamenator]

I've not flown on British Midlands, but I am under the assumption it is similar to the cheaper intercontinental flyers of the past (Air Transat, etc) and so I would say that.. You get what you pay for. If you don't mind being packed into a smaller airplane and them skimping on a few corners, then they are fine. British Airways is very similar to AC.

Book your flight to Ireland when you get there, using either Ryan Air (www.ryanair.com) or Easy Jet (easyjet.com)... The trick to using these airlines is to fly Monday-Weds as their weekend rates are double and sometimes triple what you'd pay on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Travelling into France/Germany... The most convenient way would be to take the Chunnel from London Waterloo station to Paris (or Lille) but it is rather expensive. As I recall it ran me close to 50-70 pounds ($150-175 Cdn). You're best bet is probably to find another Ryan Air or EasyJet flight.

Once your on the continent, then I would say, if you've only got two weeks, buy a Eurrail pass (www.eurrail.com).. If you are only going to do France/Germany then I would buy the Fr/Ger regional pass, and, depending on how many places you want to go, you can purchase a pass with 4, 5, 6, 8 or 10 travel days (i.e. Paris---->Frankfurt = 1 travel day)

Flying on the cheap airlines is not any quicker (or much cheaper, actually), once you factor in transportation to and from each airport (they are always located at least 20 and sometimes up to an hour outside of the city you are flying to) and airport delays (checking in, etc). They are great for getting to and from the UK, and flying long distances on the continent, but its not really worth it if you are staying in a confined area of France/Germany.

Not sure about the passport thing, but hope that helps you.

EDIT: Just wanted to mention, travelling by train is also a great way to take in more of the country side and give you more of a "travel" feel... It can be a bit monotonous shuffling from airport to airport. Trains also allow for greater flexibility of your schedule, with trains on major routes running every hour.

And whatever you do, don't bypass Berlin! One of the greatest cities in Europe.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by Uncarved

Just a few questions for those travelling buffs out there. I'm flying into London and have some questions that i hope some CPer's could help me with.

1. What is the one of the DECENT Airlines (NOT AIR CANADA) to fly over to London with that has some reasonable rates (ie. British Airways, British Midland)?
2. I plan flying into Ireland when i get there, and fly back to London from there, should i try and book my ticket here or over there?
3. What would be the best way to travel into France and Germany, if the Bus/Trains take to long i would rather fly as i would only have 2 weeks to do this part of the trip.

And on a side note... how long has it been taking people to get their passports? I need to renew mine but not until after this trip, but im not sure if they will let me hold on to my current one while i am waiting, as i need it to work in the States this summer.

Thanks

1. Can't help you, I only ever fly Air Canada (unfortunately).

2. As with most airline tickets, the sooner you book it the cheaper it will probably be. Depends on whether you think you might meet someone in the UK you would want to travel with. If you are at all flexible you might want to wait, but if you are confident on the dates you want to travel and already have a travel mate might as well look to book now. Ryanair will be cheapest, as they are based in Ireland.

3. Flying is the best way to get to France and Germany (EDIT: from the UK). Depends on your budget, but Ryanair and Easyjet are the cheapest but you'll fly into some out of the way places. For example, instead of Paris you will fly to Beauvais on Ryanair which means you'll have to take a 25-minute shuttle into Paris from there.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to factor in other transport costs along with your airfares as sometimes discount airlines don't save you much money once you factor in shuttles and you'll be wasting time getting to and from these random little airports. Do lots of research before you grab the lowest fare that comes along.

[Uncarved]

Thanks for your comments guys, i guess i should have said that i don't mind paying a bit extra for a better accomidation on flights (not that i plan on flying first class). I would rather be comfortable on my trip.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Uncarved

Thanks for your comments guys, i guess i should have said that i don't mind paying a bit extra for a better accomidation on flights (not that i plan on flying first class). I would rather be comfortable on my trip.

BA is probably your best (only?) bet if you don't want to fly with Air Canada, assuming you want a direct flight to London. BA and AC are the only ones who offer direct flights from Calgary to London.

As mentioned, BMI is a member of Star Alliance and runs code-share flights with Air Canada, which means even if you buy your ticket from BMI, you'll still be on an AC jet.

[Scrambler]

Assuming you're flying out of Calgary, take British Airways. BA only started flying into YYC Dec last year and are filling their non stop flight to Heathrow well. They might not be the least expensive though, Zoom or Air Transat typically take that award but I don't recommend either if you want service or comfort.

If you want a very no frills cheap option (why not, the flight is short), check out ryanair.com for flights to Eire and mainland Europe. Cheap flights are best booked in advance, so you might as well book it here and if you're willing to lock down the dates of travel.

[4X4]

You didn't mention Italy so I can't add much, but if you are going to Italy pm me.

[troutman]

It is very cheap to fly around Europe on discount airlines. Much cheaper than the train.

It is so cheap, I know of people that fly from Koln to Barcelona Saturday morning to go shopping, returning Saturday night.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by troutman

It is very cheap to fly around Europe on discount airlines. Much cheaper than the train.

It is so cheap, I know of people that fly from Koln to Barcelona Saturday morning to go shopping, returning Saturday night.

Wow... that is just amazing... how From Koln to Barcelona... wow.

[iggypop]

Yeah you should be able to fly from London to Ireland and back for about 3 pounds, excluding taxes. Ryan air is just sick like that, way cheaper than taking the train.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by iggypop

Yeah you should be able to fly from London to Ireland and back for about 3 pounds, excluding taxes. Ryan air is just sick like that, way cheaper than taking the train.

I don't think its that cheap anymore with new levies and stuff, but still pretty cheap. I remember when Ryanair first started certain flights were free.

[Uncarved]

Originally Posted by iggypop

Yeah you should be able to fly from London to Ireland and back for about 3 pounds, excluding taxes. Ryan air is just sick like that, way cheaper than taking the train.

I have heard that Ryan air is the one to take over to ireland... i just wish i was there for St. Paddy's day

[vanisleflamesfan]

Taking RyanAir from London to Ireland (Dublin I assume?) will probably run you about 40-50 pounds each way (after all the taxes and fees). I would recommend heading up north and seeing some parts of England/UK that AREN'T London, and then getting a sail/rail package from a city like York, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow. The sail/rail package will probably cost you about the same (40-50 quid) but you will see more. Otherwise, you can just fly out of one of these cities and it may be cheaper than flying out of London.

Link.