When traveling long distances in Europe, the train is no longer the cheapest form of travel…..budget airlines are.
The two biggest players in the European budget airline market are Ryanair and Easyjet. Many other budget carriers exist but taking them can be risky, as I’ve run into many travellers who show up to the airport and find out their airline has gone bust overnight with no warning.
Flights on these airlines can start as low as 1€, but keep in mind that this does not include airport taxes. Checking in luggage also cost extra as does priority boarding…click here to read another post on this subjet.
One other thing to note is that most of these carriers do not fly out of the main airport, they usually fly out of smaller regional airports located further from the big cities.
When flying to Marrakesh on Ryanair I was suprised to arrive at the airport and see major carriers like Air France flying out of the same place. I found out the “smaller airport” rule still existed when I asked at the info desk for Ryanair air and was sent on a long walk to a bizarre looking warehouse building further down the road.
Once in the building we swore we had made a wrong turn because we found ourselves at the check out section of Ikea. But indeed we were in an airport, it was just decorated by Ikea (there was even a kitchen display in the corner as an ad by Ikea). The check out desks (pictured above), had no computers and the boarding cards where filled out by hand.
But at 100€ for both of us to fly to Morocco (including fees, bags and priority boarding)….we were fine with Ikeaport.
Ikeaport
Posted by Staff in Budget Thursdays, Europe
When traveling long distances in Europe, the train is no longer the cheapest form of travel…..budget airlines are.
The two biggest players in the European budget airline market are Ryanair and Easyjet. Many other budget carriers exist but taking them can be risky, as I’ve run into many travellers who show up to the airport and find out their airline has gone bust overnight with no warning.
Flights on these airlines can start as low as 1€, but keep in mind that this does not include airport taxes. Checking in luggage also cost extra as does priority boarding…click here to read another post on this subjet.
One other thing to note is that most of these carriers do not fly out of the main airport, they usually fly out of smaller regional airports located further from the big cities.
When flying to Marrakesh on Ryanair I was suprised to arrive at the airport and see major carriers like Air France flying out of the same place. I found out the “smaller airport” rule still existed when I asked at the info desk for Ryanair air and was sent on a long walk to a bizarre looking warehouse building further down the road.
Once in the building we swore we had made a wrong turn because we found ourselves at the check out section of Ikea. But indeed we were in an airport, it was just decorated by Ikea (there was even a kitchen display in the corner as an ad by Ikea). The check out desks (pictured above), had no computers and the boarding cards where filled out by hand.
But at 100€ for both of us to fly to Morocco (including fees, bags and priority boarding)….we were fine with Ikeaport.