Planes versus trains — in Europe, the battle is on. For many years, traveling from one European city to another meant traveling by train. Even on the high-speed trains, the distances involved required rides of several hours. In recent years, budget airlines have surfaced all over Europe and are giving trains hefty competition. I recently traveled from Geneva, Switzerland, to Bordeaux, France. The flight was about 90 minutes by plane but would have taken at least seven hours by train, and the train would have cost twice as much. I have used low-cost airlines many times and found them to be as safe, reliable, and comfortable as any major carrier. Here are my top three.
easyJet
Named the best European low-cost airline for 2011 by the World Airline Awards, easyJet is my favorite. EasyJet was founded in 1995 and has one of the largest networks of routes in Europe. Their website is easy to use, and fares are often the lowest, I have found. They encourage travelers to check in online, and you can check in as early as 60 days prior to your flight. In contrast to other budget airlines, there is no weight limit for carry-on bags. However, travelers are only allowed one carry-on per person.
Ryanair
The oldest and largest budget airline in Europe is Ryanair. Ryanair was founded in 1985. They have well over 1,000 routes to cities all over Europe. For many mid-sized European cities, Ryanair is the only low-cost option. However, Ryanair sometimes flies to remote airports that are a long distance from the destination city, and this may be inconvenient for travelers.
Air Berlin
The third-largest budget carrier is Air Berlin. Air Berlin was established in 1978 and entered the budget airline market in 2002. Consistently ranked high by the World Airline Awards (No. 1 in 2010 and No. 2 in 2011), this airline provides more services than most European budget airlines. They offer reserved seating and give complimentary drinks and snacks on many flights. With flights to the Middle East, Africa, and North American in addition to Europe, Air Berlin covers the largest geographical area of the European budget carriers.
Things to Remember
Travelers must remember that most of the budget airlines take a no-frills approach to travel. The luggage allowance is often very limited, so travelers with heavy luggage or more than one piece should expect to pay additional fees. Many of the services we take for granted on traditional carriers, such as free drinks and snacks, in-flight entertainment, and reserved seats, are not offered on these carriers. Also, it is unlikely that you will be able to check your luggage through to your final destination if you are connecting to and from one of these carriers,
Budget European airlines offer an inexpensive and easy way to travel around Europe. While service and amenities may be limited, these carriers are reliable and efficient. Given the relatively short travel time between most European cities, I have found these airlines to be an excellent alternative to the trains.
