Those planning to travel Europe by rail should seriously consider taking advantage of the continent's budget airlines. Although trains have offer the ability to see the countryside, to move around freely, and to eat, drink, and (sometimes) smoke while moving, flying provides a much cheaper alternative for breeching long distances. The growth of the budget airline in Europe has made air travel sometimes even cheaper than bus travel.
What is a Budget Airline?
Budget airlines run on strict budgets. The trend caught on big in Europe, beginning with London-based Easy Jet, but now most major European carriers run a low cost airline that operates under a separate name. The cheaper pricetag comes at the sacrifice of reduced bonus services commonly referred to as "frills." This means no reserved seating, no drinks, and no refunds. Although those accustomed to the Western phenomenon of forming a single-file line will be caught off-guard by the chaotic mad dash involved in boarding a European budget plane, Americans will not miss the lack of frills as increasing operating costs in the United States have translated to retractions of the free pretzals and sodas.
How to Get the Best Price
The price attached to budget airfare operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. To guarantee the best price, buy as far ahead of time as possible. Ryan Air, a British carrier, regularly runs its first few tickets at 0.01 euro, leaving the customer to pay nothing more than the taxes (which can run up to 15 euros or so). Once a flight starts filling up, they can get just as expensive as a conventional carrier.
The day of the flight also makes a difference. Luckily for many travelers, budget airlines do not slavishly follow the conventional pattern of pricing tickets higher for weekend travel. It is often possible to secure cheap flights over the weekend, while a Wednesday departure may skyrocket. Flexibility with dates can offer major savings.
The other major factor in getting a low price on a budget airline is to use one of its frequently run routes. To fully take advantage of this, customers need to get to know the industry a bit. Since all countries have their own airlines, the destination a traveler leaves from or arrives to offers a comparative advantage. For instance, those planning on traveling from within Spain or from Spain to Italy might be able to get a better deal by flying the Spanish carrier Click Air than the better known English carriers. As a rule, however, the English companies dominate the market and can often upstage local carriers in their own markets.
Where to Buy a Ticket
The best place to buy a ticket is the internet, where customers can easily compare prices for various dates as well as routes. Tickets can also be purchased at airports and by telephone.
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