The advantage of low-cost airlines is that they allow you to travel far and wide without spending extravagant amounts of money. Many budget airlines use smaller airports just outside major cities allowing for an increase in flights and convenience. Often travel time between these smaller secondary airports is not much more than the main hubs located within the city. In Italy and throughout Europe, air travel has become easier thanks to the increasing use and development of these airports and has contributed in reducing travel time normally covered by trains. However, if your time is short and you can’t be bothered with the hassle of longer travel times from the airport, you may want to consider national airline services such as Meridiana (www.merdiana.it). This airline flies directly out of Florence and has destinations all over the country and in Europe.
Getting to and from the airport to your final destination
Many budget airlines work in conjunction with ground transportation services and provide transport from the airport to nearby cities at a reduced cost (as compared to taxi or private car services). Terravision (www.terravision.it) is one such company that offers coach transport in Rome, Milan (near Bergamo), Florence and Pisa to the surrounding airports. When purchasing your airline tickets on line you can also check on transportation options as well and even buy coach tickets prior to boarding. For other destinations within Italy you can check the arrival information on individual airport websites, review the Ryanair destinations section or perform a web search. This is particularly important information to keep in mind when arriving on an early morning or a very late night flight.
Flying restrictions
Remember that many budget and reduced cost airlines have more severe restrictions on luggage weight, baggage restrictions, check-in and boarding times and refund policies. Many airlines will charge you (quite heavily) for overweight baggage. Baggage weight is limited to 15 kg (about 30 lbs) after which the passenger can be charged at least 7 Euros for each additional kilogram. Hand luggage is also heavily restricted to a maximum of at least 10 kg (about 20 lbs) and must fit in the baggage compartments.
Check-in for the flight is also severely watched. Many budget airlines close their check-in almost 40 minutes prior to the departure time. If you are not checked in at that time, you could be denied boarding. There are no seat assignments, rather boarding groups. The earlier you check in the greater your chances are of finding your preferred aisle or window seat. Ryanair flights are non-refundable with exceptions made only in the cases of cancellation or a very significant flight time change.
There is no food service provided during the flight, except by payment. Many of the products they offer can also be found on the ground and it is recommended that passengers eat prior to boarding or bring something along as air prices can be quite high!
Travel by train
Sometimes it is just cheaper and more convenient to travel by train. All cities within Italy are well connected by regional and inter-regional railways and train travel is a great way to see the beautiful countryside that Italy is so well renowned for! With Trenitalia (www.trenitalia.com) you can travel by the high-speed EuroStar trains, Inter-city trains and smaller, regional railways. Travelling by train is also a great way to visit the countries that border Italy, such as France, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. Trenitalia has launched many low-cost initiatives that make travelling by train in Italy and to other European destinations a great deal! Even if the low-cost options are not available on the first leg of your journey, many times you can take advantages of the discount on the return trip.
Most popular companies
Here is a list of just some of the most popular low-cost airlines operating within Europe.
www.ryanair.com
www.easyjet.com
www.basiqair.com
www.myair.com
www.vueling.com
Most popular destinations
The most popular destinations are Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Prague, Budapest, Dublin, Berlin, Monaco and Cologne, however, new destinations are continually added so check with the airlines to make sure that there are low-cost flights available to your preferred destination!
Buon Viaggio!
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