Europe air passes or other cheap ways around Western Europe for a non-student
September 3, 2011 7:08 AM Subscribe
I'm a Canadian backpacking around Western Europe with no rigid schedule, just an idea of where I want to go and what would be a reasonable order to go from point to point. I am over 26 so I passed on the Eurail train pass as I could only get a first class pass. Question about air passes or how to get cheap fares on short notice inside.
I assumed train was the most economical way to get around but possibly the cheapo airlines are cheaper.
Can anyone that has purchased an air pass that I would be eligible for weigh in on whether it is worth it instead of doing point to point?
Failing that what website like expedia etc would I use to find fares for the cheap airlines as opposed to the more expensive national airlines?
I assumed train was the most economical way to get around but possibly the cheapo airlines are cheaper.
Can anyone that has purchased an air pass that I would be eligible for weigh in on whether it is worth it instead of doing point to point?
Failing that what website like expedia etc would I use to find fares for the cheap airlines as opposed to the more expensive national airlines?
The killer fares are lost leader, when you land somewhere for a week or two, see if you can buy your ticket out then. Also research buses.
posted by sammyo at 7:26 AM on September 3, 2011
posted by sammyo at 7:26 AM on September 3, 2011
http://www.swoodoo.com/ but no English language option seems available...
posted by yoyo_nyc at 12:40 PM on September 3, 2011
posted by yoyo_nyc at 12:40 PM on September 3, 2011
The low-fare airlines are often a great way to travel, but be careful if you've got a big backpack. Most of them are very strict about the size and weight limits for carry-on baggage, and the fee for having a bag that's too big can be as much as 2-3 times the price you paid for the ticket. Same goes for boarding passes--if you don't bring a dead-tree printed version of your Ryanair boarding pass to the airport with you, they charge 35€ to print a new one for you.
As for where to find them, your best bet is the website of each individual airline. They don't put their very best prices on the exchanges.
Good for you for not buying the pass. It's basically a scam for non-european tourists. It's very difficult to construct an itinerary on one of those passes that wouldn't be cheaper if you had just bought individual tickets.
If you're in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, or ESPECIALLY Spain, don't try to buy train tickets online. Go to the station and use the automatic kiosks there. For some reason, you can never find the best rates online. And always take the local trains, not the TGV/AVE/Thalys or whatever the high-speed option is wherever you are (exception: if you're travelling long distances in Spain. Their train network isn't nearly as good as the other countries listed.)
Buses are great, too, when you need to travel on a budget. The biggest company I know of is Eurolines. Check their website, you can often find exceptionally cheap tickets if you don't go at peak times, and book a few days in advance.
posted by tkfu at 3:59 PM on September 3, 2011
As for where to find them, your best bet is the website of each individual airline. They don't put their very best prices on the exchanges.
Good for you for not buying the pass. It's basically a scam for non-european tourists. It's very difficult to construct an itinerary on one of those passes that wouldn't be cheaper if you had just bought individual tickets.
If you're in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, or ESPECIALLY Spain, don't try to buy train tickets online. Go to the station and use the automatic kiosks there. For some reason, you can never find the best rates online. And always take the local trains, not the TGV/AVE/Thalys or whatever the high-speed option is wherever you are (exception: if you're travelling long distances in Spain. Their train network isn't nearly as good as the other countries listed.)
Buses are great, too, when you need to travel on a budget. The biggest company I know of is Eurolines. Check their website, you can often find exceptionally cheap tickets if you don't go at peak times, and book a few days in advance.
posted by tkfu at 3:59 PM on September 3, 2011
I've just got back from a long-distance European train trip. The website you want is Seat 61. It's geared towards travellers from the UK, so explains how to get from London to anywhere by train (e.g. London to Beijing!) but the section on European travel is extensive and includes how to buy cheaper tickets - when it's better to book online, and when to just turn up.
posted by plonkee at 2:00 AM on September 4, 2011
posted by plonkee at 2:00 AM on September 4, 2011
Train might be cheaper than you think - look into Seat 61. It's a far nicer way to travel than by plane.
If you're intent on flying round Europe though, realise that many of the cheapest airlines are not on comparison sites. You want to look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_low-cost_airlines#Europe.
Good places to start are EasyJet, RyanAir and Wizz Air - they all occasionally offer ridiculously low fares but look out for transfer costs and baggage restrictions.
posted by turkeyphant at 10:24 AM on September 4, 2011
If you're intent on flying round Europe though, realise that many of the cheapest airlines are not on comparison sites. You want to look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_low-cost_airlines#Europe.
Good places to start are EasyJet, RyanAir and Wizz Air - they all occasionally offer ridiculously low fares but look out for transfer costs and baggage restrictions.
posted by turkeyphant at 10:24 AM on September 4, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for the help all, I ended up getting the adult eurail global pass for 10 days of travel within a 2 month period.
posted by GleepGlop at 4:17 PM on September 4, 2011
posted by GleepGlop at 4:17 PM on September 4, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by deeaytch at 7:25 AM on September 3, 2011