Those of you who have seen my other posts (and been kindly helping too, thanks!) will be glad to see one that has nohing to do with Asia, Cathay, Hong Kong, AA, One World, or awards!
With the rise of discount carriers in Europe, I am contemplating a few trips within it. I have friends in London and Milan, some link in Oslo, other cities would be pure tourism.
A few questions:
1. If I mainly wish to use discount carriers, which is the best "hub" city?
2. Which is the best online site to research European fares?
3. When I am in London, how do its various airports rank in convenience for getting to/from the city? In service provide by discount carriers?
Kirans Cousin wrote: > Those of you who have seen my other posts (and been kindly helping too, > thanks!) will be glad to see one that has nohing to do with Asia, > Cathay, Hong Kong, AA, One World, or awards!
> With the rise of discount carriers in Europe, I am contemplating a few > trips within it. I have friends in London and Milan, some link in Oslo, > other cities would be pure tourism.
> A few questions:
> 1. If I mainly wish to use discount carriers, which is the best "hub" > city?
London has the most discount flights, and is also the cheapest place in Europe for flights to other continents.
But you don't need to stick to one hub - it is usually possible to design your trip to go from hub to spoke to another hub, and so on, so that you don't have to backtrack.
I travelled around Europe for three months using discount airlines almost exclusively, and this was in 2003 when their route networks were not as extensive as they are now. I found that I could always get a cheap flight to London at the last minute from virtually anywhere. Getting to other places cheaply was somewhat tricker, but you could usually find a cheap flight to a place that was at least close to where you wanted to go. The only flights that were more than $100 US were Brussels-Athens and Athens-Munich.
Kirans Cousin wrote: > 1. If I mainly wish to use discount carriers, which is the best "hub" > city?
This is more of a "where do you want to go" question as there are several discount airlines based throughout Europe.
> 2. Which is the best online site to research European fares?
for discount fares, you need to go to the airline's website
> 3. When I am in London, how do its various airports rank in convenience > for getting to/from the city? In service provide by discount carriers?
Discount airlines use Stansted and Luton airport. There is a dedicated train going from Liverpool or Tottenham Hal to Stansted in 45 minutes departing every 15 minutes or so.
The Luton train is 30 minutes from St. Pancras plus a bus ride to the terminal
> Those of you who have seen my other posts (and been kindly helping too, > thanks!) will be glad to see one that has nohing to do with Asia, > Cathay, Hong Kong, AA, One World, or awards!
> With the rise of discount carriers in Europe, I am contemplating a few > trips within it. I have friends in London and Milan, some link in Oslo, > other cities would be pure tourism.
> A few questions:
> 1. If I mainly wish to use discount carriers, which is the best "hub" > city?
> 2. Which is the best online site to research European fares?
> 3. When I am in London, how do its various airports rank in convenience > for getting to/from the city? In service provide by discount carriers?
> Thanks.
1. Probably London, although I understand Paris could also be considered a hub. 2. Try www.skyscanner.net - it will give you discount fares on a variety of airlines. Don't totally write off the major long established airlines either, I recently got a fare of 1 pound (+taxes) London Heathrow to Dublin on Aer Lingus. 3. Depends largely on where your accommodation is in the city. If you're in the south then Gatwick is OK. To the west or around Paddington is best for Heathrow. North for Luton and north or east for Stansted. All have good rail (expensive) and coach (cheaper and slower) connections. See www.baa.com for transport options. A lot of discount carriers use Stansted and Luton, but as I said previously don't rule out Heathrow or Gatwick. London City may offer cheap flights too.
: for discount fares, you need to go to the airline's website
OK, my question was unclear. I meant sites like or Sidestep.com or Kayak.com in USA that look at many airlines. They do have European data too, but I thought a similar UK or otherwise European service might be better for European flights.
: Discount airlines use Stansted and Luton airport. There is a dedicated : train going from Liverpool or Tottenham Hal to Stansted in 45 minutes : departing every 15 minutes or so. : : The Luton train is 30 minutes from St. Pancras plus a bus ride to the : terminal
I'll be in London, not Liverpool. Other names don't mean much to me at present. Is Stansted or Luton more convenient from London itself?
> : for discount fares, you need to go to the airline's website
> OK, my question was unclear. I meant sites like or Sidestep.com or > Kayak.com in USA that look at many airlines. They do have European data > too, but I thought a similar UK or otherwise European service might be > better for European flights.
> I'll be in London, not Liverpool. Other names don't mean much to me at > present. Is Stansted or Luton more convenient from London itself?
The trains go from Stansted to Liverpool Street Station, which is one of the major London railway stations. NOT to be confused with Liverpool city, where the main railway station is Lime Street.
: The trains go from Stansted to Liverpool Street Station, which is one of the : major London railway stations. NOT to be confused with Liverpool city, where : the main railway station is Lime Street.
> Discount airlines use Stansted and Luton airport.
easyJet flies to 37 European cities from Gatwick, and Ryanair to four cities in the Irish Republic.
When looking for cheap fares from London, don't rule out British Airways. Their fares are often as cheap or cheaper than the discount carriers and the service is better - free food, drinks etc.
> There is a dedicated train going from Liverpool
That's Liverpool *Street* station, London
> or Tottenham Hal to Stansted in 45 minutes
That's Tottenham Hale, easily accessible from central London using the Victoria Line of the London Underground (subway).
David Bennetts wrote: > "Kirans Cousin" <kiranscou...@no.email> wrote in message > news:250820061718151909%kiranscousin@no.email... > > Those of you who have seen my other posts (and been kindly helping too, > > thanks!) will be glad to see one that has nohing to do with Asia, > > Cathay, Hong Kong, AA, One World, or awards!
> > With the rise of discount carriers in Europe, I am contemplating a few > > trips within it. I have friends in London and Milan, some link in Oslo, > > other cities would be pure tourism.
> > A few questions:
> > 1. If I mainly wish to use discount carriers, which is the best "hub" > > city?
> > 2. Which is the best online site to research European fares?
> > 3. When I am in London, how do its various airports rank in convenience > > for getting to/from the city? In service provide by discount carriers?
> > Thanks.
> 1. Probably London, although I understand Paris could also be considered a > hub. > 2. Try www.skyscanner.net - it will give you discount fares on a variety of > airlines. Don't totally write off the major long established airlines > either, I recently got a fare of 1 pound (+taxes) London Heathrow to Dublin > on Aer Lingus. > 3. Depends largely on where your accommodation is in the city. If you're > in the south then Gatwick is OK. To the west or around Paddington is best > for Heathrow. North for Luton and north or east for Stansted. All have > good rail (expensive) and coach (cheaper and slower) connections. See > www.baa.com for transport options. A lot of discount carriers use Stansted > and Luton, but as I said previously don't rule out Heathrow or Gatwick. > London City may offer cheap flights too.
it rather depends on where the OP is going , probably the largest choice of budget airline is stansted . Ryanair flies to small airports , ofter a a bit distant from the main towns, which can sometimes be more convienient ansd less prown to airport delays,they are normally cheaper than most, but not as customer friendly. Easy jet and Air berlin fly to the larger airports, so are oftern a more expensive. You get what you pay for.
<kiranscou...@no.email> wrote: >Those of you who have seen my other posts (and been kindly helping too, >thanks!) will be glad to see one that has nohing to do with Asia, >Cathay, Hong Kong, AA, One World, or awards!
>With the rise of discount carriers in Europe, I am contemplating a few >trips within it. I have friends in London and Milan, some link in Oslo, >other cities would be pure tourism.
>A few questions:
Easy ones at that!
>1. If I mainly wish to use discount carriers, which is the best "hub" >city?
Almost certainly London.
>2. Which is the best online site to research European fares?
> Those of you who have seen my other posts (and been kindly helping too, > thanks!) will be glad to see one that has nohing to do with Asia, > Cathay, Hong Kong, AA, One World, or awards!
> With the rise of discount carriers in Europe, I am contemplating a few > trips within it. I have friends in London and Milan, some link in Oslo, > other cities would be pure tourism.
> A few questions:
> 1. If I mainly wish to use discount carriers, which is the best "hub" > city?
Maybe London but it depends where you want to go. Plus London is expensive in general which could wipe out some of your savings on fares. And using a continental hub city you may find that train is better than air on some routes.
> 2. Which is the best online site to research European fares?
I use http://www.whichbudget.com/en/ which is the most complete I have seen The downside is that for London you have to check out each of the 4 airports, it does not seem to have a London Any Airport option. It can be easier to look up the destination (say Budapest) and find which London airports it connects to. It also shows a full list of destinations from any airport which can be useful. I did not know of http://www.skyscanner.net/ which others mentioned. It does have a London Any Airport option so is probably easier, though on one route I checked it missed one airline compared to whichbudget. Probably it is better to try both sites.
Also check out http://www.opodo.com/ which gives budget fares on 9 of the major airlines such as BA, which do not show on budget airlines lists.
> 3. When I am in London, how do its various airports rank in convenience > for getting to/from the city? In service provide by discount carriers?
Depends where in London where you start from. I'll assume from the centre, but if you start from further out that would change things. Even from the centre it depends which area - whether you are closest to Paddington, or the Piccadilly line tube (for LHR), or Victoria, London Bridge, Kings X or Liverpool St stations. Getting to one of these stations could be the hardest bit, especially in the rush hour. * Heathrow is west of London and is the quickest if you use the Heathrow Express train (15 min? from Paddington), but it is expensive. By normal tube train (Piccadilly line) about 1 hour, slower than the others. Also it does not have so many budget flights. * Gatwick is south and probably the furthest but has fast trains from Victoria and London Bridge. Mostly regular airlines but also many budget flights especially Easyjet. * Luton is north, trains from London Bridge, Kings Cross etc. Mostly budget airlines. * Stansted is NE, trains from Liverpool Street. Mostly budget airlines.
I guess the last 3 take a similar time by train, also slower than Heathrow by Express but probably quicker and more comfortable than Heathrow by tube.
There is also City airport, much closer in east London, but no budget flights I think.
There are also a couple of others within reach - Southend, Southampton (good train connection from London, station right by the airport), maybe others.
