aaa32

Guys I am planning my second trip to Europe this August and was looking into some flights on RyanAir. Ok, are they serious? Are the flights really this cheap and how is this so? Is it a reliable service to use for travel. I am quite comfortable with the rail system, but from the looks of things.... this may even be cheaper. Anyone with experience would be very helpful. Thanks

astro25e

Yes, Ryanair is the cheapest thing to come out of the UK ever. but seriouslly it's really cheap, but the price they quote for you right away is often without the taxes. They probably add like 10 pounds to it afterwards(depending on when it's leaving, how far in advance it's booked, and during holidays or not). Also, they usually fly out of smaller airports that are between a half hour and an hour away from the city you're looking to go to. But if you can afford the cab/bus ride, which shouldnt be a problem with all the money you're saving, it is the sweetest deal of your life. enjoy. also, look at EasyJet, another cheap carrier.
have fun.
beth

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mr-turisty

Yes they are serious and yes they are that cheap. Totaly no frills and you print your own ticket, seating isnt allocated its just first come first serve which has never bothered me. A Astro says they do sometimes (most of the time really lol) fly to airports that are a bit out of the way. They normalty sell the tickets for buses etc on the plane or the airport your flying out of.

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ScarlotteDorian

backpacker dream airline. anthon(KCL) and i flew back and forth on ryanair from liverpool to shannon, ireland...dublin, ireland to glasgow, scotland during our 12 day trip...it all worked out well and yes...cheaper than train travel most of the time.

yeah...no fear. that airline is like a hostel...but in the air.

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bellelass

BEWARE! You HAVE to show up way ahead of your flight or you simply won't be allowed on. Check and double check the boarding time and be there a least half an hour to an hour ahead of time. I hate waiting around in airports as much as the next person.. .But when I flew London-->Roma my friend and I were about 5 minutes late for boarding and had to buy another ticket. We could see the plane sitting there on the runway and gritted our teeth and waited four hours for the next one.

The service is very no frills, but honestly the flights are so short it really doesnt matter. And so so so so so cheap. If you watch it, you can get flights for just the cost of the taxes. Its pretty awesome. I flew r/t 30 pounds... Well. Until we had to buy another ticket...

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MeTurk

Their no frills alright they have a 25 minute turn around so you may be getting onto a dirty plane because they don't have time to clean the plane sometimes. They have driven down prices though, in Ireland their main competitor is Aerlingus which is supposed to be catering for the more upmarket clientel but they've had to drop prices aswell to around €14 to anywhere in western Europe but you get the service of a proper airline meaning you get into the major airports and get feed on the plane.

Aerlingus may have more price drops in the future, it's a state owned company and their being sold off soon.

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tumblezweedz

One other point about traveling Ryanair (and possibly other low fare carriers). They do charge extra for baggage over a certain weight - a friend of ours had a 15 kg limit flying from Riga to Frankfurt-Hahn. And it's not pennies - something like 5 Euro per kilo. So if you're going to be using the flights as your main way of getting around in Europe, that's still another motivation for packing light.

My favourite Ryanair "hidden cost" was on a flight between London and Blackpool. The tickets for me and my husband and three of our kids cost 1,99 pounds each. The cost for our then 1-year-old daughter? 14,99 pounds. Plus taxes, of course. And she didn't even get her own seat! Not a problem for most travelers, but still. There are hidden costs. Be sure to check the site carefully so you know what you're in for. And definitely don't be late for check in!

futboller

Be a little wary of RyanAir:
How RyanAir flight turned into Derry air mishap

This is probably not going to happen again, but do take note. Also, check where the airports are. Some are more than a "little" out of the way. For a while they listed "London-Prestwick" for instance, which is just south of Glasgow. (They fixed it after the Guardian story.)

I'm flying them and I wouldn't stop, but just be aware.

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beergal

ha ha Meturk i was gonna mention the ireland thing as well had it all copied and ready to paste until i saw your reply...Ryanair are very cheap but sometimes the planes are a little dirty i have found but this would definately not put me off of flying with them i once had a return flight to Riga with taxes for £25

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BelfastFlyer

I'm not a big fan. Everyone has heard about their health & saftey issues (infact there was a documentry about it!). I flew with them once, basically because I took out their credit card and got a free flight!

Personally, I'd rather pay a few quid more and use BA city express (free booze!!)

bluepea

Everything everyone else said. No frills means no free water either, so if you've just had to run across the entire Dublin airport with a huge backpack in order to not miss your flight and then the juice machine ate your 2 Euro, and you're dying of thirst, you better hope you have some moola on ya.

Very true. I think we had to pay around 25 Euro extra for our overage.

I would definitely fly with them more though. My sister in law lives in Germany and takes them all over Europe.

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Have some general questions such as whether or not to get a rail pass or how much money you'll need? Visit here!

First time travelers/travelers with a lot of questions - this forum is for you![b]

aaa32

thanks for all the input guys.... i will keep all of this info in mind