Europe has may low budget airlines. The two that I have taken are EasyJet and Ryanair. Honestly, they still seem a little sketchy to me, but they are legit!
The following are my experiences, advice, and FYIs:
1) Distance to the airport. I took EasyJet to get from Zurich to London Hartwick and Ryanair to get from Dublin to Memmingen. The downside for me was that I had to take an hour train ride to get to Zurich, and then another train ride to get from Hartwick to Cardiff. Similarly, I had to take a 2 hour train ride from Memmingen to Konstanz.
2) No free on board service. That means there are no free beverages or peanuts that we Americans are accustomed to. However, they do have food and beverages available for purchase.
3) They try to get you to buy things you don't necessarily need...but I guess that's what companies typically do, right? For example, you do not have an assigned seat...unless you pay for it. This means that it's basically like a free-for all when getting on the plane. My strategy was to get there early (I also got there early because I get paranoid and want to make sure I am there for my flight) and wait near the area where people line up to board.
4) Limited baggage. This is another way they make money. Sometimes they check, sometimes they don't. You're only allowed one bag of specific dimensions and of specific mass--So if you want to stay on the safe side, make sure you measure!Typically, you are only allowed one carry-on.
5) One of the times you will wish that you had an EU passport is when you are standing in line at customs. They have 2 lines--one for EU passport holders and one for non-EU--and of course the non-EU typically moves slower.
6) There are also non-budget European airlines if money is a little less restricted for you. Going to Germany, I flew with United Airlines, but the plane was run by Lufthansa. I had a really good experience flying with them. Granted, it was a long flight so we did get food and drinks, and each seat had it's own monitor screen. In addition, the service and employees were great!
Flying is definitely a good way to reach your destination(s). It can be a cheap option if you're taking a budget airline and it can be a quick option if you're tight on time! Hopefully this post gives you some insight and a heads up on what to expect should you take a flight over there!
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
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