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nano404
30th Jul 2007, 22:18
Hey.

I plan on traveling to Europe and I was wondering what is the best airline to fly between some of the destinations (and any alternative forms of travel if you know any better). I would imagine the regionals are best?

Locations such as:
France (St. Tropez:ok:)
Italy (Maybe)
Flying into Heathrow from here anyway
Belgium
Holland
Luxembourg
Spain (Maybe)
Germany

Also any suggestions on any countries or cities? (Family trip, mind you, no beer :})

BelArgUSA
31st Jul 2007, 04:22
Born in Brussels, and often going back to Europe...
xxx
Until 1992, I was working for PanAm, was based JFK... but when OFF, was with my mother in Brussels quasi at all times. Often had to get on a flight to head back to JFK... out of BRU, but sometimes FRA, or AMS, or CDG. Never used the airlines to go to these places, always used the trains. I still do the same when visiting BRU, the TGV high speed train (150 mph) takes 1 hour 20 minutes from the heart of Paris to the center of BRU... Further, TGV high speed train exists between Brussels, Paris and London...
xxx
Compare this... Flying from AMS to BRU, or train AMS to BRU... Train takes 2 hours center city to center city. Show up at train station 20 minutes before departure... If you fly, better show at airport 90 minutes or more before departure, check bags, go through security... The flight will be 35 minutes in the air, but it takes 15 minutes to taxi-out, and 10 minutes to taxi-in on arrival. Waiting for your bags will take 40 minutes... Then train anyway to get to the center of city (25 minutes)... So, with the airplane, takes you much longer...
xxx
In the train, get yourself a seat in the restaurant car, enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, and a decent meal, and enjoy the scenery (in the plane you might get a sandwich). Another thing, trains run on time. You make a "time hack" on your wristwatch with European trains... if 2 minutes late, they announce the delay on the PA with thousands of excuses... Deutsche Bundesbahn or SNCF is not AmTrak...
xxx
I always enjoyed the trains in Europe. Not too long ago, I took one from Rome to Paris, not a high speed train (that one only clocked 100 mph), left Rome at 9pm, arrived Paris around 8am, I enjoyed a bunk bed after dinner in the restaurant car, and slept quite well...
xxx
For Paris to St Tropez, you have the TGV that takes you in 2:30 hrs time to Marseille, connect there with other train (running along the pretty coastline of French Riviera), an hour later, you are in St Tropez... How about the next day, continue on that line, towards Cannes and Nice, or Monaco... And all that at half the rates of what most airlines charge... and in comfort, not with 28 inch pitch between seats...
xxx
Other lovely train routes are from Frankfurt to Cologne (along the Rhein... with views on a few Medieval castles, and the river winding between hills)...
xxx
Funny is, I often "positioned" as pilot, with my crew from A to B within Europe on trains when we could. All my colleagues loved each opportunity to travel in trains with me. Gosh...! How nice, how fast and easy, let's do it again next time (is what they always told me). First class tickets are unnecessary, unless you do travel on local trains crowded for peak hours. Most lines operate trains from 6:00am until close to midnight... a departure every hour...
xxx
Sorry, this is an aviation forum, but in this case, here, the choochoo trains beat the hell out of the airlines as far as intra-European travel.
xxx
:)
Happy contrails, or shall I say happy tracks...?

Pax Vobiscum
31st Jul 2007, 16:06
I agree with BelArgUSA - but just to add that you should be able to get a good deal on a European rail pass, which can give you unlimited travel for 15/30/60 days or (for less money) travel (e.g.) on any 10 days in a 30 day period.

PAXboy
31st Jul 2007, 16:47
Very sensible advice. Some rail passes are best bought outside the country/area. That is because they give preferential rates to tourists and they are bought through the official tourist/rail office but do check. You then have to validate the ticket at a railway station on the first day of usage and allow a few minutes for this. usually it is at the advance booking desk NOT at the barrier.

Some of them allow you to use it on ANY ten days in the month. Others are FOR ten days in the month STARTING with the first day of usage, just check.

Another advantage of trains when travelling with small people, they can wander around more and so be less bored. A disadvantage of trains when travelling with small people, they can wander around more ... :}

Sir Lee Bīstard
1st Aug 2007, 16:55
For travel to and from the Iberian peninsular, and possibly as a hub for your travels in Europe, look at Clickair which is new, albeit an Iberia spinoff. They have a growing range of destinations, principally centred on Barcelona, but with other hubs. I am a frequent user of one of their routes and have had no problems,, other than an ill controlled screaming two foot goblin (impersonating a child), sitting immediately behind me, same one, God help me, on two separate flights. Were I a Buddhist I would have concluded that I had been Stalin in a previous life! Given the Spanish tolerance of rugrats and ankle snappers, expect no sympathetic response from the cabin crew, (such as the provision of smothering pillows, axes, boiling oil and other perfectly reasonable requests). Perhaps the A380 and Dreamliner will have space for a naughty step - outside. Apart from that, the CA are friendly and well groomed and I have neve been let down. Oh, and they leave you in peace and quiet.

Avoid Ryanair like the plague, unless you have both rectal surgery scheduled and are totally deaf; if you are facing that unhappy prospect then use them, because 2 or so hours in their new bus shelter seats must be the perfect conditioning for post operative trauma in that department. Similarly if, after many years in aviation,you have any remmant of hearing left, expect it to be removed by sales pitches for lottery tickets, train tickets, anything that might leave you to snooze and get where you want to be quietly and effeciently.

Air Berlin are excellent, as you would expect. Sadly they have given up on my own positioning route, but, given their title, have a rather idiosyncratic route structure that may suit a wide ranging tourist well.

I would also echo earlier remarks about rail travel in Europe, it is a wonderful way to travel and in some places there are still rails and, unlike parts of the USA, not just rust marks! There is a website, I believe it is called the man in seat 69, I will try and find it and post it later, it is an invaluable source for travellers.

Most important, welcome to Europe; Our home - your family.

God Speed and Welcome

Pax Vobiscum
2nd Aug 2007, 16:08
It's seat 61, I can't think why the number 69 came into your head :)

www.seat61.com (http://www.seat61.com)

Sir Lee Bīstard
2nd Aug 2007, 20:40
Oh dear!!!!