We had originally planned to travel this leg of our trip using the overnight train from Rome through Genova but I was not able to book a posto doppia compartment on trenitalia for my husband and I last night when I tried (traveling the end of April) - "not enough seats available". I did a quick internet search about air travel to get an idea about costs and they are all over the map. Most expensive were on the only airline I have heard of (Air Italy). We take carry on luggage (small suitcase and small backpack) only with us when we travel, but I understand weight restrictions are much tighter for internal travel in Europe. Does anyone know what to look for/what to avoid/ what to be careful of if one is booking a flight (in our case - Rome to Nice)- I am assuming there is some reason there is so much variability in price. Alternatively, are there any good solutions given train situation (I tried to book 3 seats in a 3 bed compartment and it also came up as not having enough seats). Thanks.
Posted by
Charleston, SC, USA
927 posts
I would look at this web site for flights: http://www.skyscanner.com/ I did a quick search for one-way tickets from Rome to Nice on April 28. Price on EasyJet was $162 for you both. You will probably have to check a bag since they only allow 1 carry-on per person. Make sure you pay for the bag when you book the flight or it will cost you a lot more at the airport. They are pretty strict on their baggage policies. The flight is a little over an hour. I also looked at EasyJet's web site. The fare on Monday the 29th can be as low as 31.99 euros each. I have flown with EasyJet, Ryan Air and Iberia within Europe. I had no issues with any of them.
Posted by
OP
Edmonton, AB, Canada
37 posts
Thanks - I'll check them out.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32402 posts
Dorothy, In the same situation, I'd use an EasyJet flight from Rome to Nice. They appear to have flights every day (at varying times) and the prices currently shown are as low as €37.49 PP. Flight time is about 1H:15M. As most budget airlines in Europe use a "sliding scale", the prices will increase as the flight fills so it's an advantage to book early. There will be a few additional "fees" but the prices are still very good. One "caveat" to mention though - like many airlines in Europe, they have very strict rules for carry-on. You'll only be allowed ONE carry-on item of the approved size (and they will likely check). That doesn't mean "one plus a personal item such as a Purse or Laptop case", it means one only! Therefore you each may have to check one bag. Verify their weight allowances for checked luggage. If you think your luggage will be over their allowable limit, you can pay for more weight. It's better to do that at the time of booking, as the cost will be higher if they find it "over limit" at the gate when you check-in. I usually fly with EasyJet a couple of times a year, and would absolutely recommend them. The planes are usually packed full, but I've always found the experience to be "easy". As I recall, they operate out of Terminal 2 at FCO, and you'll likely have to take a Bus out to the aircraft from the Gate (that was the case with a flight I took in September). Happy travels!
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11513 posts
Dorothy, like Ken I have used and have had no issues with Easyjet, but I have also used Vueling ( and they allow one carry on plus your purse, something Easyjet does not) and if they price out cheaper I suggest you can try them also.
Posted by
Toronto, Canada
415 posts
You can check out blu express airline also. The only issue with them is similar to other small airlines - if there is an equipment problem, the flight will be significantly delayed as they don't have a lot of airplanes. I took them round trip Nice/Rome in 2010 - they were fine.