Ryanair Airlines

I disagree, it's the only airline I refuse to patronize after three miserable experiences. Don't get suckered in by Ryan Air's base price. When you add-up all their extra fee$ and the potential expense of transport to and from their out of the way airports, using the flag carriers is more or less the same price unless you book way in advance. Plus you get the additional benefit of not being sticklers about boarding times, slightly overweight luggage, free food/beverages, more leg room, and being able to get your boarding pass at the airport without penalty.

http://www.ellecroft.com/blog/2015/02/23-reasons-why-ryanair-sucks/

It would not be a successful airline still in business since 1985 otherwise.
Airlines offer services differently and people don't seem to realize that in advance.
But I admit I avoid them like Spirit Airlines in the USA

Ryanair is fine PROVIDED that you follow every restriction to the letter and expect no customer service. But I avoid them. Too many ways to get dinged for addition costs. Look at easyJet as a better example of a discount airline.

Ryanair are OK, so long as you are aware what you are getting and abide by the rules such as bag size. Not all the airports they use are miles further out. The best value seats are booked months in advance and not during summer holidays. Someone I know is travelling from Portugal to the UK with hand luggage only for €39 return next week, which is a bargain that I doubt any other airline could match.

I prefer Easyjet - no hand luggage weight restrictions.

We have flown Ryanair three times and have had good experiences. This last time we paid extra for priority boarding so we could be sure our carry ons would be on board. I thought this new system streamlined the boarding process. I did not see anyone trying to get away with bringing on oversized, overstuffed bags that could not fit in the overhead. We travel with a guide dog and the personnel have been very kind. They do insist on seeing the dog’s paperwork which I appreciate. Even with the added cost of priority boarding the flights from Rome to Palermo and Catania to Pisa were very inexpensive.

I would fly RyanAir again if its price, including checking a bag each, was substantially better than the competition from/to the same airports. But I would NOT book ground transportation with the plane tickets -- it's not their area of expertise.
Prefer EasyJet.

We have flown several airlines within Europe, RyanAir several times, and if the logistics work out, we will again. The restrictions and rules are not hard at all to figure out, the main difference is that they enforce their rules, as opposed to setting rules and ignoring them or applying them inconsistently. I do recommend that when booking to consider that you will be more heavily burdened with luggage than a weekend traveler, likely having a roller bag and a day bag, so I would choose priority boarding that allows you to take your day bag on board, and then pay to check a bag. Both of those cost more, but total cost will still be less than nearly any other airline.

People that get burned think they can sneak a 30 pound bag on or ignore instructions to print your own boarding pass at home.

I've flown with Ryanair in the past and based on that I won't use them unless there is absolutely no other option. Be very sure that you're clear on their check-in and luggage policies, and also which specific airports you're going to be using. Some of the airports they use are way out of the cities they supposedly serve, such as Beauvais / Paris.

My preferred budget airline is easyJet and I use them whenever I need a flight in Europe. You may find this interesting - http://www.dearcustomerrelations.com/2014/05/ryanair/ .