Has anyone used the various types of air passes to get around Europe? Which one was best? Did you find the price to be better than taking the train or booking yourself? I'm just starting to do research for a trip to Europe next year which will include Denmark, England and possibly Central Europe as well. Thanks.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Leif, I have never heard of an "air pass". Can you provide a link to one.
The decision between rail and air is based on time and distance, rail for short to medium distances, air for medium and long. The break-even point for time is about 4 hours, if the rail trip is shorter than that, it is quicker than air allowing for time to get to and from the airport, check-in etc.
And rail is a lot more comfortable than air. And rail goes to a lot more places. If you still have to do 1-2 hours by rail after you land, then that tips the balance towards rail all the way.
If you haven't travelled by train in Europe before, read the "Man in Seat 61" website: https://www.seat61.com/
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7158 posts
Chris, this is one air pass, there are others I believe. Don't know much about them myself since I prefer trains to planes except when really not feasible.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
I have not really heard Air Passes talked about for years, I assume due to competition from budget airlines. Try www.skyscanner.com to find more of these than some of the US web site may offer. Then you're just buying regular flight tickets, not locked into any one airline or program.
Posted by
OP
Grande prairie., Alberta, Canada
39 posts
Here is the link to one of the surpasses I found. https://www.skyteam.com/en/flights-and-destinations/travel-passes/go-europe/
To be honest they seem a bit expensive compared to trains or budget airlines. I found the tip in an old rick serves book from 2008 that refers to them but they don't seem the most economical way to go to be honest. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I agree with Laura. Air passes are from a time when only "legacy" carriers (Pan Am, Lufthansa, etc) flew within Europe. Nowadays, with budget carriers, I think you'd have to do a lot of travel on very specific routes to make a pass pay off.
For instance, I flew to Scandinavia with SAS in 2003, it was something like $70 to add a segment within Scandinavia to your transatlantic ticket. At the time, that was a good deal, so I took advantage. Now that Norwegian Air competes on many routes with SAS, I'm not sure if they even offer that deal, and if they do, I'm not sure it's still the best way to go.
Posted by
OP
Grande prairie., Alberta, Canada
39 posts
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and insights. I agree that they seem like a product whose time has passed.