Flight from Paris to Venice

That's a typo or something on the 71 / 882 split, right? If the split is correct, I'd do anything I could, including a one-night stand in the airport, to get around that. Sleeping in airports is not evil, by the way. Anyway, here's how to attack it. Some major cities have an airport code that includes all the airports in the area. For Paris it's PAR instead of CDG, ORY, etc. Venice has two airports but no inclusive code. Marco Polo is VCE and Treviso is TSF. Use kayak.com and make two runs using PAR as the departure point both times and switching the two Venice designators. The results will show the actual departure airport. That'll cover the major carriers. You'll have to repeat the process on Skyscanner or Whichbudget to see what the cheapos have to offer, if anything.

You can do "one stop shopping". Skyscanner.com shows both budget airlines and national carriers and includes all airports.

The fare is your first concern, not the airport. Skyscanner is a good resource for Europe's budget lines which do not show up on regular search sites. "Budget" does not mean small (except in price); lines such as RyanAir and easyJet are at the top of the list for numbers of passengers carried. It's probably a little early to buy these tickets as schedules may be amended in 2014. But the general rule is buy as far ahead as you can for lowest prices. easyJet for instance flies from both Paris airports to Venice for nearly the same price. Be aware that the price will go up as you work through the website booking because there is a charge for everything and you must read and follow these regulations closely. Even so you should get a ticket for under $100 CDN, maybe a little more on a Sunday. Charles de Gaulle is further from central Paris and more of a challenge to navigate. Orly is handier although there is a nasty fee (€ 11.30) for a short shuttle ride from the regional train to the terminal.
To find out lots about Paris airports, look at http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/en-GB/Passagers/Home/ and www.parisbytrain.com

Kim, I'd suggest having a look at EasyJet, which offers Paris / Venice flights from both CDG and ORY. They currently have flights listed as low as €61.48 PP on that route for 13 July, but of course there will be a few fees added on. Many budget airlines use a "sliding scale" pricing model, so flights will be least expensive now and will increase as the flight fills. They also offer a few extra features now such as advance seat seleçtion and priority boarding, but there's an extra charge for that. If you think any of your checked luggage will be over their allowable limit, paying for the next weight tier will be cheaper at the time of booking rather than at the gate. EasyJet has also adopted a new method of checking-in and obtaining boarding passes online with only a baggage drop at the airport. I'm not sure if all airports are using that system at the moment. I tried it for the first time this year, and it works quite well. Of the two airports, I'd suggest using ORY as it's smaller and not as "hectic". It's easy to get there from Paris via RER "B" to Antony station and then the OrlyVal "people mover" train to the airport. I wouldn't suggest using RyanAir, as their flight arrive at Treviso, which is about 20 kM from Venice. Cheers!

I can't tell you how much we appreciate the advice. Thank you so much. Our flights have been booked from Orly to Marco Polo on Easy Jet. Next task... tackling trains in England & Italy. :-) Pfftt... what do I know about trains!

Kim, A few additional points to mention.... Are you clear on how to get from Paris to Orly? Be sure to read the "Terms & Conditions" carefully on the EasyJet site, especially relating to baggage limits. If you think your checked luggage will be over the allowable limit, it's far cheaper to pay for the extra weight at the time of booking rather than at the gate. Also, don't forget about the one carry-on bag rule. They DO enforce that. The rule doesn't mean "one plus a personal item such as a Purse or Laptop case", it means ONE ONLY of the approved size. When you arrive in Venice, using the Alilaguna from the airport is probably the cheapest method. Check their website for details. For information on using the trains in England, I'm sure that Nigel will be along shortly. He knows everything about the trains there. Regarding the trains in Italy, there are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of. I'll send you my usual boilerplate on the subject in a PM. You can save money by pre-purchasing tickets on the "premium" trains such as the Freccia high speed (300 kmH) versions, but note that those tickets are specific to a particular train, date and departure time, and can ONLY be used on that specific train. If you plan to pre-purchase tickets, be absolutely sure of your travel details, as if you board the wrong train you'll be subject to hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! On the Regionale trains, Buses, Metro, etc. tickets MUST be validated prior to boarding the train, etc. on the day of travel, or again hefty fines. Once validated the tickets have a "shelf life" of about five hours, so DON'T validate before you use them!

Kim, Regarding rail travel in ALL countries, you may want to have a look at the excellent Man in Seat 61 website. For information on rail travel in Italy, another fantastic website is Ron In Rome (click the "Transportation" tab). You may also find it helpful to have a look at THIS short video, which provides a good basic tutorial on riding the rails in Italy. One final tip - be sure to keep an eye on your luggage if you store larger bags on the rack at the end of the car. Bags have been known to "disappear" so you'll want to be vigilant. Cheers!

Kim, we have used Easyjet a few times. and yes, do prepay for checked bags.. its cheaper then getting to airport and having to purchase a checked bag ticket then . Also, you don't have to purchase all the extras.. we didn't bother.. no pre boarding etc.. and no insurance , but thats a personal choice. Also.. as Ken says.. one carry on means ONE, I just shoved my purse in my carry on bag till I boarded the plane..