Flying in Europe

We took Easyjet from Prague to Amsterdam in July. No issues other than getting in the cattle cue fast once they allowed it. Our fight was 15:45 and we were 3+ hours early, which was not necessary, but we were on bus from Cesky Krumlov to Prague, then metro, then bus, and the Cesky Krumlov buses arrived at either 11:55 or 1:55. We did not want to chance the later bus in case the bus ran into issues on the road. Had there been nothing but minor delays, I think we would have been fine with the later bus and getting to the airport inside an hour, but because of Easyjet's onsite warning we'd have sweated the whole way. There was nothing for us o do other than wait, we already had boarding. And our plane did not even arrive to unload until about 1520. Amazing that it left on time. There should be no boarder issues, Switzerland is Schengen. We walked off the plane direct to transit.

The same rules apply for airlines in Europe as in the US. The budget airline are extremely strict on their rules for weight, size, checkiin, etc. because that is where they make up for their low fares. You have the same security screen so a couple of hour prior to the flight time is necessary. Also, sometimes checkin is cut off 45 mins prior to flight. No last minute check in and running for the gate.

if you have a rental car, make sure you return it on the French side of the airport. DW had a hard time finding that return area,however, that was several years ago. no hassle with the border.

Brittany, It would help to have a bit more information. Are you travelling from Chamonix to Geneva by train or by rental car? Either way, there are no issues with crossing the border. However, if you're travelling by rental car, you'll have to ensure that it's equipped with the Highway Tax decal as required in Switzerland, or you'll face a hefty fine! Regarding your flight, I've had no problems flying with EasyJet and would definitely use them again. Where are you flying to? There should be some information on their website on how early passengers should arrive prior to a flight. For flights within Europe I'd probably leave two hours just to be safe. When using budget airlines in Europe, there are a few things that you should be aware of: > They often use a "sliding scale" so the prices will increase as the flight fills up. > Tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable once booked. > Most have fairly restrictive luggage limits and those travelling with heavy gear can expect to PAY! > Seat ion is usually not possible, so you and your travelling companions may be seated separately. > One last but important point - Euro airlines usually only allow one carry-on item, of the approved size and weight (and they make check both parameters). This doesn't mean one carry-on plus a "personal item" such as a Purse or Laptop case, it means ONE ITEM ONLY! On a flight from Rome to Athens last year, I noticed they had a sizing frame at the gate, and they WERE checking. One passenger got into a huge argument with the staff (and eventually the flight crew) and I'm not sure whether he was allowed to board. Happy travels!

Thanks everyone. Ken, we're taking a shuttle bus from Chamonix to Geneva and then a flight from Geneva to Nice. Even with the wait time at the airport we're saving a few hours on the train. Thanks for the heads up on luggage. We're packing light so we should be ok. Will check Easyjet's website for more specs on sizing just to play it safe.