Ryan Air or Easy Jet???

But now I am rethinking both of them for some internal flights within Italy

Might the train be an option?

No experience with either airline, but reading their sites and comments by others it seems to be like the hangman asking which you prefer- the blue rope or the green one.

easyJet is really fine. They do charge for cabin luggage, but that's about the only 'silly add on'. All European airlines charge for hold luggage these days so there is no difference there.

Ryanair... also fine (my experience is more limited) but with a worse reputation for nickel-and-diming. They are the ones with whom you should read the fine print.

But the only flights that you really need within Italy are the flights to the islands, and perhaps from the North to Puglia or Calabria. All other connections are just as good or even better by train.

Thank you for the quick responses.

We have a trip planned to take friends to the Amalfi Coast and wanted to add on the Dolomites since we are all big hikers.

We all love the trains so maybe we just make it a fun train travel day and stop fretting over these crazy airlines! And maybe make another stop in Florence or Rome or Bologna on the way since we enjoy them all.

I flew EasyJet from London-Gatwick to Bologna earlier this month. That was at least my third EasyJet flight since 2018. No problem with any of them. Just add the appropriate luggage fee to the ticket price when you price out the trip. RyanAir, from all reports, is considerably more problematic. I have managed to avoid it so far and hope I'll continue to be able to do so.

No one likes being nickeled and dimed. But the overall cost of a flight is what we all want. Now, if on Ryan Air and Easyjet one could find out how many nickels and dimes were to be applied to what you want it would be all OK. However, they make it way too hard to find out your true cost until you take the whole process through to the end. So, although you may finally get clear overall price, to do so is tedious. I do not know what their intention is to draw it all out, but for all practical purposes for me, I don’t even bother with their sites to begin with.
Maybe I am missing something, but they are missing something too, my business.
As some one already mentioned, in Italy why not do the trains? After you factor in to and from the airport, waiting, aggravation, a train seems so much nicer.

Personally I think there is a world of difference between how Ryan Air and EasyJet operate. Have not been on an EJet in the last two years but prior to that I found them to be a very easy airline to travel on. They have some rules relative to checked luggage but the rules are not hard to comply with. EJet is our prepared discount airline. I always thought they operated closer to the Swest model in the US.

EasyJet and Ryan Air are no different to most airlines - most add on these days for checked luggage, food, additional legroom seats etc and therefore Treemoss’s post above is incorrect - their booking process is no different to anybody else’s process.

EasyJet are my default airline within Europe, although their permitted hand luggage sizes shrunk last year.

Amalfi Coast and wanted to add on the Dolomites

So presumably a Naples-Milan flight? 1.5 hr flight plus airport processing time vs a 5 hr train ride, comes out almost even, time wise. Cost comparison ? Too many unknown variables to comment on that.

Happy hiking!

We have a trip planned to take friends to the Amalfi Coast and wanted
to add on the Dolomites since we are all big hikers.

Between the Dolomites and the Amalfi coast the train is a better option in my opinion. Not because it will make it a "fun train travel day", but because it is easier, more comfortable and probably takes about the same time as flying.

To get from the Amalfi Coast to the Dolomites, it takes a day whether you fly or you take the train.

Ryanair flies from Naples to Verona, not daily. There are more flights from Naples to Venice. But you have to get from the Amalfi coast to Naples airport first (it's farther than it looks, at least 1.5 hours), and you're still 2 hours from the Dolomites when you land. You need to be at the airport 1.5 hours early, but plan for 2 to allow for unexpected traffic delays. The flight itself takes close to 1.5 hours. So that's basically 7 hours total.

The train is a bit slower, but not by much, and it is more comfortable and convenient: you can start in Salerno or Napoli Centrale and travel all the way to Bolzano in about 8 hours or a little bit more. From Sorrento, you can take the local train to Naples, too.

Really, given the time elements, It really only makes sense to fly within Italy unless you are doing Sicily, and maybe Sardinia. Naples to someplace near the Dolomites, you might as well take the train.

But to answer the question, both are similar, the secret to budget airlines is to know what your travel requirements are, especially as related to baggage size and weight, and buy what you need. Forget some cheap initial fare, price what you need and compare to other options. For RyanAir, just take the Plus option, gets you a 20 kilo checked bag, airport check-in, and a reserved seat, everything you need, still a cheap price.

Also, maybe neither budget airline may fly every route every day, so sometimes schedule trumps choice of carrier.

Both EasyJet and Ryanair fly from our local airport, as do several other low cost airlines. Having used both, I would decide purely on the basis of departure and arrival times. Ryanair is probably a bit more brash and cheaper if you have no bags. Both will charge for food and seat selection. Follow their rules, and don't try to cheat by having more or bigger than any baggage allowance. Their service is aimed at passengers travelling light, not for stages on a grand tour.

I flew Easy Jet for the first time this month. I found their booking process very clear about luggage size and cost. I was very pleased with the price and service. Will definitely use them for future trips.

Hi Carla, Today the fast trains in Italy can get you from Venice to Naples in about 5 hours and Salerno in 5.5 hours and it’s possible to take a single train that does the entire route. Naples is about 1 hour from Sorrento and the northern Amalfi Coast, and Salerno is the gateway to the southern Amalfi Coast. Bolzano, the base city for the west end of the Dolomites, is about three hours by train or car to both Venice and Milan. If you plan far enough in advance you can buy discounted Frecciarosa train tickets 90-120 days in advance of the travel date when they are first available at www.Trenitalia.com. There may be better deals for a group traveling together such as what you have planned at www.Italiarail.com

I guess I have a very negative feeling towards RyanError that comes from the days when they deliberately mislead passenbers to make them think that their remote airports (Hahn, Weese, Beauvais) were comparable to Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, and Paris). So I would prefer EasyJet.

In any case, note that, although those airlines fly to a lot of Italian towns, they don't necessarily fly between them. A lot of major Italian airports are not that far apart. Unless you just spend your nights in airport hotels, by the time you get from the cities you want to see to the airport, wait to board, board, actually fly, deplane, find ground transportation, and get into town, you might be better off taking trains from the town center to the town center. I think the rule-of-thumb is that, if the train trip is not over 6 hours, flying is not going to be faster.

I can not speak for Ryanair, but I flew Easy Jet a few years ago before covid, so will speak to that experience, which was pleasant. My suggestion is to purchase your seats when making your reservation. At the time, it was a nominal amount, but well worth the small added expense. Those people who purchased seats were not only able to sit together, but when it came time to boarding, we were able to stay inside to go down the bridge to board the plane. The people who had not pre-purchased tickets were forced to go outside and board the plane after the assigned seat holders. I recall the weather was less than optimal, and I was so glad I did not have to go outside on the tarmac. I also thought it was a demeaning process. Even though it was not a long flight, included was a free lunch snack, which was better than the pretzels/cookie offered by American Air.

Carla,

I've flown with both airlines and would definitely recommend easyJet over RyanAir. I try to minimize flights and use trains as much as possible, but if a flight is necessary, easyJet is my preferred airline in Europe. Like many budget airlines, they do charge for cabin baggage, etc. but I've found that opting for the "Allocated Seating" (which includes Speedy Boarding) provides better luggage limits and a nicer experience.

Between the Dolomites and the Amalfi coast the train is a better option in my opinion. Not because it will make it a "fun train travel day", but because it is easier, more comfortable and probably takes about the same time as flying.

Not to mention, it's much better for the environment.

Not to mention, it's much better for the environment.

That as well, taking the train results in a fraction of the emissions caused by flying.

I have never flown on Ryanair. I’ve had no issues with EasyJet.

We flew Ryan Air from Dublin to Glasgow early in September. I was a bit concerned because of their reputation, but all went well. Do pay attention to their luggage restrictions when you book. Two days ago we flew Easy Jet from London (Gatwick) to Bordeaux. I had flown Easy Jet once before with no problems. Well this time it wasn’t so good. Our flight was delayed by 3 hours, but those things are happening more these days. The problem was the plane itself. The most uncomfortable flight I’ve ever taken. My husband and I are not tall people, actually we are below average in height. Our knees hit the seats in front of us, which would explain why the seats didn’t recline at all. I felt sorry for the people who are over 5’8”.

My preference is Easy jet over Ryan Air. We ended up using ITA flights in May/June and it was worth it. Service was great. I didn’t see them weigh any bags for any of our flights. We paid for business class tickets within Italy and Europe for a couple of the flights. It wasn’t much more compared to other flights after considering all the add on fees on the budget airlines.