Ryanair

Fearful in what way? Safety record, cleanliness, delays, extra charges for checked bags, or what? I have used Ryanair a few times and many of my friends use them regularly too. Follow their instructions to the letter and they are a decent, cheap alternative. Be aware that most of the airports they land in are not really near the cities they claim to land in, though there are some exceptions, like Edinburgh.

Fearful because of baggage weight/size restrictions and hidden costs. I would rather find a different alternative to get there but guess I need to study their website very carefully so (in the event we do fly them) I have no surprises. Thanks, Jo.

I think you'll find that the "Paris" airport they use is actually Beauvais - almost a suburb of London. Roger

I think of Ryanair as a city bus with wings. True, their excess baggage fees are hefty, but they are by far the cheapest carrier from Paris to Stockholm. Skavsta airport is about an hour's drive outside Stockholm, but there are express buses to the city.

An hour outside of Stockholm would work well for us to arrive in Sweden (if it's south) since we will be heading south and not going into Stockholm this time. But, I do need to check out where it departs from - I believe it was said Beavais. We will be in Normandy and Brittany so don't know where that's located from there. So much investigation to do!

You're in luck - Skavsta airport IS south of the city.

I would hesitate to call their fees hidden, you just need to carefully understand what you will be charged for. Before you hit "buy" you will be given a total, just know that the amazingly cheap ticket will be more by the time you add on all the fees. The people most irritated with Ryanair are the ones who show up at the airport with no boarding pass (have to pay to get another) and an obviously oversize and overweight bag (Because they never check do they?) or do not believe that when they say one personal cabin item, they really do mean one. I fly Ryanair, and usually plan on checking a bag, just to avoid any issues with weight. Yes it is an added cost, but the total cost (ticket and bag) are still cheap. Look at the baggage rules carefully, pay for a checked bag, and have a nice flight.

"Stockholm" Skavsta is really Nyköping. I've flown from Paris into Arlanda on both Air France and SAS. Usually SAS has decent prices. However, Arlanda is north of the city so Skavsta might be better if your destination is south. There is a airport bus (check flygbussarna.se for routes) to connect to Stockholm and some other places.

Ryanair does have fees, but none of them are "hidden", any more than additional fees are on any other airline. As Paul said, you get a total before you hit "buy". And like Paul, I think that most people who are unhappy with Ryanair are those that fail to follow the rules (or even read them). Rules are key, as Jo said. If you know them and abide by them, Ryanair is a perfectly good carrier, especially for the price.

Well, I can definitely see how studying the Ryanair website in advance to be knowledgable about the entire process is important. Thanks.