Hello. My husband and I have never traveled to Europe. We were initially planning on flying from Paris to Rome on Ryanair, but I have a couple questions.
First, is this airline safe to fly on?
Second, I noticed that the airport Ryanair flies out of is in Beauvais. Is there an easy way to access this airport from downtown Paris?
Finally, does any one have any opinions/suggestions on whether or not we should fly or take the train to Rome?
Thanks!
Not only do they fly out of Beauvais in Paris, but they also don't fly into the main airport (FCO) in Rome.
Check out Vueling. they are safe, slightly more expensive but fly out of CDG and fly into FCO. Much more convenient.
I think the "low fare" airlines are cheap because you get what you pay for.
There is only bus service to Beauvais and Ciampino. By the time you get all the way out to Beauvais several hours ahead of time, then flight time, then into Rome by bus, you will probably have 6 hours of PRIME time devoted to the trip.
On the other hand, if you can sleep on an overnight train, you can use time you probably wouldn't use for sightseeing. Night trains are expensive, but that is offset by saving a night in a hotel room in Paris or Rome.
But why go from Paris to Rome in the first place? There is a lot to see in between (ever heard of Switzerland, for example?).
I flew Ryan Air from Germany to Rome for 35 € (total) round-trip. The airport in Germany was quite out of the way, so that is a drawback. When we landed in Rome, there was a bus that cost 12 € round-trip and we were at Termini station in Rome in about 30 min. or so. I did not think this was too bad. As to safety, I haven't ever heard anything negative. Our plane was a brand new sparkling Boeing.
One has to weigh each of the pros and cons. I would use them again if the flight, etc. matched my schedule. Getting from Frankfurt to Hahn costs 12 € one way and takes about 1.5 hours, but if I can get a flight to Dublin or Rome for a couple Euro or 1 Pound, then why not.
From a safety standpoint Ryan Air to best of my knowledge is fine. I have flown on it before and felt fine. Ryanair, Easyjet etc are all well known airlines in Europe. There is a wider range of reputable choices.
As highlighted most Ryanair airports are outside the city center to help cut down costs. There normally are bus services but will pay for that in cost and time.
In regards to fly versus train - I think the approximate consenus I have seen on here is about 6 hours. If you can do the train in 6 hours or under go with the train. The ability to just get on and get off between city centers and general comfort outweighs all the extra activities associated with being at an airport. Getting to the airport, check in, security, boarding, flying, taxi, immigration, baggage claim, getting back to the city center.
There is shuttle bus service from Paris to Beauvais and the schedule is coordinated with Ryanair departure times. You have to be at Porte Maillot 3hr15min before your flight is scheduled to leave. The fare is €13. See the Beauvais site for details.
Unless you can get one of Ryanair's super cheap special fares, I suggest you fly either CDG-Fiumicino on Vueling or Orly-Ciampino on easyJet.
The direct night train leaves Paris-Bercy at 18:52 and arrives at Roma Termini at 10:13.
I have used Vueling, from Paris to Rome, and was very happy with it. We flew out of CDG and into FCO, both easy airports in terms of public assess through public transport.
I would be careful about booking a flight out of Beauavais it is far out, and public transport does not run for very early flights, check out all options before you book,
I ended up chosing Vueling over a overnight train,, as train trip was three times more expensive.
Have you looked at Easyjet also ?
All lo cost airlines are tough on heavy luggage, read all small print, and pre pay for luggage as it is cheaper then paying at boarding.
Emily,
I'd also suggest using Vueling rather than RyanAir for your flight, even if the cost is slightly higher. You'll have a much easier time getting to and from CDG and FCO airports.
To reach CDG from Paris, you could either ask your Hotel to book a Shuttle (arrange this a few days before you'll be leaving) or take the RER. To reach Roma Termini from FCO, use the Leonardo Express train which is an easy ~30 minute trip and no worries about traffic (buy tickets at the station when you arrive - don't forget to validate in the yellow machine). From Termini it's not hard to access any location in Rome via Metro, Taxi, or Bus (Taxi's are in the front - with your back to the tracks, walk straight ahead).
Which areas of Paris and Rome will you be staying in?
One very important note is that the budget airlines all have extremely restrictive baggage limits. On Vueling I believe you're allowed one bag of 20 kG (at a cost of Eu$10) and one carry-on. If you're over that limit, you'll pay!
Given the distance, I'd suggest budget flight over a night train, especially if time is a factor. The travel time via train will be a minimum of ~11H47M, via TGV & EuroStar Italia, with one change in Milano (that's a day train, departing Paris Lyon at 07:42).
As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door before you go, as it covers a lot of details on smart travelling in Europe.
Happy travels!
Hi Emily ,
There are a few sites providing shuttle service form Beauvais airport .
You can take a look at this websites :
Airport Shuttle
Paris Airport Shuttle
Pariserve
Regards,
Itsik
Thanks so much Ken and everyone!!!
We haven't booked our hotels in Paris yet. We plan to stay in the city for a few days and maybe a trip to Versailles?
In Rome we are staying at Il Covo - a little B&B near the Colosseum. I've looked at some maps and it doesn't seem too far from Termini either.
Thank you all again so much. I am very excited!
Emily
