We are a family of 5 traveling to Italy in late May, (Milan and the Italian Riveria, and French Riveria.) In an attempt to put together the best airfare deal, I was looking into flying to London, then taking British Airways or Ryanair to Milan. I have never done it this way before, always traveling a non-stop. Do you have any advice for me regarding surprises I may not be anticipating? I know about the luggage restrictions on Ryanair. Also, I understand their may be a long layover at Heathrow. Is there anything else you can thing of that might make this plan too much of an inconvenience or nto worth the dollars it would save me?
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
First of all, Ryanair doesn't fly from Heathrow. To take Ryanair, you'll have to transfer to Stansted airport. Ryanair also flies into Bergamo airport, which is, if I remember, about an hour's bus ride outside of Milan.
Second, whatever route you choose, the proposal to book two separate legs (not a "thru" ticket) means that, if your first leg is late and you miss the second flight, you're out of luck. The second leg's airline has no obligation to find you another flight. So make sure you leave a lot of time to make connections, especially if you are changing airports.
Third, use search engines like Kayak.com to check for cheaper fares on your second leg. A quick check for Saturday, 22 May shows $76 one-way Heathrow to Milan on Lufthansa. If one-way fares are proving too expensive, look for a cheap round-trip fare, and toss away the return portion. [edit] That kind of fare will be cheaper in the long run, because you won't have to leave Heathrow, and you won't have to pay the extra to get to Luton, Stansted, or Gatwick airport.
Posted by
OP
fresno, CA, usa
45 posts
Thank you, Norm. I appreciate the tips, and will look into those options.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
I did essentially the same thing a couple of years ago when I went to Spain. I got a great deal roundtrip from Chicago to London. I took the National Express bus to Stansted to catch a Ryanair flight to Santander, Spain. I had plenty of time between the flights to be able to get to Stansted. No problems at all, even though I had to claim a checked bag at Heathrow before going to the bus.
On the return trip, the bus ran into quite a bit of traffic, but it wasn't a problem because my return flight to Chicago didn't leave until the next morning (I spent the night in the airport). I would not hesitate to do it this way again, since it saved me TONS of money, even paying for the bus (roundtrip tickets booked ahead on the internet).
Posted by
Puyallup, WA, USA
881 posts
Take a day in London, and enjoy. The city "center" is small enough, you can actually see quite a bit of it in about 6 hours (most things you can think of - from the outside).
Norms advise is spot on. Heathrow can be notoriously delayed. I wouldn't risk it without an overnight! Have fun!
Posted by
OP
fresno, CA, usa
45 posts
Thank you all for your great advice. I appreciate it so much.
Posted by
Phoenix, AZ, USA
1035 posts
Are you sure you are really saving money flying into LON? I just did a quick check on flights out of LAX leaving 5/25 returning 6/7 and found airfare virtually the same (aound $900) to Milan as London.
Out of Fresno to Milan, best was $1009 on American.
Out of Fresno to Lon, best was $1340.
Before you add this huge hassle to your trip, be very certain you are saving enough money to make it worth your while. Right now, it doesn't look like it is.
Also, BA is on strike, which may put additional pressure on other carriers.
Book into Milan and foget this idea is my recommendation.