Transavia airline - has anyone used or heard of this?

Raewyn,

Yes, I've definitely heard of Transavia Airlines, although I've never flown with them. They're a wholly owned subsidiary of KLM and therefore part of the KLM - Air France corporation. They use the popular Boeing 737 aircraft. I wouldn't have any hesitation in booking a flight with them, but be sure you're clear on the luggage rules.

I should add that from Amsterdam to Paris, my choice would be Thalys high speed train, as will probably be faster, when all is considered - travel to & from airports, check-in, security, waiting, boarding & deplaning, etc. If you use one of the direct Thalys trains from Amsterdam Centraal to Gare du Nord, travel time will be 3H:27M and I doubt very much whether a flight will be any faster than that. The train will also probably be less expensive.

There's a direct (no changes) TGV high speed train departing Paris Est at 13:06, arriving Reims at 13:53 (time 0H:47M), and others with changes that take longer.

Bon Voyage!

I have not flown with Transavia - yet. But I do have a flight booked and will fly with them in September.

From all my research (I had never heard of them, either) it seems a typical low cost carrier. Based in Amsterdam, they have an extensive route network around Europe, fly 737s, relatively cheap flights, with all the typical LCC add-ons. I expect flying with them will be pretty ordinary and uneventful. Just watch for the extra add-ons (know what you're getting, and what you're not).

That said, I'd probably tend to agree with Ken about taking the train.

I have used them a couple of times. They are a part of the Air France-KLM group. No frills, but totally reliable.
But, as the others said, it is a waste of time to fly from Amsterdam to Paris. The Thalys does it in 3,5 hours in all comfort, city centre to city centre. The Gare du Nord is at walking distance from the Gare de l'Est, so you also have the additonal bonus of an easy transfer.
Buy your tickets in advance on the SNCF website.

They've been around since at least 1987. I flew them back then on a trip from London to Amsterdam.

For Amsterdam to Paris, have you considered taking the train? It is only 3 - 4 hours which will be faster than a flight once you factor in getting to and from the airport, security, etc.

https://www.transavia.com/en-EU/about-transavia/new-year-new-story-new-transavia/
As part of the Air France/KLM group, it would be nice to know if Transavia (and Transavia France) offer shared tickets, routes and baggage correspondence with the big parents (and maybe even that group's trans-Atlantic partner Delta.) One big drawback to the massive low-cost lines such as Ryanair and EasyJet is that they don't connect to anything, not even their own flights. Any opinions?

In this case there is no way that flying will be faster, and Thalys has frequent services all day.

Train 3.5 hours from Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Gare du Nord, maybe get there 10 to 15 minutes ahead to find your coach and seat before departure, no (reasonable) limit on free luggage, bigger and more comfortable seats and much better food, although I would take my own on. At Paris you just walk off and walk to the front of the train. No taxi-ing, no waiting to deplane, nothing. And you will probably arrive to the minute.

Plane - I have heard of Transavia for decades but never had a chance to use them, I would if everything worked out - only an hour. PLUS.

So, for the plane,
train to Schiphol 15 minutes
walk to check in 15 minutes
minimum 90 minutes check in
flight 60 minutes unless you have to circle or get away late - have you checked their on time record?
getting off the plane, collecting luggage, waiting for and boarding RER maybe 45 minutes, maybe more
RER to Gare du Nord 10 stops about 60 minutes plus 5 minutes getting upstairs
That's 4 hours 50 minutes if everything is cut to the minimum, quite possibly longer.

3 and a half hours on the train, nearly 5 hours flying, plus you can get really cheap Thalys tickets and go at the hour you want.

I took them from orly to amsterdam; no problems. it was cheaper to fly than to take the train in my case

Thanks everyone for all your answers.
It seems there's nothing wrong with the airline but going to Orly just adds on more time too. But the suggestion about the fast train is one I didn't know existed and I hadn't thought about all the time involved in flying, just the 1 1/4 hour flight.
So I think we'll go on the train, you don't have to pay the extra to cover cancellation do you, after all the flight was non refundable?

Just one more question, we are now just into the senior age bracket, but on booking, a whole lot of promotions then come up, do you have to add any of these?

Thanks again, am finding this travel forum invaluable!

Raewyn as a general rule no matter where you are traveling USA and in the world:

• The more you pay for a ticket the more flexibility you have to cancel and get money back.
• Non refundable tickets are always cheaper but you will not get all or any of your money back if you cancel.

And on the booking stuff you should specify company site where you are seeing discounts for senior options and we can see if you can get some kind of discount

Raewyn,

It's great to hear that you'll be taking the train, as it will not only be quicker and easier, but also a much more pleasant and relaxing trip.

The fast trains all have compulsory seat reservations. If you're willing to commit to a specific train, date and departure time, you may be able to save some money with an advance purchase ticket. However the cheapest rail tickets are also often non-changeable and non-refundable once booked. Check www.trainline.eu as I believe they sell tickets.

You may find it helpful to have a look at the excellent Man in Seat 61 website, as that has everything you'll ever need to know about travelling by train.

If available in your area, you may also want to have a look at the Rick Steves France guidebook, as that has a lot of good information on transportation in Paris and also on sightseeing in Reims, I believe. If you have a Kindle or iPad, you should be able to download the E-book versions.

Thanks for that.

I'd found Rail Europe after reading other peoples questions and answers, they seem to have branches all over the world and one here in NZ, so we can book and pay in our dollars. Does anyone who has ever gone to their own country's website and bought their tickets, find they aren't accepted on the trains in Europe? Just a thought I'd had.
I'd originally gone to the Thayls website but it wasn't properly translated so think that's why I had all the trouble with the different discounts because its different today but won't use that. Haven't tried your suggestion yet as have just read the suggestion but will go there now. I have Rick's ebook best of Europe but not the France one!

Approx how long is it necessary to allow after arrival at Gare Nord, knowing you've got a short walk to Gare Est? Is half hour gap in between arriving and then departing for Reims. or do I leave the Reims ticket til we get there and hope we don't have to wait too long as we don't want to arrive in the dark.

Buy the Reims ticket when you get there. It is a short train ride. They leave every hour

Take a look at SNCF, the French train operator. It will set up an itinerary with a Thalys ticket from Amsterdam to Paris Gare du Nord, connecting to a TGV fast train on to Reims. Seat reservations are included in the price. Tickets that allow revisions are available at higher prices. The train option won't be cheaper than a plane but it will be far more comfortable and the time involved, when all the ground procedures are added in, is competitive. https://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/results?clientId=45822d76-763f-4875-b65d-54c6441970ee&language=en&country=EN#!/

It is always wise to consult The Man in Seat 61 for rail travel. RailEurope -- not so wise. It is a commercial agent taking its cut. The Steves site sells its service and Seat 61 accepts ads, but Seat 61 then explains better ways to shop. Many people, including me, think RE can't be relied upon to show all train options and its prices can be higher than dealing directly with the train operators.