Flying Around Europe on the Cheap

Back in the good ol' days of nationalized air carriers in Europe, flying from city to city within Europe was really expensive. Really, REALLY expensive. And that's one of the reasons you see so many backpack-toting students riding trains throughout Europe, clutching their Eurail passes to their chests. But while rail passes are still a great way to make short hops between (relatively) close cities in Europe, many cut-rate airlines have now popped up all over the continent. Start by checking here to see which low-cost airlines fly your particular route. I think you'll find most prices to be really cheap. Really, REALLY cheap.

For instance, a friend will be in Paris this summer on business, but then needs to get himself to Barcelona to begin a cruise. Sure, he could take an 11-hour overnight train ride, but he didn't want to waste precious vacation time. A quick check of the usual travel sites came up with an airfare of $750 one way (see, I told you it was really expensive). Enter EasyJet, a London-based carrier that flies all over Europe. Bingo, they offered a nonstop Paris to Barcelona flight on the day he wanted to fly. The cost? $70!! Vueling (a Spanish airline) came in even cheaper ($55!) and offered two nonstops a day.

Depending on your specific trip, there are many other intra-Europe airline sites you can check, including RyanAir, AppleFares, EuropeByAir and the new Dohop (get it?). With prices this low, you can now afford to check out more far-flung spots in Europe than ever.

p.s. To find low-priced airlines worldwide, check out this VERY useful site