Soon it’ll be summer, with three long months of doing whatever you want! I certainly know what I (and I’m sure most other students!) will be doing… travelling of course! As students, we’ll probably be looking to spend as little money as possible travelling to our destinations, but aside from interrailing or travelling by coach, you may a quicker method of transportation… I’m talking about flying of course! Here’s a round-up of the four top budget airlines on offer to jet you off to your chosen destination!
Ryanair
Let’s face it, there’s no way I could write a guide on budget airlines without mentioning Ryanair! Definitely the most (in)famous one of all, just remember when searching for flights that on top of the price shown, you’ll also be charged for taxes, EU levy, any extra luggage you take, seat reservations etc… but at the end of the day, despite all of these extra charges, it’ll still be cheaper than flying with someone like BA. Ryanair offer flights to many European countries; just double check on the airport that you’re planning in flying to, as if it’s a bigger city, to cut down costs Ryanair may not use the main airport – for instance, if you’re flying into Oslo, you’ll either find yourself in Torp or Rygge (both an hour away from the city, and technically not even in Oslo); and if you fly into Gothenburg like I did – you’ll find yourself landing in (no joke) a barn!
Norwegian Air
As a lover of Scandinavia, how could I never have come across this airline before? Since discovering it six months ago, I’ve made full use of it for travelling through Norway, Sweden and Finland this June! As the name would suggest, it is a Norwegian company, and is basically their budget airline. Expect to pay about £40 for a one-way flight – you’ll be charged extra if you’re taking luggage in the hold, and prices differ depending on how far you’re travelling, but it’s only about £10 on average, and you can take up to 40kg. If you want to travel to somewhere in Europe but not to Scandinavia, then don’t worry, this airline serves many other countries, from Russia and the Ukraine to Serbia, not forgetting the more far-flung destinations of New York, Thailand and Dubai!
Wizz Air
This Hungarian airline offers flights to many different destinations, paying particular attention to Eastern Europe; with a few intriguing cities thrown in such as Baku in Azerbaijan if you feel like trying somewhere different! Like Ryanair, this airline also has hidden charges (although they’re much easier to spot!) in the form of taxes – click on a flight and you’ll see the price double right in front of your eyes. Despite the increase though, it’s still much cheaper than other airlines.
EasyJet
Often thought of as a step up from Ryanair, prices are relatively similar; with a slightly more generous 15kg of hand luggage allowed compared to Ryanair’s 10kg, although this is still only restricted to one bag. Again, Europe is their speciality (plus they offer cheap flights to Moscow and St Petersburg – yay!) in addition to Morocco, Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Happy travelling!
Written by Elle Pollicott