To feel actively discouraged from flying abroad

[Timetable99]

Trying to organise a trip on a budget to see the Christmas markets in Germany/Austria and all I'm finding are flights presumably for business travellers - either early morning (meaning it's too early for us to get to the airport using public transport, and we don't have a car) or late in the evening (which means we'll arrive in the city around 11pm, which isn't ideal as we'll miss a whole day of our trip). Plus the baggage costs are stupidly high...

Has anyone else noticed that afternoon flights seem to be in really short supply right now, and those that are running are very expensive? Obviously I know that the airlines would have put fewer on since Covid, but I'm finding it almost impossible to book flights within our usual budget of under £150 each.

Go by train, or one of the many coach/ferry trips that companies organise. Takes a bit longer, but it's much greener.

It's always been that way with budget airlines. It's less about the business travel, but more about the fact that the early and late take off slots at the airports are cheaper for the airlines.

Can you not take a taxi to the airport for the early morning flight. I don't know where you're coming from but some airports (e.g. Gatwick) have train services pretty much all through the early hours of the morning.

I second the idea of travelling by train. You are so much more of the countries you are travelling through and I always think it feels like more of an adventure :)

Seeing* so much more

YABU for wanting to fly over to Europe for just a weekend. Global warming? Look at train options or consider going by car. You can get to West Germany in about 6 hours from Dover.

Just be wary of COVID infection rates shooting up across Europe; particularly in those areas you want to visit.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59160525

Also agree that if you really want to go, try trains instead of flying. Budget airports are often outside main city centres and they obviously cost more at more 'convenient' times.

PS: Train services abroad are generally much better than in the UK!

If you're going for a short trip, you don't need baggage do you? Or you just need to pay the small amount extra so you can take a cabin bag, which is often bundled in with speedy boarding or similar.

Can you go from any of the airports served by Jet2, their flights are usually in the daytime and their cabin baggage allowance is good for a few days.

I used to fly between UK and Germany a lot. Its always been mostly evening flights.

Ignoring the environmental angle, I’ve often found that staying in a budget hotel at the airport the night before actually works out cheaper than a more expensive middle of the day flight or an early morning taxi.

Have you heard of this thing called climate change? A single flight produces as much carbon as you do in a lifetime.

Have you looked at Eurostar? You can then connect to pretty much anywhere else you want to go.

Train it. Short haul flights to Europe are no longer an acceptable choice given the current global emergency. Train to Europe is fun too.

@MrsSkylerWhite

Have you looked at Eurostar? You can then connect to pretty much anywhere else you want to go.

As long as you're reasonably near to the start of the Eurostar. Not all of us are.

Plus I hope no-one berating the OP to want to fly abroad have any children. You could fly long haul multiple times a year and it has a lower carbon footprint than having even one child.

I assume most people suggesting trains live in the south east. From the north, it takes several hours to get to London on the train and it costs over £100 before you even start with the Eurostar and connection. That’s not really doable for a cheap weekend break. Does it have to be Europe op or could you go to a different UK city with a good, albeit not authentic, market?

Hmm, I have close ties with Germany/Austria plus a couple of friends I was hoping to see out there so really was keen on seeing them this year.
I've looked at Eurostar (luckily I am in reasonable distance of a station) but it means an overnight stay near Zurich which cancels out any savings I'd make on expensive flights, though I admit it would be nice to take it slower on a train.

I'm flying to Berlin soon. Flight was £80 return. it's hand luggage only. It's early morning though but that's ok with us. Most of the cheaper flights are! Just booked flights for Seville for January. They were less than £40 pp.. Early out but decent time coming back. Absolute bargain. is Eurostar an option for you?

I’m not sure how new this is, when we’ve flown on city breaks it’s always been early morning to maximise the time at the destination. Sometimes have stayed in premier inn / travelodge at the airport the night before if getting there so early would be a hassle.

This is up north though, where we’ve always had less choice of flights.

I think all Christmas markets are full of the same overpriced tat, wherever you go. I wouldn't bother getting a flight to go to one of these, ever. The same thing is available at Birmingham if you want the continental Christmas market experience. Trust me - no need to go to Austria.

BarbaraofSeville

MrsSkylerWhite
Have you looked at Eurostar? You can then connect to pretty much anywhere else you want to go.

As long as you're reasonably near to the start of the Eurostar. Not all of us are“

True. We’ve family in London so tend to combine a visit.

I always get the early flight. I just get a taxi to the airport or stay overnight at airport hotel. works out pretty reasonable when it's a group of you.

Is there a reason you can't do that?

It's not really for the markets that I'm going it's the language and the general culture. Plus will try and fit in some skiing if we get time. Thanks for the encouragement about the early morning flights; I think with a taxi being ~£60 to the airport it'll be either that or booking a hotel room nearby.

If you're on the east side of the country, consider overnight ferries + train. I did a weekend trip to Amsterdam - overnight ferry meant I was there by 10am. You could do west Germany by lunchtime.

Looks like you'll have to factor in an overnight hotel op. Oh and ignore the eco warriors. Most of them will have more than one child, drive a car and Eat meat and dairy.They like to suck the life out of any happy threads about holidays😃

We have 35 years until extinction and you’re trying to garner sympathy online about not being able to hop on a plane to go to a market. Honestly read the room.

Yeah that’s right. Ignore the eco warriors 😂😂😂😂. We’re just spoilsports lol