Travel Europe by Plane: Pros and Cons

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Europe’s extensive network of railroads was once the only affordable option for traveling around the continent, but this is no longer the case. Discount airlines like Ryanair and easyJet have made jetting around Europe quicker and cheaper; in fact, Ryanair often offers sales with fares as low as under $10.

Should you use planes rather than trains? The answer: it depends. For one thing, air travel has hidden costs. Even if you do get an incredibly affordable flight, government taxes and fees bump the price up around 25 or 30 Euros. Then comes the airlines' own fees which can add anywhere from 10 Euros to 200 Euros (ex. Baggage fees, sports equipment storage, musical equipment storage, reservation fees etc.)

Planes are ideal if your destinations on your travel itinerary are far apart such as London and Vienna. Sometimes taking the train can eat up as much as 30 to 40 hours of your vacation time. These vacation hours can cost even more than spending a couple of hundred extra dollars to take a plane instead of train. In the London-Vienna case, is it worth loosing 1 or 2 vacation days to save $200? That will depend upon your budget, the length of your vacation and how much you enjoy the train ride.

Additionally, discount airlines tend to fly into secondary airports that are an hour or more outside of the city you're trying to visit. Trains, on the other hand, typically arrive in or near the center of town, and usually link up easily with the city's mass transportation system. So flying in some circumstances can cost you both time and money.