Take Advantage of Those Cheap Flights

For some years now a group of the airlines labelled “low-cost airlines in Europe have been embroiled in a fares war trying to offer the cheapest fares to a host of European cities. It’s quite normal to hear that one of the leading budget carriers such as Easyjet or Ryanair is offering return flights from Britain to France, Germany or Spain for £1 (approx $1.45). There might be taxes and airport landing fees to be added to the fare, but it’s still an absolute bargain if you’re looking to see a variety of cities throughout Europe. The downside of these cheap flights is that they often fly to the smaller local airports rather than the more well known biginternational ones. This can mean that a flight that is advertised to a big European city actually lands up to 50 miles away. There can be some advantages with this situation, the smaller airports often offer a much faster service on luggage and check-in because they are servicing far fewer flights. The downside is that transportation serving these airfields can be patchy at best and an extremely popular option is to hire a car from the airport. The following are some of the great cities that we’ve visited using cheap flights. We are confident that you will enjoy visiting any of these fine areas, they certainly have a lot to offer the visitor to their country.

Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow, once the butt of so many jokes about the slums of the Gorbals has undergone a Renaissance and has become a wonderful, architecturally diverse city attracting a vast number of tourists throughout the year. The chic West part of the city is home to the fourth oldest university in the U.K.. Situated on a hill amidst the Medieval district of Glasgow, the students contribute greatly to the vibrant, fun loving and cosmopolitan atmosphere of the area. The low cost airlines utilise Prestwick Airport which is approximately 51 km (35 miles) to the north east of the centre of Glasgow and there is an excellent road between the airport and Glasgow city centre. It’s a popular sightseeing area, so it is advisable to rent a car in Glasgow in advance of your journey. A congestion free 30 minute drive from Prestwick along the M77 motorway brings you to the city centre. Glasgow is a perfect starting point for a journey to the Trossachs National Park. Just 13 mile (20 km) journey out of the city and you might discover sensational countryside seated upon a pony, whilst a 30 mile (50 km) drive east along another excellent motorway will find you in Edinburgh , the city of festivals complete with Princes Street shopping, Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Castle and the seaside.

Florence, Italy

Undoubtedly one of the most stunningly beautiful locations in Europe, Florence is served by the airport at Pisa, which is 50 miles (84 km) west of Florence. Hire a car at Pisa airport and you’ll be in position to explore the leaning tower at Pisa, the wonders of historic Florence and some of some of the most picturesque countryside in the whole of Europe, that of the disturbingly beautiful Tuscany. It is therefore not surprising that Florence is high in the popularity stakes when considering European cities. When you arrive in Florence you will discover that a large proportion of the centre is pedestrianized protecting the many ancient architectural treasures and statues from the vibrations and pollution associated with heavy traffic. The traffic free status overwhelms you with a feeling of peace and quiet as you wander from one fragment of history to the next. You don’t have to walk too far before being hit by the evil, ear splitting roar of Florence’s legion of scooter riders. Other than the Ponte Vecchio the remainder of the bridges leading to centre of the city are noisy, polluted places, thus giving us an added incentive to keep to the ancient alleyways and tranquil sanctuaries of Florence’s beautiful piazzas.

Tours, France

Tours is the perfect centre for discovering France’s wonderful Loire valley and its magnificent chateaux The perfect centre for discovering the Loire Valley famed for its amazing selection of palatial residences, the city boasts quite a number of its own charms. Although the little airport is but a couple of miles out of town, it’s pretty much essential that you hire a car in the Loire Valley to fully explore some of the most picturesque towns and villages in the whole of France. A host of cultural treasures will be found along the banks of the Loire. The Loire valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site and offers beautiful countryside, lots of flamboyant castles plus a good scattering of historic villages. Formerly the “Retreat of Kings” back in the days of the Renaissance and the middle ages, the Loire Valley was a favourite location for the French monarchy. Former working fortified castles were converted into palatial and elegant trophy residences and these are now the main tourist attractions of the region. Visitors from all over the world are attracted to the historic towns that are situated along the banks of the Loire. Towns such as Blois, Tours, Orleans and Chinon have so much to see and do whilst the most popular chateau is probably that on the Chambord Estate. Throughout the region you will find small, family owned vineyards offering a variety of wonderful wines at very low prices. Keep your eyes skinned for the word “degustation”, which means sampling I guess, and provided that ‘Le Patron’ is not in the middle of a long leisurely lunch you will be offered a warm welcome and he will be delighted to offer you a tasting of all his wines. Of course, it is strongly advised that you take a non-drinker as your chauffer, some of these tasting sessions can become extremely alcoholic!.