Train vs. Cheap-fare Airlines (Venice to Paris)

[Debbierpof]

My DH and I are trying to decide on how to get from Venice to Paris. Our cruise starts and ends in Venice, but our flight home is from Paris (3 days later). I've checked the cheap fare airlines (Ryan Air, Easy Jet and My Air). The rates are really low (120 Euros total for two) and I know they have luggage restrictions. Are we better off taking the overnight train (350 Euros total for two)? The cost is almost double, but that does include sleeping accomodations. I'm not sure I trust those airlines. Is it a nice train ride from Venice to Paris? Will we see much? The train goes via Milan and the train doesn't depart from Milan until 11:35 pm. Thanks for any advice!

[Artemis]

1-The overnight train clearly isn't going to give you a lot of scenic viewing (and frankly, the scenery on that route is pretty enough, but nothing spectacular).

 

2-Although I sleep like a baby on those trains, a lot of people find them fairly uncomfortable and noisy.

 

IMO, flying is definitely the way to go--puts you enjoying Paris within hours.

 

The rub is, as you mentioned, the luggage. You will absolutely have to pare down your luggage--number of pieces, size of pieces, weight of pieces--in order to pull it off via discount carrier. Read the easyJet or Ryanair site for details to see if you want to/can do it. It is not as difficult to comply with their luggage restrictions as it seems on first blush. But...it all depends on how much "stuff" you like to have with you when you travel.

 

Re: your comment on not trusting the discount carriers, we've flown with both easyJet and Ryanair several times without problems. Those are entrenched airlines...they are like Southwest in the US. That doesn't mean they aren't subject to glitches...things happen with air travel regardless of carrier. But as long as you follow their rules, which can be picky at times, you should be okay. (I have no info re: MyAir. I think they are the successor to Volare? Maybe someone else can speak to that airline if it's the one in which you are most interested.)

 

Have a great trip!

[Globaliser]

Our cruise starts and ends in Venice, but our flight home is from Paris (3 days later). ... Are we better off taking the overnight train (350 Euros total for two)? The cost is almost double, but that does include sleeping accomodations.

First, you must ask yourself what is your aim for your three extra days. If you fly to Paris the day that you disembark, you will have most of that afternoon, that evening, and then the whole of the remaining two(?) full days and perhaps the morning of the next day in Paris before you fly out.

 

If you take the overnight sleeper to Paris, you will have a day in Venice - possibly with some issues about what to do with your luggage if you want to see some of Venice that day - and you won't be able to start Paris until mid-morning or lunchtime the next day after you've got to your hotel there and dropped your luggage.

 

Better off doesn't simply mean what is cheaper - you have to factor in things like this as well.

I'm not sure I trust those airlines.

To put things in perspective, easyJet and Ryanair are two of the biggest low-fare airlines in the world. Ryanair now claims to carry more passengers (by headcount) than British Airways; although this claim is currently statistically unsound, it will soon be true at Ryanair's rate of growth.

 

MyAir is very different. It started in December 2004 backed by former Volare Airlines management; Volare entered bankruptcy in November 2004 although I believe that it has been restructured and remains in operation. MyAir currently operates a fleet of 5 or 6 A320s.

 

Whether you should "trust" these airlines depends on what's important to you to "trust". Different people will place emphasis on different things.

Is it a nice train ride from Venice to Paris? Will we see much? The train goes via Milan and the train doesn't depart from Milan until 11:35 pm.

As the train leaves Venice at about 7.30 pm and arrive in Paris at about 8.30 am, I would have thought that the bulk of the trip will be in darkness.

[Debbierpof]

globaliser & artemis - Thanks for your input. I have made reservations on MyAir from Venice to Paris (Orly!). The only thing we'll have to watch for now is our luggage limit!:D