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Getting There: Low-cost travel options to Europe

© Sonia Michaels

Many people seem to think that a trip to Europe is a once-in-a-lifetime thing - something that they have to save up for over a course of twenty years or so. While this may be the case if you are intent on staying at five-star hotels and working your way through the Michelin restaurant guide, if you set your sights just a little lower, you can certainly travel to Europe "on the cheap" and have a great time. Budget travel isn't just about backpacking and hostelling, which isn't everyone's preferred way to go (though it can be lots of fun) - there are lots of other low-cost options out there if you are willing to take the time to hunt them down.

Flying directly to continental Europe from the US, Canada, or Australia can be very expensive, and usually involves at least a couple of flights. Flying into England can be a lot cheaper, and travelers can then choose from a number of options to get themselves over to the continent. Since your flight costs will probably be the most expensive element of your trip, it's worth putting some extra time into your research and planning to get the best possible fares.

You may find that it's easiest to book your own London-to-Europe flight directly with the airline, especially if your travel agent tends to work with just the big international airlines, or with complete tour packages. On the other hand, you may prefer the added security of working with a professional travel agent - just make sure the agent you are using is familiar with these fairly recent developments in low-cost air travel from the UK to Europe.

There are a couple of things you will need to consider if you are planning to fly into London, and then take a connecting flight, train, or ferry over to continental Europe.

London has three major airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted ( http://www.stansted.com/BAAHome.htm ). These airports are not particularly close together, so you may need to make special arrangements to get yourself from your arrival point to your next departure point. Most of the low-cost European flights are now departing from Stansted airport - I'm told that 30 or so years ago, this airport consisted of a runway and a Quonset hut, but now it has a large, modern terminal, and is actually much more up to date (though much smaller) than Heathrow.

You may need to stay somewhere overnight between your arrival in London and your departure to the continent. Yes, I know this is obvious, but I'm mentioning it for a good reason: it can be VERY expensive to stay in central London. Your best bet, if you are departing from one of the smaller airports, is to find yourself some overnight accommodation near the airport, rather than trying to stay in London, see a couple of sights, and then rush to the airport.

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