Tree Frog Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 My dd is traveling to Germany for a study abroad this summer. I'm joining her for 10 days at the end and we're going to a couple of cities, one of which will be Berlin where I was an exchange student in high school. Would you help me with some questions I have? We'll be flying from London to our first destination and from Berlin to London to return to the States. Travel between our first and last destination will be via train. 1. I wouldn't like to travel with all her baggage. How expensive would it be to store it in a locker at Heathrow for 10 days? Less expensive than paying additional fees for baggage on 2 flights? Do you have any other recs for storing luggage? I will probably travel carry on and expect she will, too. 2. Between Ryan Air and Norwegian Air, which airline would you recommend and why? Any other inexpensive airline you'd recommend? Skyscanner seems to give me the least expensive fares, which I've double checked on the airlines' websites. 3. To purchase less expensive flights, we would likely be flying into an airport other than Heathrow. How difficult would it be to fly into say Gatwick and fly out of Heathrow the next day? I will likely have more questions as I plan in more detail where we're going/what we'll do, but I appreciate any ideas you can give me. I'd like to purchase tickets this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I imagine Heathrow has something about this on their website. No experience with Ryan Air or Norwegian Air. If you go to an on-line site that sells tickets that is the quickest and easiest way to compare prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 http://www.heathrow.com/airport-guide/terminal-facilities-and-services/left-baggage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Just plop the amounts in a currency converter to get an idea of prices in US dollars. It doesn't appear to be that cheap to store luggage though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasons Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Check out Ryanair and Easyjet for cheap flights. I've used both of them many times without any problems. When you are looking for inexpensive flights out of london remember the cost of one nights lodging and ground transportation to and from the different airports gets pretty spendy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted April 9, 2016 Author Share Posted April 9, 2016 http://www.heathrow.com/airport-guide/terminal-facilities-and-services/left-baggage Never occurred to me to check the website! Thank you for looking for me. I think she's going to see if someone else from her group can take a bag home for her (she would pay the additional cost of course), but if she can't find anyone, I don't want to schlep it (them?) across Europe. It might be worth the extra $$ in decreased hassle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted April 9, 2016 Author Share Posted April 9, 2016 Check out Ryanair and Easyjet for cheap flights. I've used both of them many times without any problems. When you are looking for inexpensive flights out of london remember the cost of one nights lodging and ground transportation to and from the different airports gets pretty spendy. The transportation/lodging is something I've been keeping in the back of my head. Do you have any recommendations on what has worked well for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted April 9, 2016 Author Share Posted April 9, 2016 I imagine Heathrow has something about this on their website. No experience with Ryan Air or Norwegian Air. If you go to an on-line site that sells tickets that is the quickest and easiest way to compare prices. I looked at Skyscanner, Expedia, Kayak, something that begins with a MO, and a couple of other sites. Skyscanner found by far the least expensive fares, but when I checked their reviews, several people said to check the individual airlines and purchase through them rather than through Skyscanner. Apparently Skyscanner uses 3rd party companies when one makes a purchase through them, and some of the 3rd party companies are less reliable or misleading. Skyscanner seems to fix those problems, though, because several people came back online to update and seemed very happy with the way Skyscanner solved the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Most inexpensive European airlines charge exorbitant rates for extra luggage, so it's definitely in your best interest to try and store your luggage somewhere! We've sometimes had better luck storing luggage at a train station than at an airport (you can check online). Also, a couple times, the hotel we stayed in before leaving for a week or two for somewhere else agreed to hold our luggage until we returned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 (edited) Can you send me he bags home by UPS, FedEx, or a similar par carrier? I know UPS accepts locked footlockers. To them, it's just cargo. I recommend that you check what them about feasibility and cost. It may end up cheaper than storage fees and/poor airline chares for the rest of your trip. I can't wait to see pictures! Edited April 9, 2016 by TechWife 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 There's a regular coach between Heathrow and Gatwick, and both airports will have hotels. Google 'Heathrow to Gatwick Coach' and then choose National Express. Ryanair is a low cost, no-frills airline, so beware of how much they will charge you for baggage, etc. I don't know anything about Norwegian. I've heard good things about Icelandair - at least one boardie has done that route, but I don't have personal experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Just plop the amounts in a currency converter to get an idea of prices in US dollars. It doesn't appear to be that cheap to store luggage though. Luggage storage is much more expensive these days because of the required safety precautions (scanners, security, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I don't want to schlep it (them?) across Europe. It might be worth the extra $$ in decreased hassle. If you book into the same hotel before and after your Europe jaunt you might be able to leave some luggage there. Many (many) years ago I worked at a youth hostel and this was common and more we recently left luggage for a day at a hotel in Malaysia. It's a different world now, and this may not be allowed for security reasons, but it's worth asking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 We used Norwegian two years ago for a transatlantic flight and Ryanair last summer to get from Germany to London. Both were fine - the Norwegian airplane was very nice and new but not sure what the use within Europe. Ryanair flies to Stanstead I believe, don't know about Norwegian. If you have an overnight between, changing airports isn't a problem (easy enough to get to London and to the next airport). If you have to transfer on the same day I would leave plenty of time for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horsellian Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Norwegian are excellent - my DH uses them regularly for work, and would always choose them over Ryanair given a choice. He always travels hand luggage only though, so I don't know if they are expensive for hold bags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I would check the train, too. I know taxes from London to fly to the US are very high, but I have no idea if it applies in the EU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I looked at Skyscanner, Expedia, Kayak, something that begins with a MO, and a couple of other sites. Skyscanner found by far the least expensive fares, but when I checked their reviews, several people said to check the individual airlines and purchase through them rather than through Skyscanner. Apparently Skyscanner uses 3rd party companies when one makes a purchase through them, and some of the 3rd party companies are less reliable or misleading. Skyscanner seems to fix those problems, though, because several people came back online to update and seemed very happy with the way Skyscanner solved the problem. Oh yeah I forgot to mention doing that. Sometimes that does happen where you can get a better deal through the airline. I always check that. Sometimes that's the case and sometimes it is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 If you book into the same hotel before and after your Europe jaunt you might be able to leave some luggage there. Many (many) years ago I worked at a youth hostel and this was common and more we recently left luggage for a day at a hotel in Malaysia. It's a different world now, and this may not be allowed for security reasons, but it's worth asking. We did that once in NYC. We checked out of the hotel, but weren't going home right away so we asked if they had storage. They did and they didn't charge much at all for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasons Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 There's a regular coach between Heathrow and Gatwick, and both airports will have hotels. Google 'Heathrow to Gatwick Coach' and then choose National Express. Ryanair is a low cost, no-frills airline, so beware of how much they will charge you for baggage, etc. I don't know anything about Norwegian. I've heard good things about Icelandair - at least one boardie has done that route, but I don't have personal experience. Ryanair and Easyjet are both no-frill airlines. When we flew them in the 90's there weren't assigned seats. We would arrive at the airport hours in advance to guarantee seats next to each other. Things have changed since then. Assigned seats now cost £4 on Ryanair and are free on Easyjet. Check luggage is free under 20kg (around 44 pounds) and you can pay for extra weight. You will pay for all food and beverages consumed during the flight but for the cost and length of the trip it is really a non issue. We flew from London to Salzburg four years ago for $35 one way. Do you need to return to London at the end of your trip? Have you considered flying open jaws - in one country and out another. In the past, London was usually our cheapest option but for several years now we have found better prices flying out of Zurich/Bergen/Amsterdam/Frankfurt. We try to include Switzerland in every trip we take so Zurich works out well for us. I usually book directly through the airline. I often use another search site to see who is flying where but when it comes to booking I book direct. The prices are usually the same (unless you are adding a hotel) and if a problem arises it is much easier to resolve it with the airline then through a 2nd party. I speak from experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Norwegian Air has a good reputation around here. I will be flying with them very soon for the first time. I will give you a trip report :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Yeah we are using a no frills airline. They charge for everything. Food, bags, seat requests, etc. At the rate it is going maybe they have coin slots for the toilet rooms. LOL BUT despite that, it is still costing us less than other airlines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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