Use Those Cheap Flights to Visit European Cities

For quite a few years now a number of the so-called “budget airlines” in Europe have been taking part in a price war attempting to offer the cheapest fares to a huge number of European cities. It’s not unusual to hear that one of the major budget carriers for example Ryanair or Easyjet is offering return flights from Britain to Spain, France or Germany for £1 (approx $1.45). There are airport landing fees and taxes to be added to the fare, but it’s still a real bargain if you’re looking to see a variety of cities throughout Europe. One of the major disadvantages of flying with the budget airlines is that they frequently make use of to the smaller local airports rather than the more well known biginternational ones. This sometimes means that a flight that is supposed to be flying to a major European city actually lands some fifty miles away. There can be some plus-points with this arrangement, the municipal airports often offer a much quicker service on luggage and check-in since they are catering for a much smaller number of flights. The downside is that transportation to and from these airports can be scrappy at best and an extremely popular option is to hire a car from the airport. The following are a variety of the great cities that we have visited using cheap flights. We’re confident that you would enjoy visiting any of these scenic, they certainly have a lot to offer the visitor to their country.

Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow was once a particularly ugly industrial monster but the city has seen a Renaissance and is now a fascinating, architecturally diverse city attracting a huge number of tourists throughout the year. The chic West side of Glasgow is the home of one of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom. Situated on a hill amidst the Medieval district of Glasgow, the students contribute a great deal to the vibrant, fun loving and cosmopolitan atmosphere of the area. The low cost carriers use Prestwick Airport some 51 km (35 miles) to the north east of the centre of Glasgow and you will find an excellent road between the airport and Glasgow city centre. It’s a popular sightseeing area, so it is advisable to hire a car in Glasgow in advance of your trip. A congestion free 30 minute journey from Prestwick on the M77 motorway brings you to the city centre. Glasgow is a perfect starting point for an adventure in the Trossachs National Park. Just 20 km (13 mile) drive out of the city and you could discover sensational countryside aback a pony, whereas a 50 km (30 mile) drive eastwards using another excellent motorway will take you to Edinburgh , the city of festivals complete with Princes Street shopping, Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Castle and the seaside.

Florence, Italy

Undoubtedly one of Europe’s most stunningly beautiful cities, Florence is served by the airport at Pisa, which is 50 miles (84 km) west of Florence. Rent a car at Florence airport and you’ll be perfectly positioned to explore Pisa’s leaning tower, the wonders of historic Florence and a selection of some of the most picturesque countryside in the whole of Europe, that of the majestically beautiful Tuscany. It therefore will not come as a huge surprise that Florence is high in the popularity stakes when considering European cities. Once you arrive at the city of Florence you will discover that much of the centre of the city is pedestrianized protecting the many ancient statues and architectural treasures from the pollution and vibrations caused by hectic traffic. The complete lack of traffic overwhelms you with a feeling of tranquility as you wander from one monument to the next. You do not need to walk too far before experiencing the ghastly, ear splitting roar from Florence’s legion of scooter riders. Other than the Ponte Vecchio all of the bridges leading to city centre are polluted, noisy places, thus giving us a further reason to keep to the ancient alleyways and tranquil inner sanctums of Florence’s beautiful piazzas.

Tours, France

Tours is the perfect base for discovering France’s beautiful Loire valley and its majestic chateaux The perfect centre for discovering the Loire Valley renowned for its serious array of palatial residences, the city boasts quite a number of its own charms. Although the small airport is but a few miles out of town, you really need to hire a car at Tours airport to fully explore some of the most stunning towns and villages to be found throughout 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, historic villages and lots of flamboyant castles. 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. The historic towns that line the river banks are a magnet to tourists from all over the world. Towns such as Tours, Blois and Chinon have lots to see and do whilst the most popular chateau is possibly that on the Chambord Estate. Throughout the region you will find small, family owned vineyards offering a variety of tasty 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 enjoying 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. Naturally, it is vital that you take a non-drinker as your driver, some of these tasting sessions can get very serious!.

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