Some Ryanair Ramblings

Just thought I would post a few observations about a visit my wife and I did to Cologne last weekend flying Ryanair to Brussels Sud. We had originally intended to spend the weekend in Brussels but changed our minds and went to Cologne for the Christmas markets *after* we had booked the flights. However, looking at the LoCo routes available from London, Brussels Sud or Dusseldorf seem to be the logical airports to fly into then catch a train onwards to Cologne. So…….

Outwards: drive Guildford to Stansted, catch FR1014 STN-CRL, local bus to Charleroi, train to Liege, Thalys train to Cologne.

Leave home 07.40, arrive Cologne 18.45 = 10 hours total

Return: Thalys train to Brussels, 3 hours sightseeing, coach to CRL, FR1019 CRL-STN, drive to Guildford = 10 hours 30 mins total (adjusted).

Costs: Car £28, parking £20.60, flight £28, trains/coach £58 = £134 per person total.

Ryanair?

737-800 each way. 30 mins late out, 45 mins late return. Cabin crew brisk and efficient, bit cocky but friendly enough both ways. Pilots fine, spoke English, could fly. Smooth flight, did not crash on landing, airplane did not fall apart. Is basically all I ask from a LoCo! Stansted fine. Ryanair website very informative, told us all we needed to know including transport options and also the locations of the Christmas markets.

However, on our return journey we were mixed up with some passengers for Dublin who said they had been waiting for 10 hours as their aircraft had gone tech (a venerable 737-200) and were being given no information about what was going on. The airport itself seemed ok however some of the check-in/despatch staff were verging on incompetent in their dealings with the delayed passengers who were seriously wound up.

So, were there any alternatives to this marathon? I looked on the BA website and found that they fly from LHR to Cologne which if booked well in advance costs £78.60. There is a local bus to Cologne which takes 15 mins and costs 5 Euros, while I can get a coach to Heathrow which would probably add £20…so call it £100 and several hours less travelling.

Alternatively I could just take the train to London Waterloo and change onto the Eurostar which runs to Brussels and connects with the Thalys service to Cologne. That costs £105 plus £20 local rail connection so £125 total *and* is £100% refundable up to the day of travel (unlike air). No M25, no 2 hour check in, no walk further than 50 yards, no permanently lit seatbelt signs, and pre-assigned seats.

What is the point of my babbling on? Well……

1) The Ryanair flight was fine. Good value as well.

2) However God help you if things go wrong!

3) The main point. If the main European rail operators could get their act together and actively market and price their product then IMHO they could seriously undermine any airline route to Belgium, Holland and probably half of France and Germany as well. Were I to book this trip again but to Cologne from the outset I would probably have gone for the rail option.

I guess the location of Stansted is becoming an issue for me, especially having to allow “just in case” time to get there. We spent much of Saturday waiting rather than travelling and it is getting a bit of a grind. There comes a point where cheap fares are fine however all the other things combined start to overcome these.

Just my rather long tuppence worth… 😉