Expectations Exceeded

First, I would be remiss if I didn't mention RyanAir. We honestly have zero complaints and were not only pleasantly surprised, but actually impressed. And after some of the recent flights we've experienced on other airlines, we will most definitely use RyanAir again.

They only fly to destinations in Europe and often to an airport that isn't international. For some that's a problem because you must travel by bus, train or cab to the city you may actually be visiting. In Barcelona, RyanAir flew directly into the international airport, but in Paris, for example, RyanAir flies to Beauvais. That's an hour and 15 minutes away from the city. Taking the Eurostar train makes much more sense, but it also costs more.

You are allowed only one piece of luggage on board and it must meet their exact measurement/weight restrictions and you do have to stuff your purse in it too. However, 10 kg is about 22 lbs and you'd be surprised how much that really is. We had no problem whatsoever with our little bags. I even took my laptop. And of course you always have the option to pay an additional fee and check a bag, but for just a few days, it simply isn't necessary.

This surprised me . . . there are no assigned seats. The plane we flew on holds 150+ passengers so it's first-come/first-served with the window seat. This really is ingenious though. There are absolutely no delays. Knowing you must be there early to get your choice of seats, ensures everyone is there promptly and take-off is right on time. You can pay an additional €10 for priority boarding which allows you to enter the plane first and choose your seat so if you must have that window seat, that's an option.

I also discovered that I like traveling with ordinary folk. There's no passing through the prima donnas to get to your perceived relegated seat and you see people who just want to see a bit of the world or maybe just get home to see family.

This is probably more than you wanted to know about RyanAir, but around here, it's good to know. We learned to pack light and although the wine and candy aren't free, they do offer food and drink to purchase and it's pretty cheap too. Anyway, we had a very good first experience and with a round-trip ticket to Venice costing only €35, why not try it again? Plus, in the event we have a couple of not-so-perfect experiences, I can think of more than that on other airlines.

And for the record . . . as for traveling with our neighbors, that too was not a bad experience. They are quite agreeable and don't tire nearly as easily as I do :), but it goes without saying, it can be a bit stressful to travel with others. If the opportunity presents itself, we might do it again.

They always look so stoic, but they really are happy people.