Flying: low-cost airlines and flights in Europe

As a rule of thumb, flying becomes attractive as soon as the door-to-door train journey exceeds 4 to 5 hours. This mainly concerns Paris–Lisbon, Paris–Athens, Paris–Stockholm, Paris–Naples, Paris–Seville routes, or any connection to the far east (Istanbul, Bucharest, Tallinn).

• Ryanair — the cheapest on the base fare, secondary airports, paid baggage and additional services.
• easyJet — slightly more expensive than Ryanair, main airports, more comfortable passenger experience.
• Transavia — Air France-KLM subsidiary, main airports in France, good quality-price compromise.
• Vueling — specialist for connections to Spain.
• Wizz Air — leader in Central and Eastern Europe.

Advertised fares almost always exclude hold baggage. A handbag + a small cabin bag (40 × 20 × 25 cm) is generally included, but any larger or hold baggage costs €15 to €50 per leg. Always check these surcharges before comparing with the train.

A medium-haul flight emits 5 to 10 times more CO₂ per passenger than a TGV or a bus on the same route. Gopaxo displays the estimated carbon footprint per offer to help you decide. When the train is viable, choose it — see the train section.