Flights to/from Barcelona.
Discussion
I’m a rookie to buying flights, having always bought them as part of a package.
I need a flight for 2 to Barcelona end of Sept and back mid Oct. With hold luggage.
Now I really don’t know what I’m doing. Do I buy budget and pay the extras or pay more that includes the luggage?
Edinburgh is my nearest airport but anything near will do.
What are the best sites to go to? Or is it best just to go to the airline?
I’ll need a hotel for a couple of days too, another complication. If I don’t know what I’m doing would I be just as well going to a travel agent?
Your options from Edinburgh are Ryanair or Vueling. EasyJet fly from Glasgow. All charge for bags.
Have a look on skyscanner for your dates and remember to filter by direct flights. Then you can compare basic fares.
Edit: and yes personally I book direct with the airline.
For hotels use tripadvisor to find one that’s nice. You can enter your dates and it’ll show the prices from all of the major providers. If the price looks too good to be true it is, stick with one of the main sites like Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com or go direct. You can usually secure a few % cashback on hotel bookings by clicking through to the aforementioned sites on Quidco.
Have a look on skyscanner for your dates and remember to filter by direct flights. Then you can compare basic fares.
Edit: and yes personally I book direct with the airline.
For hotels use tripadvisor to find one that’s nice. You can enter your dates and it’ll show the prices from all of the major providers. If the price looks too good to be true it is, stick with one of the main sites like Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com or go direct. You can usually secure a few % cashback on hotel bookings by clicking through to the aforementioned sites on Quidco.
Edited by djc206 on Monday 4th July 17:52
Whats the purpose of your trip? I go to BCN quite often with work (or did) so know the place quite well.
Airlines, Easy and Vueling are the best IMHO. The latter being their home base.
I would book with Vueling just because its their home base so less chance of delays (IME).
As for getting out of the airport and into the city, are you planning to hire a car?
Airlines, Easy and Vueling are the best IMHO. The latter being their home base.
I would book with Vueling just because its their home base so less chance of delays (IME).
As for getting out of the airport and into the city, are you planning to hire a car?
Picking up a cruise from Barcelona on the 2nd October. I thought with all the flight delays and cancellations it might be wise to have a couple of days to spare. I really don’t want to be chasing the ship round the Med.
Anyway a couple of days in Barcelona will be nice. Just looking for reasonable flights and a hotel.
Anyway a couple of days in Barcelona will be nice. Just looking for reasonable flights and a hotel.
Use Skyscanner and put in your dates and airport(s) and you'll get the answer.
Just remember that airline prices go up and down like a tart's knickers so if you set a Skyscanner alert, it will email you when the flights go down (and up). It's a gamble, I buy when I'm about happy with the price, even if it does go lower.
I don't know if you have Vueling locally but they quote their prices in Euros.
Just remember that airline prices go up and down like a tart's knickers so if you set a Skyscanner alert, it will email you when the flights go down (and up). It's a gamble, I buy when I'm about happy with the price, even if it does go lower.
I don't know if you have Vueling locally but they quote their prices in Euros.
I stay in the Novotel Cornella which is just on the outskirts but close to the airport. Nice modern and clean and decent bar and food for what is basically a travel lodge.
Taxi into town takes about half an hour.
Taxi from the airport is about 20 min.
There is a big shopping centre (Splau) about 10-15 min walk with lots of places to eat etc. Its a safe area.
There is a great cafe just over the road from the hotel for breakfast if you so wish.
Its about £100-£120 a night.
You can park at the hotel if you do rent a car (its about 12 euro a night).
Taxi into town takes about half an hour.
Taxi from the airport is about 20 min.
There is a big shopping centre (Splau) about 10-15 min walk with lots of places to eat etc. Its a safe area.
There is a great cafe just over the road from the hotel for breakfast if you so wish.
Its about £100-£120 a night.
You can park at the hotel if you do rent a car (its about 12 euro a night).
Ryanair and Vueling serve the Edinburgh-Barcelona route. I have flown several hundred times with Ryanair, and about 30 with Vueling. My view of it is that Ryanair is better, less prone to delay, and has better service (although one doesn't fly with either airline for service of course).
I've had several issues with Vueling, all to do with delays and lost baggage. Avoid, is my view.
As for the other things:
- Book directly with Ryanair on the website. Involving a third party makes it messy especially for budget airlines. If things go wrong, it'll just be even worse. Getting luggage sorted for a budget airline with a third party booking site is often a hassle too, possibly resulting in you paying large extra fees at the airport. The Ryanair website is really smooth and easy, although they'll try to sell you loads of stuff like insurance, car hire, buses, etc during the check out process. Just chose no for it all.
- Usually better to chose the cheapest base fare, then add extras on according to what you actually need. At least it works out this way for me, but it will depend on what you're taking. You can choose seat selection too if this is something important to you, usually about £15/20 for the front rows, going down to £4/6 for ones further back. If you don't care where you sit, nor if your travel companions are sat apart from you, then don't bother selecting a seat and you'll be assigned one from whatever's left during the online check in 24hrs before.
- Unless you are absolutely certain you cannot resist the taste of Ryanair's cardboard chips, no need to select food in advance.
- Make sure to check in online 24hrs before and print the boarding pass/have it on a phone app to avoid drama and expense at the airport bag drop.
I've had several issues with Vueling, all to do with delays and lost baggage. Avoid, is my view.
As for the other things:
- Book directly with Ryanair on the website. Involving a third party makes it messy especially for budget airlines. If things go wrong, it'll just be even worse. Getting luggage sorted for a budget airline with a third party booking site is often a hassle too, possibly resulting in you paying large extra fees at the airport. The Ryanair website is really smooth and easy, although they'll try to sell you loads of stuff like insurance, car hire, buses, etc during the check out process. Just chose no for it all.
- Usually better to chose the cheapest base fare, then add extras on according to what you actually need. At least it works out this way for me, but it will depend on what you're taking. You can choose seat selection too if this is something important to you, usually about £15/20 for the front rows, going down to £4/6 for ones further back. If you don't care where you sit, nor if your travel companions are sat apart from you, then don't bother selecting a seat and you'll be assigned one from whatever's left during the online check in 24hrs before.
- Unless you are absolutely certain you cannot resist the taste of Ryanair's cardboard chips, no need to select food in advance.
- Make sure to check in online 24hrs before and print the boarding pass/have it on a phone app to avoid drama and expense at the airport bag drop.
Xenobian said:
Ryanair and Vueling serve the Edinburgh-Barcelona route. I have flown several hundred times with Ryanair, and about 30 with Vueling. My view of it is that Ryanair is better, less prone to delay, and has better service (although one doesn't fly with either airline for service of course).
I've had several issues with Vueling, all to do with delays and lost baggage. Avoid, is my view.
As for the other things:
- Book directly with Ryanair on the website. Involving a third party makes it messy especially for budget airlines. If things go wrong, it'll just be even worse. Getting luggage sorted for a budget airline with a third party booking site is often a hassle too, possibly resulting in you paying large extra fees at the airport. The Ryanair website is really smooth and easy, although they'll try to sell you loads of stuff like insurance, car hire, buses, etc during the check out process. Just chose no for it all.
- Usually better to chose the cheapest base fare, then add extras on according to what you actually need. At least it works out this way for me, but it will depend on what you're taking. You can choose seat selection too if this is something important to you, usually about £15/20 for the front rows, going down to £4/6 for ones further back. If you don't care where you sit, nor if your travel companions are sat apart from you, then don't bother selecting a seat and you'll be assigned one from whatever's left during the online check in 24hrs before.
- Unless you are absolutely certain you cannot resist the taste of Ryanair's cardboard chips, no need to select food in advance.
- Make sure to check in online 24hrs before and print the boarding pass/have it on a phone app to avoid drama and expense at the airport bag drop.
Thanks. I may be looking for more info later.I've had several issues with Vueling, all to do with delays and lost baggage. Avoid, is my view.
As for the other things:
- Book directly with Ryanair on the website. Involving a third party makes it messy especially for budget airlines. If things go wrong, it'll just be even worse. Getting luggage sorted for a budget airline with a third party booking site is often a hassle too, possibly resulting in you paying large extra fees at the airport. The Ryanair website is really smooth and easy, although they'll try to sell you loads of stuff like insurance, car hire, buses, etc during the check out process. Just chose no for it all.
- Usually better to chose the cheapest base fare, then add extras on according to what you actually need. At least it works out this way for me, but it will depend on what you're taking. You can choose seat selection too if this is something important to you, usually about £15/20 for the front rows, going down to £4/6 for ones further back. If you don't care where you sit, nor if your travel companions are sat apart from you, then don't bother selecting a seat and you'll be assigned one from whatever's left during the online check in 24hrs before.
- Unless you are absolutely certain you cannot resist the taste of Ryanair's cardboard chips, no need to select food in advance.
- Make sure to check in online 24hrs before and print the boarding pass/have it on a phone app to avoid drama and expense at the airport bag drop.
We’ll be travelling for a 2 week cruise so will have 2 suitcases and 2 carry on I would imagine. (One carry on my for my stuff, the rest for my wife’s)
Just make sure you double check what time the ship docks back in at Barcelona - tends to be fairly early.
Aim for a flight back midday onwards if you can, it’s not worth the stress of trying to get something earlier as you’ll be on edge and you also won’t want to hang round all day for a late flight home with all your luggage.
Aim for a flight back midday onwards if you can, it’s not worth the stress of trying to get something earlier as you’ll be on edge and you also won’t want to hang round all day for a late flight home with all your luggage.
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