I recently flew Ryannair for the first time and found it to be an easy and trouble-free exercise from booking to arrival in Italy.

I booked earlier this year (2005) so got a really good fare, plus it offered me a huge discount on Milan budget hotels.

We took a chance and booked at one which turned out to be most hospitable, lots of information from the desk team and all in all the holiday was a boomer.

Booking in for the flight was easy, staff helpful and cheery at Luton airport and after a short time we were underway, the boarding procedure was orderly and we were lucky to get front row seats, good for the leg room. (We made sure we had our e-ticket and a photo for identification to show the check-in staff.)

In flight there was of course only the paid for refreshments, but you know that when you book and it is reflected in the cheaper prices. We took our own nibbles and enjoyed them in-flight.

I did like the chance to buy our Bergamo Airport to Milan (return) bus ticket in flight because it takes the hassle out of arriving to the formalites of immigration and picking up the luggage and then having to find a way to get to Milan, which is of course an hour's drive from the airport.

When we were ready to find our bus, there was a Ryanair man in the terminal to take us out to it and to help us load.

Pity I didn't win the prize on the fundraising Lucky Scratch-n-Win ticket which Ryanair promotes to raise funds for children all over Uk and Europe!

Luckily I was travelling with a girlfriend who travels light, because I do not! My suitcase contravened the 15kg limit by a kilogram or two!!! Because we were travelling together I was allowed some of her weight allowance and did not face the penalty for having an overweight suitcase.

It may pay for prospective Ryanair travellers to be sure of their suitcase weight as many in the queues around us were a little frazzled to be paying extra holiday funds before they left the airport.

On our second trip, we ventured to Barcelona, again with Ryanair and using their connections to cheap accommodation. On our way home to UK we encountered some impromptu airport concourse amusement.

A group of young Brits had flown to Barcelona on another cheapie airline which allowed 20 kgs. They spent 2 weeks diving and arrived at Girona airport to find they were only allowed 15 kg to fly home Ryanair.

I lie not - they were spread out all over the floor, where we were booking in, trying to off-load some suitcase weight. One young lass discarded her wet towel in the rubbish bin, another donned 4 sets of tops and 2 long trousers. Flippers were taken out of the suitcase and became hand luggage to carry on board... to tell the truth one young diver wore hers over her shoulders.

So, the moral of the story is. Be sure to weigh your suitcase before you leave home and if you plan to shop until you drop, either post it home or go lighter from home in anticipation of not being caught on the way back.

With Ryanair I did notice there was attention to detail on the hand luggage allowances too. Just keep that in your mind - I think it was 10 kg per person.

When you are online, booking flights and accommodation and price is of paramount importance it may pay to consider that the train trip from London to Luton airport (return) cost us £21. When comparing ``cheapie airlines'' over others, which leave from London, it may pay to cost that in.


I will be flying Ryanair again, attracted to price, service and reliability; in my case - 4 flights all took off on time and arrived early! (I've heard that they are not so good if delays happen but speak as you find, we were on time and pleased to be flying with them.)

On my Milan trip I could not fault the staff, coming back from Barcelona one of the men must have got out of the bed the wrong side - or as it was a earliy-ish morning departure I guess it may just have been that it was a bit early for him as he was a bit short with us.

Keep an eye out for the offers which Ryanair publishes when you can travel all over Europe and only pay the taxes... I will be the first to take advantage of that when next I see it.

All in all, Ryanair is looking good.