Getting Around | Travel + Leisure
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Getting Around

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PLANES
• Orbitz.com and Expedia.com often have better airfare deals than those offered by a country's national airline. Orbitz listed a $562 flight from New York to Lisbon (connecting in London); on TAP Air Portugal's Web site (www.tap-airportugal.com), the same route was $654.

• Fly from the United States to London and then catch a connecting flight to any European destination on a budget carrier like Easyjet or Ryanair. This works particularly well if you plan to stay in the "hub" for a few days before taking a side trip to your final destination. On Orbitz, we found a New York to Heathrow flight for $341. Flights from Stansted (also in London) to Barcelona (on Ryanair) ran as low as $63, bringing the total price to $424. Orbitz also had a New York to Barcelona flight for $688.

• Search engines like Applefares.com, Cheapflights.co.uk, Europebyair.com, and Skyscanner.net find the least expensive fares within Europe.

• The on-line booking agent 1stAir (www.1st-air.net) offers between 30 and 50 percent off first- or business-class fares from 16 international airlines. A flight on Air Canada from New York to Rome in June costs $3,891 versus the usual $5,432. (Become a Passport Premier member for $250 a year and you get additional savings. For instance, a flight from New York to Paris costs $4,874 without membership; with, it's $2,920.)

TRAINS
• Using public transportation to get from the airport to your hotel will save you big bucks—and, in some cities, it can be more efficient than taking a cab. Paris's RER train (www.ratp.fr), for example, can whisk you from Charles-de-Gaulle to the center of the city in 30 minutes for $14. A taxi would cost around $50 and could take an average of 45 minutes. Britain's Gatwick Express (www.gatwickexpress.co.uk) drops you in Victoria Station in 30 minutes—saving you a half-hour off a taxi—and costs around $20. Cab fare from Gatwick to Victoria is approximately $130.

• For travel within one or between two countries, Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com) has several new options: France and Switzerland; Switzerland and Austria; and Hungary and Romania. Passes for five days of unlimited travel along the Hungary to Romania route start at $170 per person for first-class seats.

• Eurostar (www.eurostar.com), the high-speed train that travels between London, Brussels, and Paris, recently dropped one-way fares from $200 to $90.

• To avoid the crowds, splurge on first class when traveling during high season or at peak hours. At off-peak times, you'll pay significantly less and have a more tranquil experience in empty second-class cars. A first-class, round-trip ticket from London to Brighton on the South Central rail line, for example, costs $82; standard class (also round-trip) is $30.

AUTOMOBILES
• With gas prices in many European countries hovering around $5 a gallon, you might even want to take a plane or train instead of renting a car.

• AutoEurope.com is offering discounts of up to 25 percent. For instance, a Renault Clio manual transmission in France costs $237 for a week in June, down from $275.

• Because of special tax laws, French companies like Renault (www.renaultusa.com) and Peugeot (www.autofrance.net) are able to offer great buy-back lease programs on rentals that exceed 2 1/2 weeks.

• Renting from a local company can save you a bundle. Getting a car for five days from Hertz's Edinburgh Airport location is easily $450, while a weeklong rental through Arnold Clark (www.arnoldclark.com) can cost as little as $200.
—Daisy Chan

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