Options
What It’s Like Traveling in Europe Right Now
I came across this article on the Rick Steves Europe website that is probably of interest to many of us traveling over to Europe in the near future.
Spring 2022 Trip Report: What It’s Like Traveling in Europe Right Now
4
Comments
Very helpful; thanks, John. Good to know you can have a good time while remaining rational and vigilant.
Thank you John, traveling to Europe next month.
Has anyone traveled through Heathrow recently? Just saw a report that travel this summer will be chaos. And uk airports at top of list. I’m going through there multiple times I hope but this has me wondering if I should try to re route?
Heathrow is always a very busy airport. If not the busiest in the world, it is it’s own city with it’s own police force, there have been interesting documentaries about the airport over the years. The British travel abroad far more than Americans and Heathrow is a major hub for Europe and beyond. We try to avoid it because we have been in long security lines there and missed flights a couple of times even though in theory we have had decent layover times. Unfortunately during these Covid times, you may have no alternatives but to travel through there, especially if you are trying to find different flights last minute and prices will be high too.
If you have good layover times, you will be fine but be prepared to hustle when you get off your plane, be one of the first through immigration and security lines, make sure you have no banned items in your carry on….or have electronics out of your bag if required, anything that may delay you or might pull you out of line to go through security again.
Have a small backpack you can easily run with rather than a wheeled pull along bag. Same with shoes, have ones you can run in, anything to make sure you make your flights.
Although I have not traveled since the end of 2018 (pre-pandemic), I had always used BA for travel between Las Vegas and Heathrow, as it was the only direct flight to/from Europe from Vegas. I agree with British how busy Heathrow always was in the past and it was a direct connection from Heathrow all over Europe. I always tried to plan enough layover time there to make connections through other cities in Europe I was traveling to then. Only once did I arrive at Heathrow (due to delays in Vegas) too late to just miss my connection on to Barcelona and had to be put up overnight there until I could get the next flight out from Heathrow to Barcelona. There are fewer airlines flights throughout Europe then, so the connecting flights were always full and sometimes completely booked in advance, another problem about flying connecting flights in Europe (pre-pandemic). My biggest problem was having to change terminals at Heathrow, i.e. Terminal 3 was for overseas flights coming into/going out of Heathrow, while Terminal 5 (a separate terminal one had to get to) was the terminal for connecting flight from Heathrow to other cities in Europe. A pain if one has/had walking problems. Sigh. It is what it is and I am not so sure that I want to "jump through that many hoops" now in post-pandemic Europe. Just saying.
Thanks a million. I might just switch to delta and go through CDG going and AMS returning. I have 2 hr layover in London so perhaps that’s not enough time to be sure I’ll make my next flight. Yup, I searched and last minute is expensive but I guess it’s that or worry I will have an awful trip to begin my journey.
Two hours in London should be plenty. CDG is worse than Heathrow (IMHO).
What is your destination? Sometimes you can completely bypass connections in Europe.
That is our preference if we can do it, especially if flying business- Euro business class is like coach with middle seats in 3 - 3 seating blocked off. We are headed to Greece (Treasures of the Aegean) next month and were lucky to find and book non-stop flights from JFK to Athens on Delta. I booked last year before the prices started going up. I just checked, the fare for the exact same flights if purchased today would be over $5000 more p/p!!!!
I agree with Ken, i.e. CDG was the worst airport I ever encountered in Europe; it happened only one time but that was enough for me traveling to/from CDG.
Amsterdam airport is not much better. Unless it’s changed, you can’t go to the gate until just before the flight, so there is nowhere to sit. Then there is a second security check so you can enter the area where the seats are for the gate. If this is no longer the way it is, perhaps someone can correct me.
Thomas,
All airports can be daunting, especially if you are unfamiliar with the layout and you have to maneuver from international areas to domestic areas or vice versa. I think you will be okay with a two hour layover in London, especially if traveling business class. If traveling coach, I would recommend reviewing the airport layout either on-line or while on the flight (the magazines usually have layouts and gate locations.) Some flight attendants are also very helpful with directions. Actually, it never hurts to review the airport layouts no matter which class of service you are sitting in. I wouldn't change routing especially if it meant an increase in fares. Good luck.
Guess I've just been lucky. LHR now has e-gates, which speed up things. For indy travel, I aim for midweek and off-season, so have always enjoyed LHR, esp. Terminal 5. Harrods is a special treat if my trip is not to UK. By contrast CDG is quite cramped. AMS has always been easy to navigate and has a museum; it doesn't get better than that! I'm usually one of the last to board, busy buying pretzels at FRA or stocking up at Boots and M&S, or hanging out in the lounge, so opening gates 30 minutes before works for me. These comments are pre-pandemic; my first international trip isn't until July and thankfully it's a nonstop.
Ooh, M and S, my favorite store, still buy swimsuits and underwear and socks there. Boots is good for small size meds and No 7 makeup
Some Targets here sell No. 7. Last time at Harrods LHR they were unpacking holiday items in September, incl. an unusual Christmas Fudge Collection: panettone, sticky toffee pudding, Irish Cream...getting nostalgic.
So before all y’all’s later comments came in, I changed my flights through Amsterdam. Yup, more expensive and I am not business class. I’m sorry it sounds like Amsterdam isn’t better. I was just going by articles I saw, but obviously first hand experience is better. I’m going to have to live with my choices now because these fares are not refundable. The new reality I guess. I’m going to Bucharest btw, returning from Budapest. I’ll report when I can, leaving 18 May. Thanks to all, as the input on this forum is always helpful to be.
This summer most airports will be chaos. Best remedy is don’t travel during the summer! But if not possible as long as you allow a solid 2 hours to transfer you should be fine connecting anywhere. With Europe travel, especially between Shengen countries I prefer connecting in Europe so you can avoid customs. Better to deal with US customs at the tail end of your trip.
Thomas, We always fly non-stop to Amsterdam. I don't like airports but I prefer Amsterdam's Schipol Airport compared to other European airports. It's very busy but I've never missed a connecting flight. I will confess that one time with a tight connection my husband said his back bothered him and asked that they provide transportation to take us from one terminal to the other. We have found quiet areas with chaise lounges so comfortable that we nearly missed our connection. There is a great Asian restaurant and cafes that we think are better than what other airports offer.
I haven't been there since before covid but good luck in navigating - I hope you have an easy time. We will be landing at Schipol the day before you.
I
Thanks for the input! I have another question? So I was planning to take my large suitcase and that’s it. With three flights I wanted to take a carryon in case the main was lost. But my reading of Tauck literature on the subject seems to indicate I can only have the one suitcase. I have a small backpack which my daughters gave me but it’s not nearly large enough for a few days worth of clothes. I usually just take only the one large, but maybe I’m overthinking everything with the travel situation being different than before. Thanks for any feedback. 😻
Thomas, are you on a land tour or river cruise? The answer is a bit different for each. On land tours there is luggage handling by the hotel and bus driver every time you move hotels. In that case what you can do is get a hand carry luggage tag from the tour director for the carryon. You then bring it down with you to the bus and pick it up yourself when you arrive at the hotel. There's a special.compartment under the bus for these separate from the big bags the driver and porters take care of.
On river cruises with a hotel at the start, there is much less luggage handling and you can leave it to the staff. Just get an additional regular luggage tag from the TD the first day you meet them. If it's a cruise with no hotel included you just handle it all yourself.
I have an smaller roller bag that's sized for under the airline seat. With it and a small backpack or tote I can carry all necessities: valuables, 311 toiletry bag, medication, phone, ereader, charger cords, adapter, and a small packing cube with change of clothing. Probably a few more things I'm forgetting.
If you have three flight changes, I would definitely take a backpack. I can get two changes of clothes in mine and an extra pair of shoes, along with phone, ipad,camera, medicines, book …Am I forgetting something. My backpack is the size of a high schooler’s backpack. IThese days I always make sure the travel clothes I wear will also be suitable for vacation in case of luggage delay or loss. We’ve had this happen about three times, once from Amsterdam airport
Great advice. Thanks very much. I’ll report when (hopefully) on the ground in Bucharest to start the river cruise, after several hotel days.