Transport > Europe > Flying > Flying to Europe
Flying to Europe
When looking for a ticket to Europe, make sure you check out the student oriented travel agents like STA, Travel CUTS or Council Travel,-also make sure you check the ads in the major newspapers plus student newspapers and the free/alternative press such as the Village Voice, the Montreal Mirror and San Francisco Bay Guardian. Since this will be one of the more expensive parts of your budget, shop around to get a good deal and bear the following points in mind.
Return tickets are almost always going to be cheaper, More importantly they are a good defence against immigration officials who want to be assured that you are going to leave the country. Don't fly into the UK (especially Heathrow or Gatwick airports) without a return ticket. If you are going to be working or studying in Europe (and therefore spending a year or longer) you'll probably want to get a one-way ticket and then take advantage of the cheap tickets out of London to come home. If you are going to fly in with a one-way ticket, choose an airport or country where the immigration officials aren't so uptight. If I'm flying in with a one-way ticket I always get a flight to Amsterdam. If you're flying in with a one-way ticket you may want to buy a train, bus or plane ticket out of the country, just in case the immigration officials ask. Generally immigration officials like to see a plane ticket because it makes you look like you've got more money - make sure you get a ticket from an airline that lets you make changes to the ticket without giving you any problems.
If you are a student or aged under 26, always let the travel agent know and ask them for a cheaper 'youth/student' fare.
If you are flying from Australia or New Zealand, ask about stopovers. Most flights make at least one stopover. A week in Indonesia, Singapore or Thailand is a good start to your trip and if you're going to be looking for a job you can pick up a cheap tailor-made suit in Bangkok for next to nothing. If you're flying from North America you can sometimes get a stopover in Iceland.
Buy your ticket with a credit card. You can often double your frequent flyer points and its also a bit of insurance against unscupulous travel agents who demand cash up-front. If you feel that the travel agent is a bit dodgy, but you can't resist the deal he's offering you, pay by credit card, then immediately call the airline and confirm that the ticket is OK. If there is a problem with the ticket, call the credit card company to cancel the charge, then call the police (or a consumer protection group) to make sure that other travellers don't get ripped off.
If you're flight arrives at 1am and you don't have accommodation booked, make sure it is arriving at a nice airport with comfy sofas and 24-hour services. This is no-problem with airports like Amsterdam Schipol and London Heathrow, however some smaller airports like London Luton may not be open all-night which is a hassle when public transport has stopped for the night and taxis are the only alternative.
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