FORUM

Easyjet do flights Toulouse to Bristol during the winter. This area is nearly impossible to get to/from in the winter now! Can nothing be done to even a London airport?

Perpignan/Stansted is running all winter but I don't want to drive all the way to North Devon from there.

I don't want to drive from stansted either. It seems those of us in the south/South west of Uk are not supposed to want to travel from November onwards. Huh!

Hi
Thanks for all your input regarding the airport.
I used the Perpignan - Bristol route a few years ago. I was surprised when it stopped as it was always busy busy !
Caroline

Hi Caroline,

One simple reason : Ryanair is already operating Béziers - Bristol route. Béziers & Perpignan are enough close by road and Ryanair considers both cities in the same catchment area so there wouldn't be any sense for them to operate the route from both Béziers & Perpignan.
I hope this explanation will help you

Dimitri

Dimidu there is nothing in the winter to Bristol from Perpignan, Beziers or Girona. It's a long hike to Barcelona or Toulouse to fly with rival airlines.

I agree Sue. There is not a lot on offer over the winter. We bought here as we were assured transportation links from Perpignan were going to boom. That was 6 years ago and I have to say it has declined. The region is growing. New buildings and commercial expansion. But the transport links are dire. Just so archaic. It is a shame. How Are families/ tourists supposed to visit ?.

I think transport links are good and Bravo Ryanair for running Stansted Perpignan throughout the winter again. We travel pretty much every month between the Isle of Wight and Vernet les Bains on that route and, ok it takes all day, but it always takes all day no matter what route you take. We used to use Eurostar and TGV during the winter which was ok but I prefer to fly. And all for £24.99 too!! I'm a big fan of RyanAir and I think O'Leary is modern day hero.

When we moved here in 1986, we couldn't get back to the north of England except via Barcelona and at a price! We now find ourselves in a similar situation! The flights are so early that it means an overnight stay there and a very early flight out of Liverpool return. You can either stay over in Bcna on your outward flight or if you haven't got the energy to carry on another night in Bcna!!

I disagree Neil. I am flying Beziers to Bristol tomorrow. I leave home at 7 am fly at 10am and at my dad's in South Devon by just after lunch. Flying to Stansted is just not an option for me as a woman travelling on her own and having to drive all that way.

Daphne wrote:When we moved here in 1986, we couldn't get back to the north of England except via Barcelona and at a price! We now find ourselves in a similar situation! The flights are so early that it means an overnight stay there and a very early flight out of Liverpool return. You can either stay over in Bcna on your outward flight or if you haven't got the energy to carry on another night in Bcna!!

Isn't carcasonne- liverpool on all winter?

How come a female travelling alone on regular planes and trains in this day and age does not feel completely safe.
I would understand if one was hitch hiking but otherwise??

I hate Stansted with a passion but at least the service is there.

I have said this before and it was unpopular. This region has too may airports (especially if you include Carcassone and Toulouse - the latter being as far away as Barcelona airport).

There should be
# a good one serving the mountain area and Andorra (a new one near the rail terminal at Puigcerda?)
# a good one serving the coast /TGV/local rail lines. Between Barcelona and Nimes

Anything else is a bonus for travellers but dilutes the routes and reduces competition amongst airlines.

It's not the feeling od feeling unsafe Monsans. I just dont want to have to drive 5 hours, minimum, on roads I don't know. Obviously you have never tried to catch a bus or train to the outbacks of North Devon. They might be regular for people travelling to large cities but not when you are travelling to the "sticks". I usually only go back to the UK for 4 or 5 days at a time. I don't want to lose or add a day each side to cover travelling. Perpingon Birmingham would be a better option than Stansted.

Maybe we are expecting a little too much. We have a year round service from our doorstep to the centre of England which costs less than the ferry from the Isle of Wight to Portsmouth. I am happy with that.

Yes opas you're right, there is a winter link from Carcassonne to Liverpool each Tuesday and Saturday. Flights are taking off @ 12:50pm from Carcassonne.

The only possibility to get a winter link to Bristol would be from Béziers or Girona as the summer service already exists from these airports

The fierce competition between Perpignan, Béziers & Girona is bad for the customers as there is no regularity in the service. Let's take the example of Perpignan - Stansted which was a seasonnal route (only operated in the summer) since 2008 and we are now getting a year round service as Girona lost its winter services to Brussels, London Luton & Stansted... which were year-round links from Girona until this year.

There will be others developments on the existing routes and new routes to be added, but this period is a bit particular, all main low-cost operators are facing new strategy plans, capacity constraints and they are now focusing on primary airports which were not considered before because of the high costs... compared to regional airports. But now main low-cost airlines are aiming to target business passengers. In order to attract business passengers they need to target primary airports and offer enough frequencies enabling passengers to make return trip in the days. In order to offer such services, airlines like Ryanair are removing little by little the aircrafts based on regional airports in favor of new bases in the main airports.

Surely there could be at least one flight from one of the airports in the south west of England to Perpignan or Girona a week? Stansted is just not an option and there is no reason it should take all day to get here!
Before we could leave home in Andover early morning and be in Banyuls for lunch. Now it is an epic! I thought travelling was supposed to be getting easier!

Hi, I need to book a flight soon to Liverpool / Manchester for the beginning of February, to be there for the birth of my grand daughter.
Can anyone tell me if there are flights closer to Perpignan, other than Ryanair, from Carcassone to Liverpool.
Thankyou.

Hi Marie, Liverpool via Carcassone is the winter route to the north this year I'm afraid. In the past we have been fortunate that Gerona- Manchester operated throughout the winter.

Thanks Deb, I have gone ahead and booked my flights, much appreciated.

Merci pour le lien etui sony xperia z33 etui sony z3

For anyone who wants to go well north of Liverpool, Girona/Glasgow Prestwick is operating on Monday and Friday evenings this winter.

Bonjour à tous!

Aer Lingus will add a 4th frequency between Perpignan & Dublin each Monday from May, 25th to September, 7th.

The route will be operated on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays from May, 16th to September, 12th.

Bookings : http://www.aerlingus.com/

hi

I find it quite incredible that Perpignan Airport is so limited with it's flights - especially in the winter time. The whole area is expanding rapidly with roads and homes. Why is it our little airport doesn't expand too ? Can't Air France fly from Perpignan to the UK ? soooo frustrating to have to travel to commute. Paris and London are great cities BUT there are other cities

Caroline

Thanks for the update, great news.

Now if you can just get Aer Lingus to provide even 1 flight a week up to the end of October .........

Regrads

BT

I'm with Caroline. Perpignan is regressing when it should be marching into the future.

Hi BT, yes we are working in order to keep a year-round service with Dublin.

@ Caroline & Dylan : The air transport sector is a very expensive industry and airlines want to be sure they will be able to fill their planes, especially as winter months are more difficult and it means a high risk of loss for airlines. It is very difficult to develop winter flights to other cities from Perpignan when you have a big competitor such Girona airport and Ryanair which scares most of others european competitors. But Girona does not scare us and we are exploring every single opportunity that we can find in order to develop our side. We should also announce a new route soon.......

Gerona! It is a waste of time over the winter, nothing to north uk, cant even get to palma for a mucky midweek! Barcelona has vueling and ryanair doing that route thee times a day.

I have had to go to Carcasonne to get to liverpool, nothing going from beziers either.

Whinge over

Cant get to South West England, this winter, from anywhere closer than Barcelona or Toulouse. I think I am right in saying that Ryanair only have flights to Glasgow out of Girona this winter.

Have discovered from South west England have to get to Stansted to get to Perpignan this winter. Please Perpignan expand to help us!