Homes and Property

New air routes to European second-homes abroad

Homes abroad just got closer as new air routes widen the choice of holiday hotspots for homebuyers, says Cathy Hawker
Méribel, France
© Alamy
New flights from London City airport to Chambéry, in south-east France, will provide easy access to the skiing hotspots of Méribel and Mottaret
Good news for air passengers thinking of buying new homes abroad. Ryanair and BA have both unveiled flights from London airports to prime European second-home destinations.

Ryanair will operate four new routes from Gatwick to Porto in northern Portugal, Faro on the ever-popular Algarve and the Italian cities of Bologna and Milan (Bergamo) for those who love a daily espresso-fix. Flights commence on October 31, 2010, with single fares from £17.99.

Meanwhile, BA announced new winter season flights from London City airport to Chambéry in south-east France. The airport provides easy access to the French Alps with the skiing hotspots of Val d’Isère, Méribel and Courchevel all within two hours.

The four-times-a-week service departs London on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday making a weekend on the slopes an easier option for City and Docklands workers. The service runs from December 18, 2010, until March 2011 with single fares from £59 inclusive of all taxes.

These new flights come after a turbulent year for air travellers following cabin crew strikes and the Icelandic ash cloud. Last month, Ryanair announced that it was scaling back services from all its London bases, blaming higher air passenger duty and increased airport charges.

The low-cost airline has cut 135 weekly flights from Stansted Airport alone as it relocates its aircraft to other European hubs. It expects to carry two million fewer British passengers in 2011.



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