Condor: Venice to Mauritius

The carrier: Condor

About

Owned by Thomas Cook, Condor is a massive charter airline operation. Condor connects German airports to southern Europe, with a destination map that extends to Africa, Asia and the Americas. In 1971, Condor was the world's first leisure airline to use a Boeing 747 in its fleet. Note: Many of Condor's flights are essentially charter flights ferrying vacation package holders away or back home.

Upside

Great connections within Europe and beyond. Unlike other airlines, Condor usually allows reservation changes without the nasty fees.

Downside

Many routes are flown infrequently. Old planes.

Baggage

* Carry-on: One item, up to 6 kg, plus laptop.
* Checked: Limits vary according to length of trip, but you’re allowed between 20-30 kg of stuff. Excess baggage will be charged $11 per kg.

* Please visit Condor’s website for more information on its baggage policy.

Seating

You can reserve seats in advance by paying €10 on one-way flights, €20 for returns. You can choose your seats online as soon as you book the flight. And, free seat reservations are always available for small children and the disabled.

Check-in and Ticketing

Online check-in is available for several German airports, excluding flights to the US and Canada.  It is available between 30 hours and 2 hours before departure.  It is available for passengers with and without checked bagged. 

Tip

In the event that you know you'll be lugging around much more than 20-30 kg, book a "baggage allowance package". Fees apply. For example, an extra 5 kilos will cost you anywhere from €23-37 depending on the flight.

Fun Fact

To get your vacation off to a good start, Condor invites you  to have a welcome cocktail – a "heavenly delight". Choose from popular cocktails like vodka bitter lemon, gin tonic, Campari orange and from non-alcoholic beverages.

Departure: Venice, Italy - Marco Polo (VCE)

Venice Marco Polo Airport is an airport named after the Venetian traveler Marco Polo.

Location: Venice Marco Polo Airport is located 12 kilometers north of Venice by land, and 10 kilometer by water. The airport is situated in Tessera, a "frazione" of the commune of Venice.

Transport:

- Rail: Venice-Mestre railway station is connected to the airport by the ATVO Fly Bus.

- Bus: Two bus options are available to get you between the airport and central Venice. The ATVO airport shuttle bus travels to and from the Piazzale Roma, near the Santa Lucia train station. Buses leave from the airport every hour. The trip takes about 20 minutes and costs €3. For more information, visit the ATVO website. The ACTV bus no. 5 is a local public bus. It costs €1 (plus an additional €1 for every piece of luggage) and takes 30 to 45 minutes. Buses depart every half hour. Tickets can be purchased at the newsstand inside the terminal from the bus stop.

- Boat: You can always arrive directly at Piazza San Marco in nautical style via the Cooperative San Marco/Alilaguna. For €12 you can get to town by sea courtesy of a large shuttle boat called the "motoscafo." The hour-long boat journey between the airport and Piazza San Marco makes intermediate stops at Murano and the Lido a dozen times each day. Boats zoom to and fro from 6 a.m. until 12 a.m.

If your hotel is not within a stone's throw of San Marco, make a vaporetto connection here. For more information, visit the website.

- Water taxi: We can't in good Cheapo conscience recommend that you get taken for a ride on one of the prohibitively expensive water taxis. This 20 to 30-minute option from the airport will set you back €90 for between one and six passengers and €105 for seven to 10 passengers. The taxi will go as close to your hotel as it can.

- Taxi: Radiotaxi are available at the airport, as well as shared taxis. A land taxi from the airport to Piazzale Roma will run about €30 plus €.55 per piece of luggage. From there, you can pick up a local vaporetto.

Service: There is a Tourist Information Office is located in the Arrivals area, and an Airport Information Desk in the Departures ares. There are bars, cafes, and restaurants as well as various retail shops and duty free. Banks, Bureaux de Change, and a post office are all located at the airport, as well as 24 hour ATM's. Additional facilities include a prayer room, first aid service, and a spa.

Arrival: Mauritius, Mauritius - Sir Seewoosagur (MRU)

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