Germanwings: Nice to Thessaloniki

The carrier: Germanwings

About

Now owned by Lufthansa,Germanwings is an indisputable giant, one of Germany's big three budget airlines.  In addition to its German destinations, 'wings' flies to destinations in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Croatia and other Eastern locations.  It benefits from one of the best and most wide-ranging destination tallies among the airlines we profile. Unlike many carriers, Germanwings' route map is broad and well-distributed across Europe. An added bonus we love? With the airline's "Smart Connect" one-stop booking tool, it is possible to purchase connecting flights as single fares.

Upside

One of Europe's bigger low-cost airlines, with very good reach into the Balkans.  The website has a helpful low fare calendar in the upper right hand corner.  

Downside

Operates in part on a connecting flight model, feeding passengers via hubs.

Baggage

* Carry-on: Baggage cannot measure more than 55 x 40 x 20 centimeters and must weigh no more than 8 kg.
* Checked: Up to 20 kg of baggage (online €8 per piece is charged, at the airport €7 per piece); over this a charge of €20 per item).

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

Seating

Pre-booking is allowed online during or after the booking process until 3 hours before the flight.  Standard seats cost €6 and XL seats with extra legroom cost €15.  Before midnight the night before your flight, you can also reserve a “private seat” via the call center for the same price as your own seat.  This means that the seat next to you will be kept empty for a more comfortable trip.

Check-in and Ticketing

Web check-in is available between 72 and 3 hours before departure.  At a German airport you can check-in online up to one hour before departure.  Passengers with checked luggage can also check- in online.

Tip

Germanwings hosts monthly offers, so check in often. Avoid early morning flights, which tend to be packed, out of their hubs. In general, allow extra time for check-in.

Fun Fact

There have been many liveries for Germanwings in order to promote the destination city. There is a special livery to promote the City of Berlin (named "Berlin Bearbus"), and there have been special liveries for the German cities of Hamburg (named "Hamburg Shopper") and Stuttgart. There have also been liveries for T-Mobile and two others with a mouth with a tongue, one of them with a speech bubble across the aircraft.

Departure: Nice, France - Côte d'Azur (NCE)

Côte d'Azur International Airport or "Aéroport Nice Côte d'Azur" is an airport in Nice and is France's third most heavily trafficked airport. Nice sees a smattering of budget air routes. Both Cimber Sterling and easyJet fly multiple routes to and from Nice.

Location: Côte d'Azur International Airport airport is located 6 kilometers (4 miles) west of the center of the city, Vieux Nice. Due to its proximity to the Principality of Monaco, it also serves as that city-state's airport, with helicopter service linking the city and airport.

Transport:

Rail: SNCF regional train services run from Gare Nice St. Augustin, located near terminal 1, and Gare St Laurent du Var, 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the airport, serving all routes from Cannes to Vintimille. Connections to these stations are provided to travelers by shuttle.

All other SNCF routes run from the central station in Nice, connected to the airport by shuttle from Terminal 2 and route 23 from Terminal 1. For details on exact times and rates visit the Official SNCF Web site.

- Bus: Plenty of buses connect the airport with 24 routes between Marseille and Genoa and 123 destinations served throughout the Côte d'Azur. A Cheapo favorite is the Ligne d'Azur bus which travels between airport and city.

- Taxi: Taxis are available at all times of the day to all destinations; stands are located outside the arrivals levels of both terminals.

Services: The airport has banks, a currency exchange and ATMs in both terminals. A post office is located in Terminal 1. Wi-Fi access is available throughout the airport, and there are also several Internet stations. Restaurants, cafes, bars, gift shops and duty-free shopping are also available in both terminals. Other airport amenities include baby changing facilities in both terminals as well as a pharmacy, vaccination center and prayer room. Information desks can be found in Terminal 1 and the arrivals area in Terminal 2.

Arrival: Thessaloniki, Greece - Makedonia Apt (SKG)

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