Budget Air Travel

For those of us in the south of France the most economical way to get back to Britain is usually by plane. The car might be tempting (stuff everything in and off you go, stop when you feel like it, no embarrassment as junior screams/ throws food or toys around, etc.) but once you've added up the cost of petrol and tolls and perhaps en-route accommodation, you'll probably be better off with a flight.

Bargain hunters should start off by looking at Ryanair's website. Flights go from lots of regional French airports but most of them land in Stansted and this can be a problem for those of us not heading directly to north London. As far as kids are concerned, Ryanair takes babies from 8 days to 2 yrs on their parent's lap for an 8 euros 'frais de gestion'. Note that there is no baggage allowance for baby. They only allow unaccompanied children from 14 years old. The guidelines require a note from all pregnant women stating the number of weeks of gestation and that the bearer is fit to travel. After 36 weeks pregnant women are not permitted to fly with Ryanair.

You could also consider BMI  Baby or Flybe. Both these airlines offer a choice of regional UK destinations. Bmi Baby carry babies on laps for free while Flybe charge 10% of the adult fare. Flybe seem to be the only budget airline to offer a service for unaccompanied children (5-12 yrs old). Easyjet (http://www.easyjet.com) fly to Belfast International airport from Paris without a stopover in London, and also provide a Toulouse-Bristol service.

I recently tried out BMI and Flybe with my 8-month-old. Both airlines offered a seat reservation system at check-in which avoids the usual scrum as everyone tries to pile on the plane to grab the best seats with Ryanair. I got window seats each time and staff at Perpignan airport even tried to keep the seat next to me free because the plane wasn't full. I'm not sure if that was to give baby and me more room or if she was thinking of other passengers' peace and tranquillity but the gesture was much appreciated anyway! Being budget airlines the inflight service was minimal but Flybe staff were particularly pleasant and 'baby friendly'. The plane was also very comfortable (extra legroom due to using smaller aircraft) and clean.

Be aware that a parent travelling alone with a child should obtain an 'autorisation de sortie' if the child bears a different surname from the mother or if the ID papers of each are from different countries (eg English passport for one, French ID card for the other). The 'livret de famille' may not be sufficient.

One last piece of advice: check the airport policy about pushchairs: some won't let you take yours to the plane and that can mean a long walk.