Tired of being herded around on press trips? Fancy travelling more often, more independently? Then you need a budget airline and some expert advice on how and when to go low cost. Step forward journalist and frequent traveller Catherine Cooper…

I’m a big fan of budget airlines and since moving to France would struggle to manage without them – it often costs less for me to get from the South of France to London than it would do for someone travelling down from the North of England by train, for example. But if you’re used to traditional airlines, they can come as a bit of a shock. Here are some of my tips:

Manage your expectations

You’re paying next to nothing, it’s not going to be luxurious. You will not be given free food or drink, but in the scheme of things, does this really matter? Also you will not be able to change your flight once you have booked (unless you pay a supplement at the time of booking, available with some budget carriers including easyJet and Ryanair) without paying a fee – often this will be more than the price of the flight itself. Budget airline travel has become significantly less stressful since most airlines now allocate seats in advance rather than subjecting their passengers to the previous horrible bun-fight of boarding. However, you will usually have to pay a supplement if you want to choose where you sit or be sure of being next to your travelling companions,  plus most people still seem to feel the need to stand up and queue at the gate for an hour in advance of boarding, which winds me up every time.

Read the small print very carefully

Budget airlines have very strict rules about baggage which vary from carrier to carrier. You will have to pay to put a bag in the hold – it is usually cheaper to book in advance if you wish to do this and it’s important to make sure it is within the specified weight limits to avoid extra fees. (Luggage scales are cheap, easily available and invaluable.) Hand luggage rules also vary – for example – easyJet will only let you carry one item of hand luggage while Ryanair will now allow a small extra one. However, Ryanair has a strict hand luggage weight limit while easyJet allows unlimited weight as long as the bag is the right size. These kind of rules often change so check online before you pack. Ryanair also charge a fee if you don’t print your boarding pass before you arrive at the airport – you can see other details of Ryanair’s current “extras” fees here and easyJet’s here.

Get the best price

Sign up to the newsletters of the airlines you are likely to use, follow them on Twitter and like their Facebook pages. Some budget airlines (notably Ryanair) often hold “flash sales” and their newsletters and social media feeds are the best places to find out about them.  Be flexible if you can – flight prices can vary greatly on different days – Tuesdays tend to be cheapest according to Moneysavingexpert.com, and obviously flights during school holidays are usually more expensive.

When should I book?

You can only usually book around six months in advance and generally, the earlier you book, the better. Keep an eye on the feeds mentioned above for details of exactly when new flights will be released. Budget airline flight prices don’t seem to work in the same way as package holidays – you don’t tend to get a bargain by booking at the last minute-  prices usually rise as the travel date approaches.

Check exactly where you are flying to

Some airports used by budget airlines are far from central – for example, Paris Beauvais which is used by Ryanair and Wizz Air is in fact 90 kilometres from the Eiffel Tower.

Shop around

Budget airlines are usually cheaper than traditional airlines, but this isn’t always the case, so it’s well worth doing your research. This is especially true if you have the option of several airports to fly from or too, and/or if you are taking hold luggage. We have before found cheaper flights to London with BA than easyJet (not often, admittedly, but it can happen!)

Catherine Cooper is a freelance journalist living in France. You can read her blog at https://catherinecooper.wordpress.com/