Depends where you are starting from and how long you need to stay.

I can’t wait to hear Don’s response. Don, you are awesome and so helpful. It just so happens that I, too want to travel to Paris (More specifically Nice) in June. I have a time-share booked from 6/11-6/18 and cannot change the dates. I live in San Diego and am looking for the cheapest flight from SAN to Nice via anywhere. I can leave as early as 6/9 at night but have to be back by 6/18 at night. We want to spend 1 day in Paris while we are there, so we were thinking of taking the fast train there and back, but if we fly in and out of Paris with one flight, we might just get the commuter flight back to Nice a day early and spend the last night there. Whatever. I tried to catch that London special but June was gone in a couple of hours. Boo. Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice. It’s my first trip to Europe. I’m a little nervous, a lot poor, but totally excited!

. QueeenVV, where have you already checked (so we do not repeat efforts)?

I need to be in Paris on June 11, so leave Knoxville TN (tys) on June 10. I return on June 22, although June 23 possible. I have checked every site listed on Bookingbuddy,mobissimo,etc as well as all the consolidators you have listed in prior posts. Many thanks for your help. Main question is, is there any chance of fares dropping? I don’t mind waiting but my travel friend is getting really antsy.

Thanks,

Debbie Allen

Consolidator rates probably will not drop. Their inventory and prices are usually set in Jan/Feb. As demand increases, supply drops, and they book you in the next-available fare class when the fare classes they have contracts with sell-out.

A sale covering June is possible but not likely. If a sale does materialize, from Knoxville, I would expect high 500s+taxes and fuel surcharge, so you’re looking at at least $700, maybe $800, even on a sale fare. USAir seems to like May/June fare sales in this price range, so keep an eye on them, but I don’t have a crystal ball and past fare sales are no guarantee of future fare sales.

Broaden your search to include AVL and BRU if you can. Sometimes a gem turns up while sifting through all the crap.

QueenVV:
Train connections from CDG to Nice, without going into Paris at all, are relatively cheap and easy since there’s a train station at CDG. I bought a 4 day French rail pass for about the same price as a round trip train ticket and significantly less than the difference between a flight to CDG and a flight to Nice. That gave me two free days of train travel for side trips in the area (Monte Carlo and a beach day at Ville Franche sur Mer) plus there are extra benefits like a discount on the narrow gauge Chemin de Fer du Provence and the ferry to Corsica. I had to spend the night in Paris on the return trip, but even with a hotel night it was still cheaper than flying to Nice.

oldlady,

Thanks for the tip. I don’t know where CDG is, but I’ll find out. We are planning on getting a railpass because we want to go to Venice and Florence, too.

Don,

I check with 1-800- Fly europe, AA, Bestfares, bmi, booking buddy, BA, cheap flight tactics, expedia, flights.com, frommers, Iceland air, travelhub, virgin, airfarewatchdog, easyjet, delta, tbooker, ita, jet2, and whichbudget almost daily. It is overwhelming and I feel like I may be looking too much, seeing the same thing in multiple areas or missing something? Should I ask a travel agent for help? The only site I am loyal to checking every day is here, to see what you have to say. Thanks.

Queeen, just stick with ITA and Bookingbuddy.

Here’s why—consolidators, as I mentioned, very likely will not get lower fares. ITA and B’buddy cover all the rest. The low-fare airlines in Europe are secondary (assuming you want to get to London first, for example, then take a flight hop to France?); those fares are much less significant compared to your transatlantic trip.

However, there are more consolidators out there than what you mentioned. I’ve a feeling you meant you tried all of the consolidators listed on Frommers. If not, be sure to search these:
www.flights.com
www.airdeals.com
www.justfares.com
www.travelteam.com
www.cheaptickets.com
www.economytravel.co…
www.discountflights….

If you could go from LAX, try www.airtahitinui.com to Paris; www.airnz.com for London to Heathrow.

Also, try ITA for fares to Dublin or Manchester, and check what an add-on fare to Paris would cost with www.aerlingus.com or www.britishmidland.c…

For example, I see a nice rt fare SAN-Manchester (619.54 all in, AA). Jet2 fly MAN-NCE; add £150. This nets savings of about $170 + cost of PAR-NCE, but the connect times at MAN don’t look good, and I’m not sure I’d want this much hassle (2 connections, 2 separate tickets) for only 1 weeks holiday. Hopefully the consolidators will have something to NCE at about the same price you were finding only to PAR.

QueenVV:
CDG is the airport code for Charles de Gaulle airport, where most international flights land in Paris. If you’re checking train schedules use &quotaris aeroport charles de gaulle TGV" as the departure station. TGV is the abbreviation of "fast train" and refers to the mainline, regular train station as opposed to the RER (regional light rail) station that you would use to catch the commuter train into Paris.

Since you’re planning on going to Italy, look at a France and Italy pass, or a 3 country select pass covering France, Italy and some other bordering country. However, your only really expensive train trip is going to be between Paris and Nice, so a pass covering Italy may not save money over buying point to point tickets.