Fairly easy Jet
It’s just over a year since I wrote about scooting down to the south of France to visit family, and this year, I decided to throw some money at the problem.
Sadly, I didn’t have enough in my ISA to hire a helicopter or start an airline connecting Oxford Airport to regional French airports, but I decided that if I was going to have to endure Gatwick and easyJet, it would be done as painlessly as possible.
Was it worth paying to be in the front row of the plane? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. With no checked luggage to slow you down, you can be first through passport control and first to the car hire counter, which meant I got from touchdown to my destination in 40 minutes, only 20 of which were spent in the car. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Hertz, incidentally, were just fine. Wireless Android Auto is default on any car you rent in the western world these days, and you just have to put up with dubious features like lane assist and speed limit bollockings.
The new(ish) EU entry system seems to be a bit of a joke. On the way in (Friday night), a quick look at my passport and fingerprints on the electronic pad, great - quicker than stamping passports under the old regime.
On the way out, four nights later? “When did you enter France?”. Five minutes and a lot of sniggering at their computer screen later, they wearily waved me through. It’s almost as though the whole thing doesn’t work very well!
And the return journey? Well, it wasn’t nearly as late as last time, but not being all that trusting, I’d sprung for meet and greet parking so I could jump in my own car and drive round a largely deserted M25 and M40 to get home. (This is expensive, but way cheaper than two taxis.)
Again, being first on and off the aircraft was well worth the extra simoleons to EasyJet although at a bigger airport, the advantage is a bit blunted as there will be another planeload of people in front of you on average anyway.
However! I can confirm I’m hitting the go button on this post from home, just the right side of midnight. Promise to future self: fulfilled.