Getting around Europe will be easier than ever

You might already know that the U.S.-Europe open skies agreement, which takes effect this March, will open up the options for transatlantic flights. But did you know this year will also bring dozens of new routes within Europe?

In 2008, low-cost giant Ryanair plans to inaugurate 50 new routes, giving the airline a total of more than 600 by summer 2008. Ryanair has announced new routes to mainland Europe from seven British airports, plus new service to Angouleme, France; and Arad and Constanta, Romania.

EasyJet announced it will add 18 new routes by summer 2008. The new flights will connect U.K. departure points with Biarritz and Nice, France; Olbia, Sardinia; Split, Croatia; Faro, Portugal; and Pisa, Italy. The airline is also selling 32 routes currently operated by GB Airways, a Gatwick-based British Airways franchise easyJet has acquired.

Speaking of British Airways, this spring and summer the airline will launch new routes from three London airports. Service to Malaga, Alicante, and Palma, Spain; Faro, Portugal; Poznan, Poland; Tunis, Tunisia; Genoa, Italy; Gibraltar; and Malta start on March 30. The airline plans to follow up with service to Antalya, Turkey; Ibiza, Spain; and Paphos, Cyprus. British Airways subsidiary CityFlyer will launch routes to Nice, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Warsaw.

German low-cost airline Germanwings, will add three new destinations from its base at Cologne/Bonn during summer 2008, serving Bordeaux, France; Riga, Latvia; and Pula, Croatia.

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