Beauvais Airport review by Cairns Stanners

2 March 2008   Customer Rating :

We found the airport excellent both when we arrived and departed. Staff were helpful and there were no delays. Do not use Paris Shuttle Services as we had a terrible experience. We waited an hour for our shuttle then managed to get someone in their office to be told he didn't know what had happened to our shuttle but would get another one of their drivers to speak to us at the airport. Eventually he found us to be told that our driver had forgotten us and that he would give us our money back then we would have to catch a bus going to Paris. With the hours wait then on the bus to bus park, walk to the metro which was 1 mile away, then change twice to get to our hotel. It took us 3 hours to get to our hotel after landing at Beauvais. On our return journey we waited just over an hour for the shuttle and were told by the hotel that as the shuttle company are obviously unreliable we will book you a taxi so that you will catch your flight. Just as we were waiting on a taxi the shuttle arrived at the hotel entrance. We cancelled the taxi as we had paid up front for the shuttle. The driver never even apologised and got us to airport 1 hour before the flight but it was a hair raising experience as he broke the speed limit most of the journey. So I would advise people not to book up and pay in advance for a shuttle.

Beauvais Airport review by M Miles

21 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Airport was wonderful - comfortable and easy access to your luggage after disembarking. BUT do not use ATA Beauvais shuttle service - it is uncomfortable, unsafe and took much longer than just using the Ryanair bus. Simply, the best transport out of the airport is to take the bus - the other options are either very expensive (private taxi) or a waste of time/money.

Beauvais Airport review by Colin McLean

23 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Be wary when paying up front for advertised pre-booked shuttle service such as parisshuttleservice.com. If they fail to appear then you are left with an expensive option of a private taxi plus the problem of getting your money back.

Beauvais Airport review by Georg Zechner

1 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived at Beauvais from Rome - great experience, luggage was there in a matter of 10 minutes and we boarded the bus to Paris within 15 minutes of debarking the aircraft- great. On the flight back check-in was fast (we arrived 90 minutes early and they had 2 lines open). Security was also fast. But then came a nightmare- they have 4 gates and there are no screens that tell you where your flight will be. They are all very close together so that, in our cast, there were about 400 people wondering where they have to line up. Shortly before boarding they tell you where to go, but you are squeezed in all the time- very unpleasant and stupid because they could change that easily. Also the bard at the gates take advantage of the new security measures and sell a 0,5 l bottle of water at 3€. More than next to the Eiffel tower! ALL employees we met were very friendly though.

Beauvais Airport review by Morag McLean

27 April 2007   Customer Rating :

There is now a ticket office in the bus park (can't quite call it a bus station yet) at Porte Maillot. You must buy your tickets there - they don't sell them on the bus anymore. So if you have to buy a ticket to Beauvais, I'd recommend getting to Porte Maillot 15 minutes earlier. There is a good map of the Porte Maillot area and directions of how to get to the Metro station, at www.hotelsreviewed.com/paris-porte-maillot- bus-metro.html

Beauvais Airport review by G McDonagh

20 April 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

As a family we have used Beauvais a number ot times during the past few years and have seen the changes that this airport has had over this time frame. When we used it first I thought that it was a great airport with the fact that the plane comes right up to the door and the luggage was there as soon as you arrived at the pickup point and you were away within 20 mins of arriving. The departure check in was also a dream and you could live with the "tent". Having just arrived back from our most recent trip I have now changed my mind. The airport is now a lot busier with more flights arriving and departing and quite frankly it is not geared up to handle the situation it finds itself in. The problem starts as soon as you arrive. The arrival area is quite small and the luggage conveyor is also quite small. Flights are nearly full and 100-150 people trying to get in to get their bags makes it quite tight. The conveyor soon fills up and with the short distance of travel before bags start to come around again leads to a lot of stopping and starting of the belt. On this occasion it did not effect us as we were in no hurry out of the airport as we were were staying in a local hotel (which was prebooked) for the night before heading on in the morning. The car hire pick up point is fine and we had no problems. This is the third or fourth time that we have picked up a hire car and have never had any problem. One point could be that all the car hire offices with the exception of Hertz close before the last flights arrive so you are limited to which company you can use if you arrive late. The departure hall is also very small with no information as to which check in gate that your flight will be at apart from the screens that are behind each desk which do not display any info until the flight is actually checking in. With the lines of passengers checking in for other flights this leads to mad scrambles from where you may have managed to find a seat (Which are not exactually in plentiful supply for the amount of people) to where your flight eventually checks in. The problem is the depth of the actual hall. The distance from the desk to the window means that the queue tends to turn down along the hall where it gets caugh up with the queue from the desk beside it. After you have checked in you need join the queue to go through the security check. This, you may feel is the same at every airport and is quite necessary and I do not have a problem with the check in itself. The problem is that at Beauvais there are not enough machines for the volumn of people passing through and also the area in which these checks are carried out is also quite small which leads to the large queue forming behind this. Having got through this you arrive in to the "new departure gates". This area still has no information regarding the particular gate that you will eventually board your plane until it actually opens for boarding. People start to queue where the think the flight will board only to find that they are at the wrong gate and another mad rust starts to get to the correct gate . Seeing as the gates are so close and when pass through the gate you walk to the plane, how difficult would it be to put the information up at the gate before the flight arrives so people as least have a chance of being in the right area. If you are traveling with Ryanair book the priority boarding option. It cuts out any messing around as you do not have to join the mad scramble to try to get near the front of the queue for getting on the plane. Ok if you are traveling alone but with children you want to get seats together. Familys with children no longer get priority when boarding the flights so you could end up being split up if you are unluckly to be further down the queue for boarding. The facilities in this "new area" leave a lot to be desired. The gents toilet was in need of a good clean, to the point that I would be reluctant to let the children use it. The cost at the "cafe" inside the departure area is a complete rip off and now that you cannot bring any thing through the security gate you are at their mercy. €3:90 for a small bottle of coke and not much cheaper for a "large coffee" which is in fact a slightly bigger then normal paper cut which is not even full. ( I would hate to see a small cup). Pretty negative feed back you may feel. In saying all above, I would still use Beauvais again as it is a means to an end and the flights are quite cheap compared to other carriers, but be prepared for what you get when you arrive.

Beauvais Airport review by Alan McLaughlin

12 June 2006

I make the trip to Beauvais and Prestwick most weekends and I have never had a problem with the facilities. The airport authority are clearly investing in and upgrading the buildings with the income from increased flights, and staff are always courteous and efficient and board the flights by sequence number. The airport is a bit far out like all Ryanair destinations but just try getting to CDG at peak times and you will soon appreciate the drive through the French countryside from Beauvais. For car rentals returns I suggest going into Beauvais centre to fill up your tank as all the petrol stations around the airport close by 7:00pm and the machines only seem to accept French Visa cards. Instead of turning right at the airport road traffic lights, turn left past McDonalds and follow the signs for Beauvais centre / Cathedral - which is a straight road. Just at the town centre traffic lights turn right and you will see a Total petrol station open until 10:00pm.

Beauvais Airport review by Anne Simpson

26 February 2006

We were a family of two adults and two kids travelling from Prestwick to Disneyland Paris. As Beauvais airport is about 117kms from Disneyland and relatively expensive for four to get there and back we decided the cheapest way was to hire a car and print out a route planner from the A.A. to make our destination easier to find. Getting there was not a problem and took just over an hour but coming back on the Sunday evening heading in the direction of Paris was a different story. The traffic was heavier and we got lost a few times which might not have happened had we taken a decent map with us. The car was due back at the Hertz Rental by 7pm and as we were running a bit late we decided to wait till we got to Beauvais before topping up the fuel. There was a gas station 2kms from the airport but unfortunately it was closed . As we didn't have the time to start looking about for another we took the car back and was charged 57euros for the half tank of diesel we used. Make sure you top up en route when you find a station otherwise it could end up being a very costly car hire. Otherwise Hertz were very reasonable at £73 for the 3 days hire and we were given a brand new Peugeot which let us get about and discover some good designer outlets very close to the Parks and a big shopping centre at the junction of the A104 9kms from Disneyland. It had a big Carrefour supermarket. We were able to purchase fruit, salad, cold meat and rolls to do us while in the Parks as what they offer in the Parks is total junk food and very costly. The other good thing with hiring a car is you can then choose a cheaper hotel to stay at a bit further away from the parks and if you have the yearly pass for the parks you can park at the parks for free otherwise it is 8 euros each day you park there. It would probably work out even cheaper to take our own car and drive all the way there but we were limited for time and we did get exceptionally cheap tickets with Ryan Air having booked well in advance. I hope this information will be useful to future travellers with kids and on a limited budget.

Beauvais Airport review by Grant Russell

11 February 2006

I've flown into Beauvais twice now from Prestwick, and encountered no problems. The departure 'lounge' is a tent, but the rest of the airport looks up to scratch and is more than sufficient for what you pay for. As said before, bus services to Paris are very punctual and although it can take up to 90 minutes to get into town depending on the time of day, it is still a good service. The bus then drops off at Porte Maillot, next to the Palais which has access to Metro Line 1 in its basement, or you can access the metro just across the road. All the main 'city centre' areas of Paris are located on this line, such as Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Louvré, Concorde, and Gare de Lyon train station. A good few of the stops on this line also connect to the areas where most of the cheaper hotels are located, so it's a simple process as long as you're not trying to navigate the metro with all your luggage during a busy time.

Beauvais Airport review by Gilbert Jones

21 December 2005

Bus connection to Paris is very efficient. This airport has very few shops. The shops that are here are very expensive but in general everywhere in Paris is expensive. The duty free shop here is very expensive and you will save very little buying here if you are flying between EU countries. Would not recommend Paris for a weekend break. The people in Paris are very boring and have no sense of humour. They need to learn how to smile but I suppose that is very difficult with the cost of living here. Coming from Ireland I am glad to be home.

Beauvais Airport review by Susan Henshaw

30 November 2005

Took a four day break in Paris . We found service at Beauvais airport brilliant, the staff were so good. We landed, walked off the plane, had our passports checked, waited about five minutes & our luggage arrived! I have never spent such a short time waiting around in an airport!

Beauvais Airport by Chris Maverley

9 October 2005

I'm just back from a week break in Paris. I found BVA airport amusing but considering the cost of the flight, the efficiency of the airport and friendliness of the staff, everything worked out well. Our bus to Paris departed not long after we landed and collecting baggage was a breeze. I travelled from CDG before and found it more stressful than the BVA route. I enjoyed seeing the countryside during the trip to Paris on the bus and I thought the bus itself was good. I think some people are expecting too much for the price they have paid. I agree about the prices of the snack bar and I will be sure not to be hungry next time I am there, and I will travel this route again. On arriving at Porte Maillot Metro 1 is across the road and from there it's plain sailing. Be careful about booking early flights home as you have to get the bus 3 hours before your flight departure time, in some cases it can mean getting up at 4am and Ryan Air charge a hefty fee for changing flights.

Beauvais Airport by David McIntyre

16 September 2005

I regularly use Beauvais airport to get to Paris. I live close to Prestwick airport in Scotland and it is very convenient to fly Ryanair to Beauvais. The time that I loose in travelling into Paris by bus, is compensated by the time I save at the Prestwick end, (because I do not have to travel to Galsgow). I also save a lot of time at these airports, because getting off the plane, thru passport control, thru baggage reclaim and thru carpark paystation, is extremely quick ! For example, last week my Ryanair flight landed at Prestwick at 10.30pm. I managed all of the above and was home at 10.50pm ! Beauvais airport does leave a lot to be desired. There has been a recent upgrade to the check- in area, which is good and the staff are friendly enough. However, the rest of it is frankly a nightmare. The toilet facilities at check-in and in the departure lounge, are an absolute disgrace. The men's consist of two urinals and one toilet, smelly and grubby. Last week, the one wash- hand basin had no soap, no paper towels and the air-dryer was out-of- order. Prices at the snack-bar are extortinate. €3.60 for a small bottle of coke or orange juice (around £2.50). The departure lounge seating area is in a tent, which is an extention to the main building. This is generally cold and noisey with no overhead flight departure information screens. However, I have not had a problem finding a seat. Sometimes I hire a car and getting it from the hire desks across the road is not usually a problem, although queues can form just after flights arrive. Sometimes I use the bus service into Paris and again, I have never had a problem with this service. If you must use the toilets, take some 'baby- wipes'. Avoid the snack-bars, take sufficient drinks and snacks with you to the airport. Avoid taking huge amounts of hand-luggage on board. It really isn't necessary, the luggage comes thru on the conveyer belts quite quickly. Book your return bus ticket to Paris online, when you are booking your flights. Use the subsequent print-out to enter the bus without having to queue up at the airport to buy a bus ticket. When you arrive at Port Malliot, the Metro is easy found, however I prefer the 10 minute walk to the Arc De Triomph and onwards. On the whole, I will continue to use this route and Beauvais airport on a regular basis. After all, it is very inexpensive and you don't spend a lot of time in the airport anyway. It is an excellent gate-way to Paris and the whole North-West of France. If you get a chance, go for the weekend and avoid Paris. Spend time in Picardy at places such as Compiegne, highly recommended. And for the kids, Parc Asterix is a must.

Beauvais Airport by David W Taner

5 July 2005

Ryanair and this airport are not being honest when they are calling it a Paris airport. 80 km out of Paris doesn't make this Paris - or Baltimore md. in the US would be Washington D.C. I just completed a flight from Rome to Beauvais - it took longer to get into Paris by bus than the flight in. The bus was old - no air cond. A person would have to be crazy to think that it is a bargain to spend 2 extra hours on both ends of a flight to get to or from their flight. I now know why Ryanair has a disclaimer at their desk for not being responsible for anyone trying to make a connection to their next flight - this was the flight to and from hell

Beauvais Airport by Richard Dye

21 April 2005

As a regular passenger travelling monthly through BVA from Prestwick I feel I should update some of the comments and experiences made by previous correspondents. The airport has been rather shabby in appearance over the last few years but the investment by the airport authorities is starting to show. Last week the new terminal check in area was finally open and although the "tent" is still in use for departing passengers the remaining part of the new terminal will shortly be ready for use making this a more pleasant place to travel to and from. No complaints about the staff although some travellers may be alarmed by the number of armed Air Force personel wandering about. If you are hiring a car then this is an ideal place to start your journey from. You can be at the hire cabins opposite the terminal 10 mins after landing and on the road a few minutes later. The main A16 to Paris is a few kliks form the airport and roads to other parts of Northern France are easy to get to. I can vouch for the fact that it can be quicker and less stressful getting into central Paris from BVA than CDG even though the distances would suggest otherwise. Look out for the airport cat which can sometimes be seen lurking under the bushes by the terminal offices, it is unfazed by the blast from a 737s engines.

Beauvais Airport by Skytrax Editor

1 March 2005

Beauvais is north / northwest of Paris. There really is very little difference in terms of driving from either CDG or BVA - probably quicker and easier out of Beauvais rather than facing the time taken to collect rental car at CDG. You are very close to the main Paris ring road, so you can get off to Brittany quite easily. Depending where you are flying from, you might consider that flyBe.com operate a service from Southampton (UK) direct to Rennes in S W Brittany.

Beauvais Airport by D Lynas

1 March 2005

Can anyone tell me if Beauvais lies to the west or east of Paris. How convenient is it if I am hiring a car to drive to Brittany? Or would I be better to go to CDG in terms of then driving to south west Brittany?

Beauvais Airport by David Eves

1 March 2005

Arriving at Beauvais is OK so long as you make sure you on to the bus to Paris. If you miss it then I'm not sure what you will do. Departing from Beauvais highlights its basic facilities but if you make sure you stand by the hot air pipe with a cup of tea then all should be OK. The real problem is that there is no window between 'good' (i.e. flight on time, you are indifferent to smelly blocked toilets and you are prepared to stampede old ladies) and terrible (i.e. you miss the bus pickup, delayed flight etc). BA, Air France etc offer support but with low-cost you are on your own. My experience was fine but I will try to get a cheap flight to CDG next time to avoid such long waiting times. You pay for what you get and my experience was good. Pleasant staff.

Beauvais Airport Paris by Brian Parr

26 October 2004

Beauvais airport is quite basic but the security is good and the flights arrived and left on time. Ryanair staff were polite and courteous. We arrived with only hand luggage and were actually in our hire car within 15 minutes of landing! If hiring a car make sure you have a good map with you as it is easy to find yourself in St. Dennis and getting out not so easy!

Beauvais Airport Paris by Barrie Cooper

15 September 2004

Beauvais is a very basic airport - but the planes are usually on time and I was quite impressed by security. In addition my wife is disabled and she finds the short distance between the plane and the car hire office a great bonus. You do have to remember that you are paying rock- bottom prices for your flights.

Beauvais Airport Paris by Kenny Ward

13 August 2004

Me and my family have just returned from a short trip to Paris using Ryanair flying Prestwick to Beauvais return. After reading previous comment prior to going I was a little bit worried what to expect. However everything was perfect. The flights were on time and the connecting buses were their to take us to and from Paris. Check in staff at the airport were friendly and very good with the children. Ryanair staff were more than helpful. Although Beauvais airport is small can people not just put up with it and accept that whether first in the queue or lat in the queue for checking in they will always get on the respective flight. I certainly would fly the same route again. Although prices were expensive at the airport they were no more expensive than other major airports.

Beauvais Airport Paris by Nathan Taylor

31 May 2004

This airport is a disgrace for Europe. It makes third world airports look like luxury. Upon arrival, one is greeted by not so much as a paved sidewalk - it is gravel! The check in area was complete mob rule. 4 flights leaving at the same time out of this tiny airport made the check-in area feel like a packed dance club (including the line up out the door) - except that all the dancers had luggage and screaming children - one had to step and trip over dozens of travellers to get to the security checkpoint. The departure lounge is a "tent" which is made more miserable by Ryanair's free seating policy - mobs of shouting and pushing people everywhere. Would not recommend travelling through BVA to anyone, regardless of the fare. You could not pay me to travel through there again!

Beauvais Airport Paris by Richard Henry

28 April 2004

We were prepared for a service that might match our flight costs, but were gladly disappointed. The flight to and from left on time, we arrived at our destination on time. The journey to and from the airport was well worth the 10 euros, no hassle and you saw the countryside. They are obviously developing the site, so in time, there will be more room at the check in and the departure lounge. You get what you pay for and we were happy with what we got.

Beauvais Airport Paris by Kevin Steele

20 February 2004

Upon arriving at Beauvais, you are presented with what looks like a bus station with a runway attached. The baggage reclaim area and departure "lounge" is in fact a tent. (no I am not joking). No fancy shops either, just a basic newsagent/tabac and something resembling a duty free. Food and drink is very expensive as well - they tried to charge me 7 Euro for a pint of lager - there is a McDonalds at the end of the approach road if you are feeling peckish. OK so that's the bad news - the good news is that transportation links are not too bad. Coaches are laid on to take you the 40 mile journey to Central Paris, you will be dropped off at Porte Maillot, a short walk from the main Metro stations. Equally, a connecting bus for each Ryanair flight leaves 3 hours in advance, but be warned, there are no scheduled bus services to the airport, so if you miss the bus you are supposed to be on - you may be screwed! But this is the cost of no-frills flying - so you pays your money and you takes your choice!

Beauvais Airport Paris by Wahida Yaakub

8 February 2004

You can't expect much from this airport, but, fair enough, this airport caters discount flights. My personal opinion is that the airport provides good services, worth more than the money you're paying for the flight tickets. Though its location is quite remote from the city centre, but there are frequent bus services, which I could say is efficient. And you only pay €10 a trip. Okay it may look a bit funny, but the people there are good.

Beauvais Airport Paris by James McGee

22 November 2003

For a £20 return ticket from the Scotland, how can we complain about the airport. Yes its no frills, but it accommodates you for more than your money's worth. They provide airport transfer to Paris, and there are car hire companies available. I've just returned from a weekend in Paris, the buses were punctual and while the drop-off point in Paris is not city centre (which would make a noticable difference) it is adjacent a metro-station. If you want convenience and everything at your finger-tips, go to CDG airport and be prepared to pay 5 times the price. You get what you pay for.

Beauvais Airport Paris by Marc Berlow

27 September 2003

I live in Paris and this airport is very convenient as it can easily be reached by car within an hour, parking costs a fraction of main Paris airports, it is small an noisy but used mostly by discount airlines and you don't really expect luxury when your weekend ticket to Milan is a fourth of what it would have cost on Alitalia or Air France.

Beauvais Airport Paris by Tom Ryan

26 August 2003

P Sergei is incorrect about the transport services offered from Beauvais. Once you arrive there are enough buses supplied to cater for all the passengers and they leave 20 minutes after the flight. Going back to Beauvais is just as simple picking up the bus 3 hours before your flight.

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