Trip summary: Ryanair, Austrian and Ethiopian on four flights in Europe

Trip summary: Ryanair, Austrian and Ethiopian on four flights in Europe
---
01. Trip report introduction
02. Ryanair 737-800 economy class, Stockholm Skavsta to Niš
03. Hotel Sole, Niš
04. Exploring Niš
05. Ryanair 737-800 economy class, Niš to Bratislava
06. Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel, Bratislava
07. Getting from Bratislava to Vienna Airport
08. Austrian Airlines E195 economy class, Vienna to Oslo
09. Ethiopian Airlines B787 Dreamliner economy class, Oslo to Stockholm
10. Trip summary
---

(This is a summary of the trip that I made to Niš, Bratislava and Oslo in the beginning of April this year. For further information about the trip, see the trip report introduction or the specific posts which I link to above.)

An intense weekend of travels had come to an end. In three days, I had flown on four different flights (2595 miles) with three different airlines. I had visited six airports, three cities and been in four countries (not counting Sweden). I figured this series needed a post to wrap things up...

The flights
Obviously, the Ryanair flights would mainly serve the purpose of getting me from A to B, which they did. I have flown them on numerous occasions in the past, and while I'm not their biggest fan, I appreciate that they make travelling possible for more people. Of the two flights of this trip, the first one was horrible, while the second one was decent. I'm still not sure if I want to fly them again. The fact that they operate out of Stockholm Skavsta (NYO), combined with their yellow, noisy cabins makes me think about whether it is really worth it or not. I think I'd rather fly on another airline next time, rather than opt for the cheap FR tickets.

The Austrian Airlines flight, on the other hand, was superb. I'm gonna go on record and say that it was the best flight I've had in a long time. A nice aircraft, super friendly and professional cabin crew and possibly the fact that I flew them directly after two Ryanair flights made my flight from Vienna to Oslo a very pleasurable experience.

Finally, Ethiopian Airlines gave me the chance to fly the Dreamliner for the first time. It was a short flight, but since they started boarding so early, I had plenty of time to look around the cabin. I really liked it, both aesthetically and regarding comfort, and I think it would be comfortable enough on long-haul flights as well. The crew was friendly, and they even offered drinks and a snack on this super short flight, which was a nice gesture. I hope this route will be around for some time, but I wouldn't count on it, seeing how empty it was...

The hotels
There is really no competition here... Hotel Sole in Niš wins on walk-over against Radisson in Bratislava. Radisson was certainly not a bad hotel, but the staff was cold and hesitant, and I didn't receive the miles that I was promised for booking this hotel. And since I paid half as much at Hotel Sole, despite the fact that they included airport pick up and drop off, breakfast and a welcome drink, combined with super friendly staff, they certainly take the cake in this duel.

The cities
Niš was nice. It wasn't exactly picturesque, but the people were extremely hospitable, and the city has a lot of interesting history. Definitely well worth a visit!

Bratislava was more picturesque. It had a more elegant and classy feel to it, and the Old Town is not far behind other Central European cities such as Prague or Budapest. The people were more reserved than in Serbia, though. I might return, but there are other cities I'd rather visit before returning. (It would however give me an excellent reason to fly Austrian again...)

Oslo was my least favourite of the three cities. It was a little too crowded, and apart from the Opera House, it didn't really stand out. It actually reminded me a little of Gothenburg (but bigger). Gothenburg is a nice city, but I prefer cities with a certain feel and unique atmosphere to them, not cities that only remind me of other cities.

To summarise
Overall, I am very happy with this trip. Almost everything went according to plan (except for the shuttle bus from downtown Oslo back to the airport which never showed up - luckily I had plenty of time, so no panic). Austrian Airlines exceeded my expectations, and the Dreamliner trip between Oslo and Stockholm was a really cool flight. It also made me more interested in other fifth freedom flights, so when I got back I started looking. It turned out there are a few other flights in Europe, and if everything goes as planned I'll try one of them in November...

Luckily, you don't have to wait that long until my next trip report. I hope you've enjoyed this series. Stay posted for the next one!