See the footie in Paris on the cheap

Arsenal fans hoping for a cheap flight to Paris for the Champions League final may have been put off by reports of air-fare price hikes.

A return flight with Easyjet from London Luton to Paris, flying out on May 16th and returning on May 18th, costs up to £355, excluding taxes, while a one-way flight to Paris on the day of the final, May 17th, can cost as much as £270.99.

However, with a little bit of creativity, and a few extra hours travelling, heading to Paris for the game against Barcelona may not be beyond your reach after all.

Low-fares website WhichBudget.com points out that a return flight to Geneva with Easyjet on May 16th, coming back on May 19th, will cost about £85 plus taxes.

From Geneva, you can catch a return flight to Paris for about £75, including taxes, making a considerable saving on the cost of a direct flight.

Alternatively, footie fans can take a flight to a provincial airport in France and then take the train to Paris.

Return flights from London Stansted to Lyons, out on May 16th and back on May 18th will cost about £79 plus tax, and from there a return ticket to Paris by train costs about £35.

Alternatively, a return flight with Ryanair to Dinard costs about £70 plus tax, while return flights to Bergerac are available for about £20 plus tax.

From Bergerac the train takes about five hours to Paris, and a return ticket costs about £40.

Finally, Parisians hoping to get out of town before the football fans arrive, should take note that flights from Paris to London with Easyjet on May 17th are available for as little as £15 plus tax.

For more information go to: www.whichbudget.com and www.sncf.com XXX