Cyprus, on a cheap Ryan Air flight from Stansted, super seats

Sunny Cyprus, is a popular holiday destination, an island on the Eastern end of the Mediterranean sea (the word Mediterranean means middle of the territory or land). 

From Stansted you can fly from the UK to Cyprus (and many other European cities) on 'budget' Ryan Air. Booking early means you can get those cheap flights. People who booked a day or two before the flight had to pay a premium.

Stansted was very busy in May 2022, with the world opening up to travellers, business, family reunions and holidays after Covid-19. Welcome signs greeted everybody on arrival. We had booked meet and greet valet services (which still require a bit of a trundle to their reception with your hand luggage on wheels).

Ukrainians Welcomed

 Inside the airport were welcome signs under the blue and yellow horizontal oblongs of the Ukraine flag. The kiosk for them offered help with accommodation, transport and more. I was glad for them.

Well-organized England. It made me feel glad to be British, because we were organized. But also, a relief to be on a holiday, a holiday maker, not a refugee. 

Fine Food

We had cautiously arrived early. Our early arrival left time for a delicious chicken sandwich from Marks & Spencer. 

On board we had pre-booked a hot meal which was surprisingly good. The Thai green curry did not look like the picture which showed the ingredients but was very tasty. I had a glass of Prosecco.

We had no films to watch. The seats did not recline. That is Ryan Air. Nothing like the luxury of Singapore Airlines which charges everybody a lot more.

Money Saving

We also saved money by not booking the priority booking - which was very popular, the larger hand luggage with overhead locker space, and choosing who to sit next to and where on the plane.

Wonders of the Window Seat

I got moved around and ended up in a window seat, although I find the aisles less claustrophobic. I thought, it's a cheap flight. Just go with the flow. I was rewarded with great window photos of the clouds and wings of the plane showing the airline name.

Our flight was slightly delayed, so we arrived at 1.30 pm UK time instead of 1 pm, which was 3 pm Cyprus time.

We took a taxi from the Paphos airport, although we had an Avis hire car the next day. Taking a taxi was costly, but saved us having to drive in the dark and find our small hotel. 

Stansted Spelling

Yes, the spelling of the airport is Stansted. Sted. Not Stead. If you don't have a flight ticket to check, you can easily check by typing it into Google, Chrome, and seeing what comes up.

In Cyprus, at Pahpos, the first night hotel was a delight. See my next post.