Ryanair is notorious for their cheap tickets, some of them practically free. If you’re on a low budget and want to travel around Europe, Ryanair and it’s dirt cheap fares are the answer. But the company never misses a moneymaking opportunity. So we thought we’d share some of our experience on getting cheap Ryanair tickets.

1. Finding the cheap tickets - Ryanair sometime offers tickets as low as 1£/€ but you might not always find them easily. Subscribe to their mailing list to make sure you’ll be notified when these deals are launched. Also, make sure to check the website daily, preferably after midnight, when these tickets are usually posted.
2. Connecting two Ryanair flights – The issue most of us come across when dealing with budget airlines is that they are often late so making a connection with another flight can sometimes be difficult. If you’re connecting two Ryanair flights, make sure you buy two discounted tickets. For example, if you’re flying from Dublin to Paris, then Madrid, buy two tickets on the trip to Madrid – one leaving in 2 hours after you land, one later than that. It’s cheaper to buy two tickets than it is to change an existing one.
3. Not finding discounted return fares - You’re flying with a budget airline so don’t expect to find cheap tickets both when leaving and returning from your trip. Be flexible on your dates, check for less popular flights (early in the morning) or just settle for one discounted ticket. It’s still worth it!
4. Checking-in your luggage – You’ll find that carrying your bags is often more expensive than an actual ticket. Try only taking one hang bag (which is free) or book a baggage online. Each passenger is allowed to check in up to two bags; the first bag should have a maximum weight of 15kg and will be charged €/£15 online or €/£35 booked through their call center or at the airport. The second bag is charged €/£35 booked online or €/£70 via the call center or airport.
5. Avoiding extra hand luggage fee – You might often find that your luggage is too heavy to fit with Ryanair’s standards (55cm x 40cm x 20cm weighing up to 10kg). Check this before boarding; if it doesn’t fit, be prepared to pay €/£30 at the gate.
6. Getting your boarding pass – Ryanair has recently decided to eliminate check-in desks at the airport. This means that you either need to print your boarding card online (€/£5) or ask for it to be reissued at the airport, which costs you a whooping €/£40. Make sure you avoid this fee and check-in online, this option being available from 15 days up to 4 hours prior to your flight.
7. Getting priority boarding – At some airport, you’ll be picked up by a bus and taken to the aircraft. Speedy boarding means you’re the first to get on the bus, but the last to get off it. If this isn’t the case, priority boarding means you have the chance to sit on the more comfortable chairs, besides the airplane’s wings.
8. Getting travel insurance – This fee is usually added by default when buying a Ryanair ticket. Make sure to uncheck it and get a cheaper insurance at a travel agency if you really need one.
9. Avoiding Ryanair’s credit/debit card fee – Paying online might cost you an extra €/£5 per person per flight. In order to avoid this fee, get a Visa Electron Card, a basic type of debit card linked to a bank account & no overdraft.
10. Avoiding the name change fee – This is the highest fee you could pay at Ryanair – €/£100 online or €/£150 to be paid at the airport if you spelled your name wrong. Before making a booking, double and even triple check your names to make sure they’re spelled correctly.

Remember, if in the end, your trip is more expensive than €/£50, you could check ticket fares at another budget airline or even see what regular airlines have to offer.