Not business user case but I depart at 8pm on Friday, UK to France to see my family.
Which airport (in the Paris area, I assume) do you fly to? Customs? PCL? Please share some details.
I’m with @gallois on this one and from reading the thread most of the skepticism seems to come from German forumites who are used to a very different road and rail network.
Having lived in France for many years, I know all too well how challenging any province-a-province trips are. Everything, absolutely everything, in France is centered on Paris and traveling between provincial towns, especially east-west, is a nightmare. It’s also a big country with a good aviation infrastructure. The OP is based pretty much smack in the middle (Clermont-Ferrand) and I can perfectly see the business case for moving packages and people by GA. Seriously – if there is one country in Europe where GA for biz travel can really work well then I’d say France is it.
Not Business, but I have been able to do several trips in France by GA, using an aeroclub Robin – VFR only!! – where the trip was cheaper and quicker from here near Bordeaux than flying commercial or going by train. Using a car would have been slightly cheaper but taken absolutely ages in comparison. These were trips where the need for myself and partner to travel with little notice coincided with good weather, so off we went!!
Regards, SD..
boscomantico wrote:
Which airport (in the Paris area, I assume) do you fly to? Customs? PCL? Please share some details.
I use Lille a bit far away from Paris but it’s neat if timed correctly: 45min flying, 15min taxi, 1h TGV to Gare du Nord and 20min bus to my place in Paris, it certainly does not beat Eurostar door to door but it beats the car drive by 2h-3h, it’s open 24h with customs and the bill is usually around 150E (80E night marshalling & 70E handling and parking), there is +250E surcharge after 2200LT but I never landed that late
I have not tried LeBourget yet but the other GA alternatives in Paris are not available or lot of hassle: Toussus close at 9pm and Pentoise is open but long taxi/train rides and needs Calais customs, and I am not looking to visit Beauvais any time soon either no one around or they are busy with commercial flights…
In Gallois’ example, hiring an express parcel company for this 900km round trip will cost far more than the rent of a DA40.
But it takes someone’s time, while GA’s point is to save it.
How much I would love my boss if he would let me deliver parts twice a week by airplane 
^
I know for a fact that :
Malibuflyer wrote:
And after a 10+ hr meeting day I’m really not fit to fly my plane back home…
Very wise!
Malibuflyer wrote:
And after a 10+ hr meeting day I’m really not fit to fly my plane back home…
After a 10+ hr meeting day I wouldnt drive any distance Id be flying either.
