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Ryanair launches new flights from regional UK airport to Christmas market hotspot
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BUDGET airline Ryanair has launched a new route from Belfast to Kaunas in Lithuania.
Last year, the budget carrier started operating from Belfast Airport following a 17-month hiatus.
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Following on from its success, the no-frills airline has added a new winter service to Kaunas.
The twice-weekly service will operate every Wednesday and Sunday throughout the winter.
Wednesday afternoon flights will depart at 4pm before touching down in Lithuania at 8.55pm.
Return flights will then leave Kaunas at 9.25pm, landing back in the UK at 10.30pm.
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Sunday afternoon flights will leave the UK five minutes later at 4.05pm, landing at 9pm local time.
The Sunday return flight will operate at the same time as the Wednesday service.
Sun Online Travel have found return fares for £45.81 in November, with flights operating from October 27, 2024.
Located in southern Lithuania, Kaunas has an old town with charming streets and a 14th century castle.
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Kaunas Castle was built to defend the city against crusaders, making it one of the oldest stone castles in the country.
The city is also home to Kaunas Christmas Market, which dates back to the 16th century.
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Nowadays, the market is a maze of wooden stalls selling homemade souvenirs and gifts.
Local delicacies like kūčiukai (small sweet pastries) and Cepelinai (potato dumplings stuffed with meat or cheese) will also be sold at the Christmas Market.
The Christmas market runs from the end of November until Christmas Eve.
It's been praised by visitors online with one person writing: "It's a winter wonderland with a beautiful old town and even more magical town square just in time for Christmas!"
Kaunas is just over an hour away from Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.
Lithuania’s capital city is a real winter wonderland and one of the most affordable Christmas market destinations in Europe, with flights from as little as £15 and mugs of mulled wine for less than £3.50.
The no-thrills airline also added additional winter flights to Alicante, Krakow and London.
Ryanair chief marketing officer Dara Brady said: "Since reopening Ryanair’s base in 2023, we have grown and invested heavily in the region with two based aircraft and support of over 850 local jobs, as well as driving important inbound tourism year-round.
"Through our ongoing investment, we have grown our Belfast operation by 64 per cent verses pre-Covid levels, and we will continue to grow at Belfast, have recently switched over 50,000 winter seats from Dublin due to the 2007 traffic cap rendering Dublin airport closed for business."
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Advice for flying with Ryanair
- All Ryanair passengers can bring a small personal bag on board but this must fit under the seat in front of you, but it must be no bigger than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm
- Any over-sized cabin bags will be refused at the boarding gate and put in the hold for a fee
- Ryanair also charges passengers up to £55 check-in at the airport
- Anyone who loses their card at the airport will have to pay a £20 reissue fee
- Book to sit in the front five rows if you want to head off the plane first
- Extra legroom seats can be found in rows 1 A, B, C or 2 D, E, F as well as row 16 and 17 near the emergency exit
- The worst seat on Ryanair's Boeing 737-800 aircraft is also 11A because of its lack of window.
Other new Ryanair routes include Newcastle to Marrakech in October.
Earlier this year, Jet2 confirmed that a new route will operate between Manchester Airport and Porto.
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