How to get there?

Last year, we've been keeping track of price fluctuations of the major airlines, so we can all get the best deals to reach Cochin International Airport, Kerala.

There are two main ways to fly to India:

  1. Fly directly to Delhi or Mumbai from Amsterdam
  2. Fly to the middle east, and then to Cochin, Kerala
Both options are valid as they both require 1 layover to get to Kerala, but the second option is usually the easiest.
Note: Unfortunately the flight situation with the Middle East has changed over the last months.
Let's hope things will calm down and go back to normal as soon as possible.

The options we've been following are:
  • Amsterdam - Delhi - Cochin (Air India) | 8+3 Hours
  • Amsterdam - Mumbai - Cochin (IndiGo) | 8.5+1.5 Hours
  • Amsterdam - Dubai - Cochin (Emirates) | 7+4 Hours
  • Amsterdam - Doha - Cochin (Qatar) | 6+4.5 Hours
  • Amsterdam - Abu Dhabi - Cochin (Etihad) | 6.5+4 Hours
Note: If you fly directly to India, Mumbai Airport is more comfortable to do a stopover than Delhi.

You can use the graph below to determine the most optimal time to book your flights.

You can find more details and the graph data here.

Our recommendations (ranked):
  1. Etihad - Best bet overall, but it requires a bit of timing. Set a price alert (e.g. €600). Very good airline. Don't book before September.
  2. Qatar - Very comfy airline, but generally too pricy most of the time if you're looking for a good deal. Booking in August could work.
  3. Emirates - Nicest option if you don't want to worry about timing too much, as prices are relatively stable.
  4. Air India - Economic choice if you need or want to book early and don't mind a slightly more basic experience than the Arab airlines. Don't book later than November. AMS-DEL is a longer haul
  5. IndiGo - Cheapest but likely the least comfortable option. Works if you want to cheap it out and don't mind limited leg room. AMS-BOM is a longer haul.

A few remarks:

  • The resort is a 2-hour drive away from the airport
  • On Thursday the 18th (see timeline) a few coaches will be arranged by us to perform group pick-ups from the airport at the most common arrival times. Guests arriving that day can use these buses to be taken to the resort.
  • On Monday the 22nd, coaches will be arranged by us as well, to drop the majority of guests back at the airport.
  • Guests arriving at other times can take a taxi independently, which should cost around €30.