Budget travel may be about to get another unwelcome surcharge – but this time Michael O’Leary and Ryanair are not to blame. The checks took place at airports in Memmingen and Nuremberg and involved 21 travelling families with school-age children. Fines begin at €50 but, in some of Germany’s 16 federal states, rise to €2,500. Unnamed officials from Germany’s federal police, responsible for security at travel hubs such as airports and train stations, told the Bild tabloid they were “surprised” by the number of school-age children travelling early before the Whitsunday (Pentecost) long weekend. As for the parents, Stephan Wassmuth of Germany’s federal parents’ association said school attendance rules should be obeyed.

Source: The Irish Times May 22, 2018 17:37 UTC