Best Airports in Europe

The most convenient airports

Major airports in Europe

Stress-free Travel: The Most Convenient European Capital Airports

Flying might make the world seem smaller but traveling by plane still comes with its stresses. A customer-friendly airport can offer great relief for travelers, especially when airports are readily equipped to make the waiting time between flights as enjoyable and comfortable as possible.

To find out which airports in European capitals are the most convenient, we examined a range of factors that define comfort and convenience. The final result is a ranking of the Most Convenient Airports in Europe.

	City	International Airport	Connectivity	Facilities	Entertainment	Stress	Final Score
1	Madrid, ES	Adolfo Suárez Madrid– Barajas Airport (MAD)	89.9	79.95	96.28	63.25	100.00
2	Rome, IT	Leonardo Da Vinci– Fiumicino Airport (FCO)	48.9	83.96	96.27	42.38	93.40
3	Amsterdam, NL	Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)	68.1	86.22	83.99	41.80	90.40
4	Copenhagen, DK	Copenhagen Airport Kastrup (CPH)	100.0	67.17	81.06	74.55	87.00
5	Moscow, RU	Sheremetyevo Int. Airport (SVO)	44.9	69.92	100.00	33.53	85.70
6	Helsinki, FI	Helsinki Airport (HEL)	60.5	87.97	63.42	80.25	84.00
7	London, UK	Heathrow Airport (LHR)	49.1	100.00	63.21	6.90	78.70
8	Lisbon, PT	Lisbon Airport (LIS)	75.9	57.14	80.67	56.60	75.10
9	Prague, CZ	Vaclav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)	93.4	66.42	62.15	70.62	74.30
10	Berlin, DE	Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)	54.44	72.93	63.03	48.44	69.8

Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) ranks as the best airport in Europe with all of the examined facilities and a wide range of stores and restaurants. Passengers traveling through Madrid have 133 stores and 54 restaurants to choose from. In addition, few flight cancellations and above average flight punctuality make Barajas the most customer-friendly airport in Europe. London Heathrow ranks in seventh place overall, but in first place for facilities, with 20 lounges across the terminals. The main airports in Rome (FCO), Amsterdam (AMS), Copenhagen (CPH) and Moscow (SVO) also score high. Copenhagen is the best in terms of connectivity, with three different public transit options covering the five-mile distance between the city’s central train station and the airport. Copenhagen Airport is also the best in terms of punctuality, with 96 percent of flights landing and taking off on schedule. Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport is the best in terms of culinary options, with 79 gastronomic facilities.

How Omio compiled the rankings

This study analyzed the main airports across 30 European capital cities for 17 factors that ensure a customer-friendly and enjoyable experience. The distance and the number of public transit options connecting the airport to the city center determined the airport’s connectivity score. Showers, hotels, smoking areas, rest and relaxation areas, airport lounges, public charging stations and pharmacies were evaluated to determine the quality and abundance of facilities. The number of stores, restaurants and bars was also examined to evaluate entertainment options during long waiting times. Finally, an analysis of stress-causing factors, including flight cancellations and delays, the number of daily air passengers, traffic congestion, and the average price of a taxi, also contributed to the final ranking of the most convenient European capital airports. Full methodology can be found here.

 

The most convenient airports for a stress-free trip

Madrid

Visit

The Barajas Airport is not only optimally located and well-connected to Madrid city center, but the terminals offer everything its 160,000 daily passengers could wish for in terms of facilities.

Rome

Visit

No other airport offers such a variety of shopping options as the Leonardo Da Vinci-Fiumicino in Rome. In fact, travelers can choose from over 140 different stores during their time there.

Amsterdam

Visit

Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is one of the most reliable airports in Europe, with 79% of all departures and arrivals being on time.

Find the perfect flight with Omio!

Major Airports in Europe

Flights in Europe form a major part of the world"s air traffic with some of the biggest and busiest airports in the world located throughout the continent. Of the airports in Europe, London"s Heathrow is the busiest, followed by Paris" Charles de Gaulle. The 5 busiest airports in Europe all have more than 50 million passengers passing through their gates each year. A great deal of European airlines have their primary operating hubs located at one of these airports, such as British Airways at London Heathrow Airport and Lufthansa at Frankfurt Airport or the newly opened Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Flight comparison websites and travel search tools like Omio allow you to find the best flight for your travel needs.

With Omio, you can also book cheap airport transfers.

Busiest Airports in Europe

City	Airport	Passengers (2019)
London, UK	Heathrow Airport (LHR)	80,886,589
Paris, FR	Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)	76,150,007
Amsterdam, NL	Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)	71,707,144
Frankfurt, DE	Frankfurt Airport (FRA)	70,556,072
Madrid, ES	Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD)	61,734,037
Barcelona, ES	Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN)	52,686,314
Istanbul, TR	Istanbul Airport (IST)	52,578,008
Moscow, RU	Sheremetyevo Int. Airport (SVO)	49,438,545
Munich, DE	Munich Airport (MUC)	47,941,348
London, UK	Gatwick Airport (LGW)	46,574,786

 

Main International Airports in Europe

Heathrow AirportLondon

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Charles de GaulleParis

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Frankfurt AirportFrankfurt am Main

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Airport SchipholAmsterdam

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Barajas AirportMadrid

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Istanbul AirportIstanbul

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London Heathrow Airport

Heathrow is Europe"s busiest airport and the airport with the most international passengers in the world. Heathrow is located to the west of London and there are numerous public transit options from central London, including train, subway and bus. Planes from Heathrow fly both short- and long-haul to over 180 destinations. Heathrow is the primary operating hub for British Airways as well as Virgin Atlantic"s main base in the UK. The most heavily-flown routes from the airport within Europe are between Dublin, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

Most Popular Flights

Flights from London to Dublin	Duration: 1h 15min	Check now
Flights from London to Frankfurt	Duration: 1h 35min	Check now
Flights from London to Amsterdam	Duration: 1h 20min	Check now

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is Europe"s second-busiest airport after Heathrow, with more than 60 million passengers traveling through the gates each year. The airport is the main hub for the French flag-carrier airline Air France, as well as a base for a number of budget airlines including easyJet and flybe. The airport is well connected to Paris" public transit network, with regular regional express trains and buses traveling to the city center. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport has 3 terminals which are connected by a light-rail shuttle, which also links them to the train station and parking lots.

Most Popular Flights

Flights from Paris to London	Duration: 1h 10min	Check now
Flights from Paris to Barcelona	Duration: 1h 40min	Check now
Flights from Paris to Rome	Duration: 2h	Check now

Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt Airport is the third-busiest airport in Europe, behind only London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle, with more than 50 million passengers passing through its gates each year and more than 1300 flights every day. Frankfurt Airport is the main hub for the German flag-carrier airline Lufthansa while leading the world by flying to over 264 international destinations. While the airport is 7.5 miles (12 km) to the southwest of Frankfurt"s city center, frequent S-Bahn and bus services connect the two.

Most Popular Flights

Flights from Frankfurt to Istanbul	Duration: 3h 10min	Check now
Flights from Frankfurt to Berlin	Duration: 1h 10min	Check now
Flights from Frankfurt to Oslo	Duration: 2h 05min	Check now

Istanbul Airport

Istanbul Airport airport is the busiest airport in Turkey and one of the busiest in the world for international flights. It is located in the Arnavutköy district on the European side of the city. Over 40 airlines, among them Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, offer services to Istanbul Airport, flying to destinations all across Europe and beyond. The airport can be easily reached from the center of Istanbul via the subway, the shuttle bus service or car.

Most Popular Flights

Flights from Istanbul to Munich	Duration: 3h	Check now
Flights from Istanbul to Milan	Duration: 3h 05min	Check now
Flights from Istanbul to London	Duration: 4h 05min	Check now

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Amsterdam Schiphol is the 5th busiest airport in Europe and the 6th busiest in the world for international passenger traffic, with more than 50 million passengers passing through its gates each year. The airport is the main operating base for Dutch flag-carrier airline KLM and its subsidiary Transavia, as well as being a destination of other major European airlines like easyJet and Aer Lingus. Schiphol only has one terminal building, although it does have 6 runways spread out around the surrounding area. The airport has its own railway station which is served by trains from Amsterdam and many of the other major cities in the Netherlands. Bus options are also plentiful, including night buses to central Amsterdam.

Most Popular Flights

Flights from Amsterdam to Manchester	Duration: 1h 15min	Check now
Flights from Amsterdam to Copenhagen	Duration: 1h 20min	Check now
Flights from Amsterdam to Stockholm	Duration: 2h	Check now

Madrid Barajas Airport

As the largest and busiest airport in Spain, serving more than 40 million passengers each year, Madrid Barajas Airport is also home to one of the largest airport terminals in the world by area. The airport has 4 terminals and 4 runways and is able to accommodate up to 70 million passengers per year. Located just 8 miles (13 km) from Madrid city center and just 5.5 miles (9 km) from the city"s financial district, the airport is connected to the Madrid Metro network and is well serviced by city buses. The airport is the main base for Iberia, with the Spanish flag carrier accounting for more than 60% of traffic at the airport. Budget airlines that also use the airport are Ryanair, easyJet, and Vueling.

Most Popular Flights

Flights from Madrid to Tenerife	Duration: 2h 20min	Check now
Flights from Madrid to Lisbon	Duration: 1h 10min	Check now
Flights from Madrid to Brussels	Duration: 2h 20min	Check now