The best and worst airports in Europe

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Holidu, the holiday rental search engine, has searched for the airports with the best reviews.

Most complaints concern overcrowding and its inadequate equipment airport for tourist traffic data. These are the airports with the better score where you wouldn’t mind staying longer than expected in case your flight is delayed. In addition, we will recommend alternative airport options based on other users’ reviews.

THE Holiday, the vacation rental search engine searched for the best reviewed airports. Using data from Google Maps, this study was conducted on an average basis Google rating and the number of reviews, in order to create the absolute ranking of European airports. Read on to discover these top airports for booking your next flight, as well as some tips, including their amenities and information on delays.

Top 5 best rated airports in Europe according to Google

1. Athens International Airport, Greece – average Google rating 4.4 + 24,467 reviews

It’s official! Athens airport is the best airport in Europe! As the largest and best known airport in Greece, Eleftherios Venizelos is located 33 kilometers from the city center. Greece was relatively unaffected by the European air mania, with most delays being observed at departure airports with flights to our country. Is your flight delayed? You can use the luggage storage service, airport lounges, archaeological finds exhibitions and a wide variety of restaurants and cafes. Athens airport has so much to offer its travelers!

2. Zurich Airport, Switzerland – average Google rating 4.4 + 14,267 reviews

Although he’s been facing some backlash since his recent air traffic control malfunction, it doesn’t seem to have affected his reputation. Zurich Airport is an airport where you definitely wouldn’t mind getting stuck. Moreover, it has everything you could need to spend your time in it. Starting August 1, it will have live music on weekends and an area dedicated to games like table tennis, darts, and even a mini golf course! You can also check their website for upcoming events such as observatory brunch, BBQ and more! Who wouldn’t want to make a stopover at this airport?

3. Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport, Portugal – average Google rating 4.4 + 11,904 reviews

The third place is occupied by Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport, also known as Porto Airport. Porto can be a good option to avoid the delays that have plagued Portugal’s largest airport, Lisboa, since mid-June. Bloomberg even reported 65% delays and 4.8% cancellations of flights there since the beginning of July. Porto Airport has an airport app for real-time tracking of arrival and departure times and flight status, so communication is immediate and real-time. Don’t want to waste time in queues? They also have the Fast Track option, a priority channel, which allows you to get through security faster. They also offer options for family trips with a children’s area with a library, videos and other activities to keep them entertained.

4. Alicante International Airport, Spain – average Google rating 4.3 + 10,547 reviews

Next on our list is Alicante International Airport in Spain, the main airport serving the Community of Valencia and the Murcia region. With travelers praising its organized layout and bright and spacious design, who wouldn’t want to travel through this airport?

5. Malta International Airport, Malta – average Google rating 4.3 + 6,279 reviews

Malta’s quaint yet well-maintained airport takes the 5th spot on our list. The airport and hub airline Air Malta may be facing flight delays at London Heathrow, but its facilities are still on par with those of major European airports. It not only has restaurants, duty-free shops and VIP lounges, but even a hair salon and dentist! It also has a recently renovated dining area that offers a wide range of dining and high aesthetics.

Which airports complete the top 10?

6. Munich Airport, Germany – average Google rating 4.2 + 19,850 reviews
7. Palma De Mallorca Airport, Spain – average Google rating 4.2 + 19,107 reviews
8. Vaclav Havel Airport Prague, Czech Republic – average Google rating 4.2 + 13,786 reviews
9. Gran Canaria Airport, Spain – average Google rating 4.2 + 10,565 reviews
10. Helsinki Airport, Finland – average Google rating 4.2 + 8,319 reviews

The 5 worst rated airports in Europe according to Google

1. Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, France – average Google rating 2.7 + 5,700 reviews

Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in France ranks first with an average Google score of 2.7. The main complaints about this airport were its small size and lack of seats for travelers. Additionally, with the recent issues of staff strikes resulting in the cancellation of many flights, you may want to consider some alternatives if you plan to fly through this airport. Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (3.9 / 5,041*) is just 3-4 hours by train and 2-3 hours by car, and there are plenty of train and bus options if you can’t make it to your destination without having to fly. average Google rating/number of reviews*

2. Heraklion International Airport, Greece – average Google rating 2.8 + 10,791 reviews

Next on the list is Heraklion International Airport with an average Google score of 2.8. Most of the complaints concern overcrowding and the insufficient equipment of the airport for the data of tourist traffic. It might be worth checking out Chania International Airport (4.0 / 3,678*) which has a much higher rating and is only a 2 hour drive from Heraklion.

3. Luton Airport, United Kingdom – average Google rating 3.0 + 10,665 reviews

Luton Airport in London has been hit by summer flight pandemonium, with Bloomberg reporting 66% delays and 2.7% flight cancellations since early July, compared to 51% at London Heathrow. On top of that, Luton only gets an average score of 3 on Google, with most complaints being about the lack of public transport links to the airport and the huge queues that result from its small size despite the high volume of travellers. If you absolutely must fly, it may be worth choosing Heathrow (4.0 / 32,095*) or Gatwick (3.8 / 12,953*) as they are larger and have more capacity and facilities in case your flight is delayed. We recommend, however, that you explore other possible transportation options, such as trains or buses, before booking. If there are no other options, remember to arrive at the airport early and only carry hand luggage to save yourself the headache.

4. Manchester Airport, United Kingdom – average Google rating 3.0 + 15,192 reviews

Manchester Airport in the UK is next on our list, with most complaints being about rude staff and a lack of organization resulting in very long queues. It may be worth transferring to Liverpool John Lennon Airport (3.9 / 3,087*), which is around 45 minutes’ drive from Manchester Airport, for a better travel experience.

5. Berlin Willy-Brandt International Airport, Germany – average Google rating 3.2 + 16,959 reviews

Berlin’s Willy-Brandt International Airport completes the top five. The airport, plagued from the start by almost a decade behind schedule from its scheduled opening date, and costing €4 billion over budget, averages just 3.2 points in Google ratings. While praised for its clean and modern facilities, most complaints focus on the lack of organization, as well as the slow processing of security procedures resulting in long queues. It may be worth considering alternatives such as Dresden Airport (4.0 / 1.295*), which is only an hour and a half’s drive from Berlin.

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