We have compiled a list of European airports that aren’t actually close to the city that they serve. Due to the rise of low-cost airlines we have seen plenty of destinations advertised as designated cities when in actuality they are quite far away from the actual city. You can consult the list down below and think accordingly when choosing where to fly next. Who knows, maybe it’s better for you to choose the closer airport.
London Luton Airport (LLA)
One of the more infamous airports on this list and probably one of the best examples of airports that aren’t actually where they are supposed to be is London Luton Airport. Unless you have a personal car ready there you should spend around 70£ on an Uber from the Arrivals Gate to Buckingham Palace, or really any Central London location. If you choose not to ride a car for 55 minutes you would be able to take public transport and reach the centre of London in about one hour and 15 minutes. The Green Line bus service will set you back 11.50£. Therefore, we recommend that you choose closer options such as London Heathrow or London City Airport.
Paris Beauvais Airport (BVA)
When travelling to the “City of Love” on a budget, most low-cost airlines offer flights to Paris Beauvais Airport. If you decide to fly here you should take into consideration that a car ride from the airport to the city’s most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, will take around one hour and 12 minutes, but can vary due to traffic. Choosing a ridesharing app is quite expensive, as an Uber ride will have you spending around 126€ to the centre of Paris. The airport does provide a shuttle service to Porte Maillot which is on the outskirts of the inner ring of Paris, quite close actually to the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. A return ticket will cost you 29,90€ and they can be bought from here.
Stockholm Skavsta Airport (NYO)
One of the lesser known airports of this list, Stockholm Skavsta Airport, is located in Nykoping, 103 km away from the Swedish capital. Taking a car to the centre of Stockholm will take around one hour and 15 minutes and if it’s an Uber it will cost around 1142 SEK or pretty much 102€. However if you decide to use public transport, you have a variety of ways to get to the city, but be prepared to spend around an hour and a half or up to two hours on a bus or a train, as it seems that the airport is quite poorly connected to Stockholm.
Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY)
Surprisingly, Milan Bergamo Airport is not actually located in Milan, however it is in Bergamo, a city of 120k people right next to Milan. One of the more popular airports to fly to when traveling to Milan, Bergamo Airport is 53km away from the centre of Milan. It’s a 50 minute drive, but ridesharing is quite different in Italy. If you choose Uber, the only available services start from Uber Black, the luxury service, which costs around 300€. We recommend getting one of the many bus shuttle services at the airport which will probably cost nowhere near that amount and you’ll get to Milan in around an hour.
Istanbul International Airport (IST)
The main International Airport in Istanbul is also the furthest away. By travelling here you will be an additional 51km away from Istanbul’s main square, Sultanahmet. It will take you an hour to drive to the city centre and if you choose a taxi it will cost around 25-30€. There are certain ways to take the public transport, however it may take you around an hour and a half to get to the city centre.
Do you know of any other examples like these? Let us know in the comments down below!
