Airports in Europe

Located just 2.5 miles (4km) from the center of Geneva, Geneva Cointrin International Airport (GVA) offers excellent rail and bus connections. A quirk of its location on the French-Swiss border is the separate French and Swiss sectors of the airport, each of which maintains their own customs channel.

Queues for check-in and security are notoriously long and frustrating, especially at peak periods. Unfortunately, once you get past it there isn’t much to do, as there are only a couple of shops and restaurants.

Flights to Geneva Cointrin International Airport are easy to find from destinations all over Europe and the Middle East, including London, Glasgow, Paris, Vienna, Madrid, Moscow, Rome, Casablanca, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain, Amsterdam, Athens and Lisbon. There are also a handful of inter-continental flights to Montreal and Washington DC.

The small regional airport serving the city of Bologna is named after its most famous son, engineer and Nobel Laureate Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the radio. Located 3.75 miles (6km) from the city, Bologna G Marconi Airport (BLQ) is seeing steadily rising traffic, as Bologna becomes an increasingly popular business and tourism destination.

Flights to Bologna Airport are available on many well-known airlines from cities all over Europe, including London, Dublin, Athens, Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Stockholm. There are even more connections to other cities within Italy.

As Bologna is perfectly situated between popular tourist destinations such as Milan, Genoa, Pisa, Florence, San Marino, Venice, and Verona, it offers a great opportunity to escape the queues of the larger hubs. The small size of the airport makes for a hassle-free experience; a perfect end to a holiday sampling the delights of northern Italy.

Glasgow International Airport (GLA) is located 8 miles (13km) southwest of Glasgow's city center. It is the second-busiest airport in Scotland and one of the busiest in the UK with more than 6 million passengers using it each year. Almost 30 airlines are based there, a mix of traditional, budget and charter carriers.

The terminal has three piers: West (international), Central (domestic) and East (low-cost, Ireland and Scottish islands). A “Skyhub” was created in 2007, connecting the main terminal and terminal two, which created space for an extended duty-free shopping area.

The airport has seen some improvements in recent years and runs well, with security moving at a reasonable pace and shopping and dining options on the rise. Despite it being an international facility, the airport is still on the small side, so pack a book or charge your mobile if you expect to have a lot of time on your hands.

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom, and the fourth-busiest in the world, in terms of passenger traffic. However, Heathrow has the distinction of handling more international passengers than any other airport in the world – a testament to its importance as a transit-point for intercontinental travel.

Flights to Heathrow Airport are provided by an incredible 90 airlines, serving 180 destinations worldwide. Heathrow is home-base for British Airways, which operate direct and indirect flights to basically every major city you can think of, from Heathrow's beautiful, new Terminal 5 building.

London – a compelling, cosmopolitan city – certainly has an appropriate gateway in Heathrow Airport: a highly modern, convenient hub that is truly geared toward providing the best possible experience to travelers. Located 15 miles (24km) from central London, there are plenty of easy, hassle-free transport options available to travelers looking to get downtown. The flocks of tourists, who are no doubt going to descend on London for the 2012 Olympic Games, can look forward to a warm welcome and efficient service.

Ibiza Airport (IBZ) is the main gateway to two of the Balearic Islands - Ibiza and Formentera. The airport is 4.3 miles (7km) southwest of Ibiza, and although the island is small, its popularity as a summer party destination ensures passenger numbers of around 5 million passengers each year.

About 85 percent of the visitors to Ibiza arrive between May and October. If you’re there at the right time (and in the right mood), you can catch some of the world’s best trance, house, and techno deejays performing all through the summer.

Alternatively, you can take one of the many guided tours through the city and surrounds, many parts of which have been declared world heritage sites.

The airport is quite small, with only one terminal building, and getting into town is easy enough using either the buses or taxis. Aside from grabbing a bite to eat, or getting a beer at the bar, there isn’t a whole lot to do at the airport itself.

Inverness Airport (INV) is the perfect airport for passengers in search of the Loch Ness monster or just a quiet vacation away in the Scottish Highlands. The airport is situated just less than 10 miles (15km) east of Inverness City.

As the gateway to the Highlands, Inverness Airport has a lot to offer passengers in terms of accessibility and ease of travel. It’s small, simple to navigate, and is well connected to public transport in Inverness and the surrounding region.

There are a number of regular flights to Inverness Airport from across the UK and Europe. There are also a number of charter flights offered from Inverness Airport to destinations such as Italy, Sicily and Portugal – perfect for those wishing to get away for a vacation in the sun.

The Highlands offer a range of attractions from breathtaking wilderness areas to a wildlife park and even mountain-climbing and white-water rafting. Inverness City is central to all these activities, which makes Inverness Airport the perfect place to begin or end a vacation in the Scottish Highlands.

Copenhagen International Airport (CPH), commonly referred to as Kastrup Airport or simply Kastrup, is the biggest airport in Scandinavia, and the busiest airport serving Nordic destinations in the world.

Flights to Copenhagen International Airport are mainly operated by the Scandinavian Airlines System, although it is also a major hub for Cimber Sterling, Norwegian Air Shuttle, and Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia. A new terminal – CPH Go, serving low-cost carriers such as easyJet – opened in October 2010.

Even though Copenhagen International Airport is busy (around 60,000 passengers use it every day, and more than 21 million in a year) it is a remarkably calm and efficient airport, boasting fantastic amenities and facilities. It has consistently been voted as the one of Europe's best airports by travel and leisure magazines the world over.

Situated 13 miles (20 km) southeast of the city of Gothenburg, Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport (GOT) is Sweden’s second-largest airport, serving more than 4.3 million passengers per year. 

With a spacious and relatively new terminal building, Gothenburg-Landvetter isan efficient airport. Smooth operations make checking-in and boarding a breeze, while quick baggage handling ensures that that your luggage is ready and waiting for you in the baggage claims area. There may not be an extensive range of shops and restaurants to choose from, however, several Internet stations located throughout the terminal offer a good alternative to help the time pass by.

Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport is small, clean, comfortable and user-friendly. Staff members are courteous and extremely helpful, and traveling from the airport to the city (and vice versa) is easy. 

Hannover-Langenhagen Airport (HAJ) is located 7 miles (11km) north of Saxony’s capital city Hannover. It is the ninth-largest airport in Germany and one of the few German airports that are open 24 hours per  day.

Having undergone a major expansion of its terminals and facilities in 2008, Hannover Airport is modern, cleverly designed and easy to navigate. Its three terminals are arranged in a semi-circle, thus minimizing walking distances, and flight schedule screens are visible from almost anywhere in each building. Several low-cost airlines fly from Hannover Airport, including TUIfly, which has its offices at the airport.

Hannover Airport is user friendly and easily accessible by road and railway. Staff are friendly and helpful and the amenities are generally clean and well maintained. The airport prides itself on its ability to impress – so much so that there's an open invitation for local residents to go shopping at its plaza every Sunday.