Airports in Europe

Larnaca International Airport (LCA) is next to Larnaca Salt Lake, just 3 miles (5km) from the city center. It serves as a popular gateway to the south of the island of Cyprus. With more than 5 million passengers frequenting the airport’s single terminal, Larnaca International is busy during peak travel times.

Having undergone extensive refurbishment in 2009, the new passenger terminal is now equipped to handle busy periods more efficiently than ever before. The second phase of the upgrade project, scheduled to be completed in 2013, will see that the airport’s decor represents the city’s medieval heritage.

The ongoing development of the airport, along with its friendly and helpful staff, ensures that travelers have a pleasant experience upon arrival and departure. A large duty-free retail area provides shoppers with a comprehensive range of products, while a selection of places to eat and drink cater to all tastes.

Located approximately 12 miles (19km) south of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and 16 miles (25km) north of the island’s popular tourist areas, Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) or Las Palmas Airport – locally referred to as “Aeropuerto de Gando" – handles almost 9.5 million passengers per year. It is the Canary Islands’ busiest aerial hub and Spain’s fifth-busiest airport.

With a reasonable selection of shops and places to wine and dine, as well as warm and friendly services and an assortment of facilities, Gran Canaria Airport offers a pleasant experience. Clear days offer majestic views of distant mountains, however, breezier weather brings extreme tailwinds to the island, sometimes affecting flight schedules. In general, though, temperatures at Las Palmas International range from mild to moderate throughout the year, so you needn’t carry much in your hand luggage except for a camera, cap and pair of shades.

Like all tourist gateways, Las Palmas can get chaotic at times, especially during the peak months of July and August. However, staff do their best to offer assistance in terms of speeding up procedures and going the extra mile to help passengers.

Leeds Bradford International Airport (LBA) is situated 7 miles (11km) northwest of Leeds. It serves passengers within Yorkshire and surrounding areas, mostly to sunspot destinations in Europe, Greece and Spain. 

Leeds Bradford International has often been criticized by passengers as congested and chaotic. There are long-term plans to renovate the airport though. Future travelers can look forward to a major expansion of the landside face of the terminal, as well as the installation of new check-in and security screening facilities. Both promise to increase the terminal’s handling capacity and speed up passenger circulation.

Leeds Bradford’s elevated position makes it vulnerable to adverse weather conditions. If you have a bit of time between flights there is plenty to do such as shopping or enjoying a snack.

The sixth-busiest airport in Europe, Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO), also known more simply as Fiumicino Airport, sees a whopping 35 million passengers each year. The airport is named for Leonardo da Vinci, the famous Italian artist and inventor, who first attempted to design flying machines. The airport is well-connected to Rome via the metro train, although tickets are rather expensive.

The airport is a hub for Alitalia, although there are loads more European and international airlines with regular flights to Leonardi da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport. They come in from across the European Union as well as from the US, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East.

Like any busy airport hub, queues can be long at peak times. Get in early and, if you've time to spare, head for the masses of prestigious fashion stores and good coffee shops to pass the time.

Linate International Airport (LIN), officially called Airport Enrico Forlanini – after the Italian inventor and aeronautical engineer born in Milan – is one of three major airports in Milan. It was completely reconstructed in the 1950s, as well as the 1980s, in order to accommodate the increasing number of tourists visiting the area each year, and in 2010 it handled more than 8 million passengers. Flights to Milan Linate International Airport come from hubs in the UK and Europe.

Comprising one fairly tired-looking terminal building with two levels, Linate International can be somewhat crowded and chaotic at times. Thankfully, however, staff are friendly and helpful. There are five airbridges, which means that numerous flights are boarded via airport shuttles, thus increasing waiting times for many passengers.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of using Linate International is its close proximity to the city center. Located only 4.8 miles (7.8km) south-east of Milan, it’s a short, 15-minute drive to the capital of Lombardy.   

Malaga Airport (AGP) is one of the busiest airports in Spain and an important tourism gateway to the popular Costa del Sol region. It's situated 5 miles (8km) from the city of Malaga and 3.1 miles (5km) from Torremolinos. More than 12 million passengers catch flights to Malaga Airport from all over the world each year, especially in the summer months.

There are three terminals at Malaga Airport. Different airlines have check-in desks at different terminals, but all flights leave from Terminal 3 (the newest terminal) which opened in late 2010. It's twice the size of Terminal 2 and has a large food hall, as well as several other facilities.

Although the new Terminal 3 is spacious and has lots of new facilities, this is one of those airports that feels like it’s permanently under construction, so be prepared for detours and poor signage at times.

Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), previously known as Aeroporto Citta diBusto Arsizio, is the largest of Milan’s three airports. With more than 100 airlines serving the airport, it’s Europe’s 21st busiest airport, having handled almost 19 million passengers in 2010. Flights to Milan Malpensa Airport arrive from main hubs in Europe, the UK, Asia, the US, Middle East and the Mediterranean.

Milan Malpensa constitutes two tired-looking passenger terminal buildings that are considerably far from one another. Fortunately, however, a shuttle service runs between them every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day. A new runway is currently underway, although flights are running to normal schedules. Construction of the new car park, by contrast, is restricting access to only a few public transport vehicles. As such, private vehicle owners are advised to park in P3 and the multi-story car parks until further notice.  

Although a fairly old airport, Milan Malpensa is efficient and staff are generally helpful and friendly. Queues usually flow easily and baggage handling systems are quick. Perhaps one major downside, is the airport’s lack of airbridges, which results in delays and long waiting times between gates and boarding. 

Formerly known as Ringway Airport, Manchester International Airport (MAN) is located around 9 miles (14km) outside of Manchester. The airport is the busiest in the UK outside of London, processing nearly 18 million passengers each year. The facilities are good, if a bit grubby, and the helpful staff members do their best to move the often overwhelming queues forward. Planned expansions will hopefully allay that congestion.

Flights to Manchester International Airport are available from a number of cities worldwide, including Paris, Dublin, Chicago, New York, Antwerp, Geneva, Frankfurt, Prague, Lisbon, Atlanta, Athens, Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Milan, Islamabad, Doha, Toronto and Rome. There are also many options for local flights within the UK – to Belfast, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, London, Southampton and Glasgow.

Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is the gateway to the beautiful and romantic city of Venice, with its islands, canals and gondolas, located an easy five miles (8km) from central Venice.

The airport’s single terminal is easy to navigate and consists of three floors. The departures area is on the first floor and arrivals is on the ground floor. There are loads of shops and restaurants, including duty-free options and plenty of high-quality souvenirs and gifts, just in case you forgot to get them in Venice.

There are several airlines that offer flights to Venice Marco Polo Airport. These include a couple of low-cost carriers that connect Venice to cities across Europe, such as London, Manchester, Zurich, Leeds and Geneva. There are also flights to Venice Airport from Doha, New York and Istanbul as well as many other cities across the world.

Venice Marco Polo Airport is a great facility to use when traveling to this magical city. There are plenty of amenities at the airport and it is well connected to the city, making it the perfect choice when flying to Venice.