Best airports in the world – and worst – are in Europe



eDreams released results of a survey from 50 000 of our fellow travelers. Bottom line : most best airports in the world are in Europe, 8 out of 10 – but also 4 out 5 worst airports. See the full report

Best airports in the world

1Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) singapore flag Singapore4,47

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

2Zurich Airport (ZRH) switzerland flag Zurich, Switzerland4,18

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

Frankfurt: Find local activities

3Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) Turkey flag Istanbul, Turkey4,16

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

4Copenhagen Airport (CPH) Denmark Flag Copenhagen, Denmark4,14

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

5Munich Airport (MUC) Germany Flag Munich, Germany4,11

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

6Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) Germany Flag Düsseldorf , Germany4,03

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

7Frankfurt Airport (FRA) Germany Flag Frankfurt, Germany4,02

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

8Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) Spain Flag Madrid, Spain3,99

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

9Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) Italy flag Rome, Italy3,97

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

10London Heathrow Airport (LHR) UK flag London, United Kingdom3,95

Restaurants: 4.32 starsShopping: 4,25 starsWaiting rooms: 4.24 stars

Zurich airport – best in Europe

Zurich ZRH airport is definitely the best rated in Europe : 2nd best in the world, also with best waiting area, 2nd best dining experience, and 3rd best shopping offering. The main lounge is currently (planned until May 2019) in renovation, but it is still one of our favorite hubs : efficient transit, lot of comfortable seating space, clear signs – and also easy and fast access to Zurich city center. See our article Aspire Lounge in Zurich airport.

German efficiency – Munich 5th best, Düsseldorf 6th, Frankfurt 7th

With the 2nd best shopping experience, and the overall 5th spot, Munich MUC airport is also rated as a great world airport. We do agree – with easy navigation in the airport, lounges always available close to the doors, good and affordable restaurants, it is definitely a great airport. One reproach though : when transiting from out of Europe to Schengen, often have to exit the airport and pass through the security again, which sometimes lead to tight changing time between two flights.

Düsseldorf DUS airport is also a guests favorites, due to a very short walk between the three terminals, and a very efficient security check – despite boarding 100 of planes from there at all (and mostly most busy) times, we never had to queue for more than 20 minutes. Also having plenty of seat space, and offering simple connections between flights, the only bad point there has always been the WiFi : hard to reach in public areas, it is sometimes not working at all in the lounges.

Frankfurt FRA airport has a lot going for itself, offering great extra services such as convenient airport buses to cities up to 3h drive away (Strasbourg, Kaiserslautern, Köln, Saarbrücken, Heidelberg), it is only 2 metro stations away from Frankfurt main trainstation, and it is extremely rare to be stuck in a traffic jam at the entrance. It is also well organized, and security check are most of the time very fast, regardless of the flight category – if one line is full, usually, just going a hundred meter away to the next entrance will lead to an empty one.

Best airport for dining : Bogota BOG El Dorado

With plenty of choice, and affordable prices compared to other international hubs, Bogota BOG airport deserves its place at the world top airport dining experience. But, they have it easier than all other airports for one good reason : food is just awesome in the whole Colombian capital, and even in the country !

Singapore SIN Changi airport, best in the world

With the most comfortable wait ever experienced, Singapore’s airport has a huge advantage against whole competition : free feet massage ! Yes, that’s right. You can treat yourself in nearly whole airport in one of the many feet massage machine, available for free. But that’s not all – airport does have very comfortable seating areas, is easy to navigate, beautiful, and offers a great airport experience.

How do we disagree ?

Istanbul IST airport, rated as 3rd best, has never been a pleasant experience : small areas packed with people often pushing each other to run from one side of the airport to the other, lack of comfortable seating space, and in some areas a bad air conditioned.

Vienna VIE airport is missing in the list of the best airports : easy to go around, comfortable, clean and clear airport. But what makes it better than competition, is the seating area, with plenty of chairs to wait for boarding, but also sofas to relax, and working areas. One of the best airports to transit. The only downside is the distance from Vienna city center.

Best airports in the world - and worst - are in Europe : Working and seating areas in Vienna airport

Working and seating areas in Vienna airport

Paris CDG airport is missing from the worst airports list : terrible signs, unorganized airport, uncomfortable, terribly busy, unclear terminals. This airport always looks like the architect have never been in a plane…

Frequently Asked Questions

What factors distinguish the best and worst airports in Europe, and what trends are observed in airport quality across the continent?
Factors distinguishing the best airports include efficiency, comfort, amenities, and accessibility. The worst airports often suffer from overcrowding, delays, and poor services. Trends show a focus on improving traveler experience and sustainability initiatives in European airports.

Michel Pinson
About the author - Michel Pinson
Michel Pinson is a Travel enthusiast and Content Creator. Merging passion for education and exploration, he iscommitted to sharing knowledge and inspiring others through captivating educational content. Bringing the world closer together by empowering individuals with global expertise and a sense of wanderlust.



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