Top 4 Worst Airports in Europe

I always get anxious before flying. Always have, always will. Although flying is safer than driving and more accidents happen while you are on a journey by car than by plane, the anxiety remains with you. However, the thought that you are in the air and if anything happens you cannot ask the pilot to ‘drop you off at the next stop’ is very unsettling.

Ironically, although flying gives me the creeps, I love being in airports. The feeling that I get whenever I receive someone who’s coming to visit or the thought of a new destination awaiting for me always relaxes me. Of course, this also depends on the airport you’re in. Believe it or not, not all airports give you a warm, fuzzy feeling when you are inside. Some make you want to jump in the first plane you see and ask the captain to take you anywhere. And fast!

Which ones do you think are the worst airports in Europe? We’ve done some research and this is the result!

1. Charles de Gaulle, Paris – While everyone dreams of visiting Paris and its assets, the welcoming is not that great. Apparently the French are so stubborn that they don’t care much about speaking English in an INTERNATIONAL airport. ‘Why come to France if you don’t know French?’ This will get you in a bit of a pickle especially if you book flights with connections. Always make sure that you have enough time between connections or else you will find yourself lost and unable to find your way out (the signs are quite poor and airport employees are not that helpful). In addition to this, the restrooms are not maintained properly enhancing the feeling of dinginess and the airport tends to get really hot in the summer and quite cold in the winter. So beware!

2. Leonardo Da Vinci, Rome – This is a self-proclaimed airport. Everyone knows it’s a bad airport. Even those who work here! These low expectations ‘save’ the airport a bit but even so, people are highly disappointed when they face the dirty restrooms, the massive delays, the rude staff that doesn’t let you sleep or the language barriers that often make travelers regret their election. In addition to this, Da Vinci airport has high levels of crimes starting with the pocket thieves that can easily let you without all your things and finishing with the fake taxi drivers that most often ripe you off.

3. Luton, London – How many of you were waiting for this airport to appear on the list? According to multiple reviews published on sleepinginairports.net, the Luton airport is neither clean nor comfortable. Due to security measures, the check-in lines can move forward slow and painfully. Taking into account its size, some encouraging signs would have been great, but the British didn’t agree with that. It might take several minutes to go towards your gate in the happy case in which you manage to find it on time.

4. Frankfurt, Germany – stop yelling ‘the British are at fault.’ The Germans are not perfect either. If you have to remain overnight at this airport you will need to sleep on the floor because of the limited seating. This will be quite uncomfortable taking into account that you will meet lots of people, drunk or not, definitely loud and without any knowledge of respect for others. It lacks proper facilities and the staff can often be impolite.

While all airports have various faults, some of them are simply too ‘rich’, making travelers forced to spend their time there regret their choice. Through sharing we can raise awareness and maybe someone will find a way to fix this problem. What about you? Do you have any addition to the list?

Tip: Do you plan on visiting Prague? Check here Top 3 Best Cafes in Prague!

[table id=4 /]