The Most Stressful Airports in Europe

The Best and Worst Popular European Airports to Fly From

Post-pandemic travel to Europe is expected to exceed 2019 records in some of the continent’s most popular destinations this summer. With that said, a new study has ranked Europe’s 10 biggest airports by how stressful they are for passengers to fly from with Charles de Gaulle in Paris coming out on top.

Vacation car rental experts at StressFreeCarRental.com have analyzed these 10 busiest airports across Europe. They ranked them based on what gets holidaymakers stressed before their airplanes take off.

Most travelers could likely tolerate a packed-out departure lounge if the travel time to the airport was quick, parking was cheap and there were restaurants to unwind in with access to Wifi. The research reveals this wasn’t always the case with many of Europe’s busiest airports far away from city centers with poor facilities and expensive parking.

Highlights of the Most Stressful Airports in Europe

• Charles de Gaulle Airport in the French capital ranked as the most stressful airport for holidaymakers to fly from with over 57 million passengers passing through annually. The Paris airport was over 40 km away from the city center, thus making it tricky for tourists to travel easily and boasting relatively few restaurants for its size.

• London Heathrow came in as the second most stressful airport with the worst record for delays of any of Europe’s busiest airports.

• Ranking third most stressful was Gatwick Airport – at 45.7 km it was the furthest away from its nearest city meaning that passengers often arrived tired even before they checked in.

• Ranking fifth most stressful, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam greeted over 52 million passengers annually yet scored 2.1 for departure delays and expensive parking charges at over €110 per week.

• Frankfurt Airport in Germany ranked seventh as it was the most expensive to park at for a week (€234). It was a vast difference from the cheapest spot at Leonardo Da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, which cost just €20 for seven days. Frankfurt was also the airport closest to the city center at just 13.3 km away, followed by Barcelona at 13.7 km away and Istanbul at 17.2 km away.

• Despite the slow wifi, Munich had the second lowest score for plane departure delays (1.7) and served 31 million passengers in the 65 restaurants at the airport. Comparatively, Heathrow Airport in London served its 51 million annual passengers in just 47 restaurants.

• Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport in Spain came in as the least stressful airport in Europe with some of the lowest passenger traffic numbers, cheap parking, and few departure delays. It was also close to the city center (Barcelona).

So if you’re heading to Europe, just remember to pack a lot of patience if you’re flying into one of the most stressful airports in Europe. Sending good vibes for smooth travels!