SINGAPORE, 5 July 2023: A new study released Monday reveals the 10 most stressful airports in Europe, with Charles de Gaulle in Paris leading the stress ranking.
Holiday car rental experts at StressFreeCarRental.com analysed the 10 busiest airports across Europe and ranked them based on what gets holidaymakers stressed before take off.
The popular observation suggests most travellers can tolerate a packed out departure lounge if the travel time to the airport is quick, parking is cheap, and there are restaurants to unwind in with wifi access. The research reveals this isn’t always the case, with many of Europe’s busiest airports far away from city centres with poor facilities and expensive parking. Summer peak season travel in Europe, plus the influx of Asian and North American travellers during July and August, will add to airport stress.
Charles de Gaulle Airport in the French capital has been named the most stressful airport for holidaymakers to fly from, with over 57 million passengers passing through annually. The Paris airport is around 40 km from the city centre, making it tricky for tourists to travel easily and boasting relatively few restaurants for its size.
London Heathrow is the second most stressful airport with the worst record for delays in Europe’s busiest airports.
Ranking third most stressful is Gatwick Airport – at 45.7 km, it is the furthest away from urban districts in London, meaning passengers often arrive tired even before they check in.
Frankfurt Airport in Germany ranks 7th and is the most expensive to park for a week (EUR234) – a vast difference from the cheapest spot at Leonardo Da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, costing just EUR20 for a week.
Frankfurt is also the airport closest to the city centre, at just 13.3 km from the city, followed by Barcelona at 13.7 km and then Istanbul at 17.2 km.
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport in Spain is ranked the least stressful airport across Europe, with some of the lowest passenger traffic numbers, cheap parking, and few departure delays, and being close to the city centre (Barcelona).
Ranking fifth most stressful, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam greets over 52 million passengers annually. It scores 2.1 for departure delays and expensive parking charges at over EUR110 per week.
Despite the slow wifi, Munich has the second-lowest score for plane departure delays (1.7). It serves 31 million passengers and has 65 restaurants on site. Comparatively, Heathrow Airport in London serves 51 million annual passengers in 47 restaurants.
StressFreeCarRental.com CEO John Charnock said: “The whole airport experience can be very stressful, and wait times, expensive fees and slow wifi for entertainment can quickly dampen the holiday mood.
“We’ve found that Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris is the most stressful spot in Europe, with pricey parking, few restaurants and over 40 km away from the city centre.
“However, Barcelona Airport has been named the least stressful, with low departure delays, fast wifi and significantly cheaper parking.
“This year, holidaymakers should consider a staycation or using other means of getting to their destination – such as hiring cars for the ultimate summer road trip, where you can take your time and not be bothered by the anxieties of an airport.”
To find out more about the most stressful airports in Europe, head over to https://www.stressfreecarrental.com/
(Sources)
- Total passengers – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_busiest_airports_in_Europe
- Distance from the city centre (km) – Google Maps
- One week car park charge (€) – each airport’s official website.
- Total number of restaurants – Each airport’s official website
- The departure delay index scored out of five – https://www.flightradar24.com/
- Wifi download speed (mb/s) – https://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/isp-directory/
