Worst airports in Europe for stressful travel revealed

Sprawling labyrinths full of bustling queues, loud PA announcements and overpriced cafes, airports aren’t exactly the best part of any trip.

Some, however, are far less pleasant than others according to a recent study, which has ranked the most stressful airports in Europe.

The study analysed factors such as plane delays, facilities, wi-fi speed and parking charges, and was conducted by car rental company StressFreeCarRental.com.

Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris was named the most stressful for travellers.

Not only does the airport see more than 57 million passengers pass through annually but it is located 40km from the city centre, making it a difficult spot for foreigners to reach. Plus, the airport has relatively few spots to eat given its massive size.

London’s Heathrow Airport was ranked the second most stressful airport.

Although it is just 25.3km away from the city centre, it has one of the worst records for flight delays among Europe’s major airports and thus, the worst departure delay score in the study.

In 2022, 73.7 per cent of flights were delayed by more than 15 minutes.

The third most stressful is Gatwick Airport, located 45.7km from the nearest city.

In Rome, Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, parking is impressively cheap (just 20 euros per day compared to Charles de Gaulle’s 200) but a high delay score and low wi-fi speed according to the study, made it the fourth most stressful.

Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam was ranked the fifth most stressful, due to a high departure delay score and expensive parking.

Germany’s Munich Airport and Frankfurt Airport were ranked sixth and seventh, respectively.

That Schiphol Airport didn’t rank higher on the list could come as a surprise to those who passed through the airport last year.

Disruptions such as flight delays and cancellations, lost luggage and long queues were so bad, the airport released a statement in February admitting it was a “poor” year for profit and passengers.

Things could become even more stressful at the airport after the Dutch government won its case to cut flights by 12 per cent.

Thanks to the recent high court ruling, the government can go ahead with a plan to limit the airport to 440,000 flights in 2024, instead of the anticipated 500,000.