Photo by sludgegulper
Written by Maak
The last time I flew to Oslo I landed at a place called Torp – I thought I was landing in Oslo, but ended up over 100km outside Oslo – and even worse, my meeting was on the opposite side of town. Perhaps it’s a minor gripe, given the flexibility and cheap fares that low cost travel has brought us. However, I’m sure there are quite a few people that do not realize that when travelling to Vienna, they land in Bratislava (in a totally different country), that Luton is roughly 60km outside London and Gerona and Reus are both well well outside Barcelona.
Here is quick guide covering 11 European airports used primarily by the low cost carriers, and all of them more than 50km from the city they are promoted to serve! I’ll also give you some tips as to the cheapest (and often only) way to get into the city you probably wanted to visit, as well a rough idea of cost and the time it takes.
It’s hardly worth saving money on the flight, only to spend it on a bus or taxi instead!
Munich-Allgau – 112km from Munich
Used by Ryanair, Air Berlin and Wizzair, Allgau Airport, is located 112km west of Munich, close to the town of Memmingen. The cheapest way to get to Munich is by using the Allgäu-Airport-Express. The bus service has ca. 8 daily departures, takes 1 hour and 35 minutes and costs €18 for an adult one-way.
Read more about the transport possibilities from Allgau here.
Oslo-Torp – 110km from Oslo
Photo by Steve Rhode
Primarily used by Ryanair and Wizzair, Sandefjord Airport, as it is officially called, is now Norway’s second largest airport and is located 110 km south-west of Oslo (and 10 km from Sandefjord). The cheapest way to get to Oslo is by using the Torp Express Bus Service that departs in conjunction with Ryanair and Wizzair arrivals. The bus takes you to downtown Oslo, takes ca. 2 hours and tickets cost 180 NOK (€22,40) for an adult one way.
Read more about Torp here.
Frankfurt-Hahn – 110 km from Frankfurt
Photo by paralelan
Situated near the German town of Kirchberg, Frankfurt Hahn is in fact closer to both the French and Luxembourg borders than it is to Frankfurt. Ryanair, Wizzair, Iceland Express and TUI are amongst the airlines that use Hahn. With 18 daily departures, the Airport Express bus is the cheapest way to get into Frankfurt, and stops at Mainz (early and late departures only), Frankfurt International Airport and ends at the main railway station. The trip takes 1 hour 45 minutes and costs €12 for an adult one-way.
There are additional buses to many of the surrounding towns including Heidelberg and Luxembourg. Read more here.
Stockholm-Skavsta – 106 km from Stockholm
Photo by blue_quartz
Situated south of Stockholm, Skavsta is used by Ryanair, Wizzair and Gotlandsflyg, and is Stockholm’s second airport after Arlanda (which itself is 37km from Stockholm). The best way to get into town is to use Flygbussarne that depart every 20 minutes and cost only €10 for a single, adult fare.
Read more about Skavsta airport here.
Barcelona-Girona – 94 km from Barcelona
Situated to the north of Barcelona, Girona airport serves both Costa Brava and Barcelona and is used by Transavia and Ryanair – as well as a number of traditional airlines. The easiest way to get into Barcelona is by bus operated by Sagales, and with the timetable coordinated with Ryanair arrivals and departures – roughly 20 per day. The fare is €12 for a one-way, adult ticket. The trip takes 1hour and 15 minutes – but is also known to take much longer during rush hours. See details here.
Paris-Beauvais – 85 km from Paris
Photo by scalleja
The third airport of Paris situated to the north of the capital and served primarily by Ryanair and Wizzair. The airport shuttle operates to Paris Porte Maillot and costs €14 for a single, adult ticket. The trip takes 1 hour 15 minutes, but depends largely on the Paris traffic.
Read more about Paris Beauvais here.
Dusseldorf-Weeze – 79 km from Dusseldorf
Photo by hagengraf
Dusseldorf Weeze airport is situated close to the Dutch border; north of Dusseldorf and east of Eindhoven, which is only 85km away. The airport is served by Ryanair and Wizzair, as well as a large number of charter airlines.
There are airport buses from most of the major towns in the area, including Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Dusseldorf and Dortmund. The 1 hour and 30 minute trip to Dusseldorf’s main station costs €14 for a one-way adult ticket.
Read about all the destinations you reach from Weeze here.
Barcelona- Reus – 78 km to Barcelona
The gateway to Spain’s scenic Costa Daurada, Reus is used by some of the package tour airlines as well as Ryanair and Jetairfly. The airport is situated 78km to the south of Barcelona, which can be reached by bus from the airport. The two hour trip costs €12,50 for a one-way, adult fare. Buses depart from outside the terminal and are coordinated with flight arrivals.
You can also take a local bus to Reus and the train onward to Barcelona. Read more here.
London - Stansted – 64 km from London
Photo by alexdrennan
Used by a large number of low cost airlines, including EasyJet and Ryanair, it is reputedly the largest low-cost airport in Europe. Trains depart every 15 minutes arriving at Liverpool Street Station 46 minutes later. A one-way, adult ticket costs £18 (€20).
An alternative, albeit somewhat slower, is to take the bus. There are a number of different bus companies operating between Stansted Airport and central London, with fares at about 50% of the train fare, but travel time roughly double.
Read about all the transport possibilities from Stansted here.
Verona - Brescia – 60 km from Verona
Served by Ryanair, the airport lies 60km west of Verona. Buses operate in conjunction with Ryanair flights. The trip costs €11 and takes 45 minutes. There is also a local bus that takes you the Brescia train station from where it is fairly easy to catch trains to Verona, Lake Garda and Milan. Read more here.
Milan - Bergamo – 51 km from Milan
Bergamo, north of Milan and close to the Swiss border, serves as the main low cost airport for northern Italy and the lakes, as well as the Italian part of Switzerland. Ryanair, Wizzairand Maridianna are amongst the carriers that fly to and from Oria al Serio (the official name).
Frequent bus services run from the airport to Milan and to Bergamo. A company called Autostradale operate a half-hourly coach service to Milan's main railway station, Stazione Centrale. Travel from Bergamo Airport to Milan costs €10 one-way. The journey takes around an hour and you can read more here.
You could of course choose your destination based on how close the airport is to the center of town. Amongst the closesto downtown are:
Tallinn Airport - 5km from Tallinn
Belfast (George Best) - 5km from Belfast
Lisbon Airport - 7km froml Lisbon
Bucharest Otopeni Airport - 7km from Bucharest
London City Airport - 10km from London
Warsaw Airport - 10km from Warsaw
Edinburgh Airport- 13km from Edinburgh