airports

Silly question. Assume you are just trying to generate comments. Are you asking about international airport or local airports

hmmm - not a "silly' question, but an honest, sensible, sincere question. Sorry you can't help. Going to Europe for first time and need info on international airports NOT to go through if I can help it. You don't need to reply.

Becky, that's like saying...I'm going to visit the U.S....what are the worst airports. If you tell us where you are going, then we can be more specific. As an example, no matter how efficient say an airport like Frankfurt is, it would make no sense going through it if you were visiting the UK with numerous direct flights. You spend so little time in airports, it's more important to pick flights that make sense.

There seems to be a general consensus amongst the travelling public that CDG is the worst major airport in Europe. But almost unavoidable if you want to go to Paris...

Thank you Christophe!

I did a search for "worst european airports" and found this story:
http://www.offtoeurope.com/europes-best-and-worst-airports/

Becky, your question did not give any context and Frank's response is understandable. Given where you are starting from, a better question would be "what's the best way to Europe from here?" If you want to accomplish the journey with just one stop in each direction (which most of us would recommend), then your main concern will be which US airport you want to fly through. You won't find any direct flights to Europe from an airport in your neighborhood. So let's say you fly from Missoula. You can fly to Amsterdam via Minneapolis on Delta. Schiphol is a nice airport as far as I know.** They probably also fly to Paris via Minneapolis, but according to Cristophe you won't want that. Or going through Denver, you can head to Frankfurt or London (Heathrow). I couldn't find anything to Italy without making 2 stops in each direction. My point is that your focus should be on good routes (accessible from Hamilton, Montana), price, and where you want to end up, not simply on the "worst" airport in Europe. **Edit: according to the "best and worst" website posted above, Schiphol is considered the "best" airport in Europe. And yes, Charles de Gaulle is "the worst".

Thanks Amy - exactly what I was looking for!!!

Thanks Lola. Good advice. Amy's link also was just what I needed. For example - found some specifics like FRA being known for delays and long transport times, etc. so I now know to allow 2 hours + between flights. I can better figure out the time needed between all the options, no matter the route or the price I decide to take. Also - Frank's response was a rude assumption and not helpful.

You are right; the "silly" comment was unnecessary. But we've had a few trolls here lately and that may have occasioned the comment. If you are looking at through routes with a transfer at an airport in Europe, the flight should build in the proper time for the connection, appropriate to the airport. Knowing which airports are notorious for delays may help in ing the right combination if there are several options. We tend to err on the side of "more is better" when it comes to between-flight times. We also watch out for early-morning departures from a European city (it can be tricky to get to the airpport in time, unless you sacrifice your laast night in Europe and stay at the airport).

I haven't been through CDG airport for years but haven't had a horrible experience with it yet. I'll be going in and out of there in May, so I'm hoping. The strange thing that I remember was that shortly after the guy tried to light his shoe bomb, all airport confiscated lighters at security and so did CDG. However, past security in the gift shops, they sold lighters! My vote for worst is Malpensa airport in Milan. They had the gate for a flight back to Boston and there were no more than 10 seats available at the gate. As everybody checked in, they showed their passports. Then about a half hour later, they asked everybody to come up again to once again check passports with everybody just standing in a mob. Also, when you went to check in at the main terminal, they have services that will wrap your luggage in plastic for security from thieves in baggage service. What a place!

I've flown in and out of FRA five times. I guess I almost feel it's my home airport, and I am comfortable with it, particularly when flying Lufthansa. In 2002, a few month after 9/11, I changed planes there in less than an hour, headed for the US. Security was a pain, but not the airport itself. I generally provide 2 hrs, bahnhof to lift of, and I have a lot of time to kill.

WOW! You are all so wonderful in sharing this valuable information! We could take these postings and make a book out of them! Hey, but Rick probably already has done that! Thanks everyone!

They may not be forthcoming with worst European airports, but if you asked people for worst connecting US airport, the one word you'd hear more than any other: Philadelphia.

Frankfurt is known for delayed flights? I find that hard to believe, most flights from the US tend to land there early, sometimes up to an hour early. I have never read that statement in any article about airports. Personally, even though it is a big airport, ok, well huge, it is efficient. You land and you usually have your luggage and are out the door within 30 min. Folks with inter-Europe flights and no luggage can be out the door in even less. I thought Rome was pretty chaotic, but so what? I was happy to be in Rome, the coffee was not only the best but also cheap!

Becky, Based on my experiences on numerous trips, it's probably not a good idea to generalize about airports in Europe. Most can be good at times, but also have problems at other times for a variety of reasons. > Frankfurt / FRA - I've been through there many times, and haven't had any problems yet (including this year when I had to make a connecting flight to Rome with only one-hour to spare!). It should be remembered that it's perhaps the largest airport in Europe, so with the number of flights some delays are inevitable. > Rome / FCO - I've had "mixed" experiences at FCO. It seems chaotic at the best of times, but arrival this year was not a pleasant experience, especially when jet lagged. Most other times I haven't had any problems. > Milan / MXP -Also a bit chaotic at times, but I haven't had any problems. > Paris / CDG - It's a large airport with several Terminals, but again, I've never had any problems. For arriving at CDG, THIS website is a big help in finding the best way to get out of the airport. You'll usually only be in the airport for a few hours on departure and even less time on arrival, so I'd suggest choosing airports based on best flight options and costs. If you could elaborate somewhat on your travel plans, it would be far easier for the group to offer more specific tips. Cheers!