How many times have you arrived on a flight for a weekend break only to find it then takes for ever to reach the city centre?
For example, Hahn Airport is 75 miles from central Frankfurt (more than two hours by bus), while Oslo Sandefjord Airport is 73 miles from Oslo.
No one wants to spend all that time travelling when you’re away for only a couple of days – so here’s our guide to Europe’s best airport connections.
STROLL INTO GIBRALTAR
The runway at Gibraltar airport is just a mile from The Rock
From the runway to the centre of town is only a mile, so you can stroll over (literally crossing the runway when it’s clear) or catch a five-minute bus.
You’re soon passing the Lord Nelson pub and Roy’s Fish and Chips as though you’re in any UK high street, not the Iberian Peninsula. Attractions in this British Overseas Territory include Second World War tunnels where Dwight Eisenhower and Winston Churchill planned the 1941 North Africa invasion, a Moorish castle and St Michael’s Caves.
How to do it: Gatwick returns from £72 (easyjet.com).
EASY PEASY PISA
It’s a five-minute train from Pisa airport to this delightful Tuscan city
You’re only a couple of miles from the Leaning Tower when you touch down at Pisa International Airport.
Then it’s a five-minute train to this delightful Tuscan city with a spectacular 11th century cathedral next to its crooked bell tower.
There’s also the Romanesque baptismal font of Saint Giovanni, the Gothic church of Santa Maria della Spina and designer shopping along the arcades of Borgo Stretto.
How to do it: Stansted returns from £35 (ryanair.com).
TALLINN’S TRIUMPH
Tallinn is a medieval Unesco World Heritage-listed old town with many towers
Estonia’s capital is easy to reach from Tallinn airport, and the short bus journey will transport you into a medieval Unesco World Heritage-listed old town with towers, turrets and winding lanes.
Explore Toompea hill with its Baroque castle (home to Estonia’s parliament), take in the Orthodox onion-shaped domes of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and check out Kadriorg Art Museum’s masterpieces.
How to do it: Stansted returns from £30 (ryanair.com).
LISBON’S ALLURE
Lisbon is home to lots of charming neighbourhoods
The 20-minute metro ride to the centre of Lisbon costs just £1.50.
Soon you’ll be exploring winding cobbled lanes and visiting the towering 11th century fortifications of Castelo de Sao Jorge, the ornately decorated Mosterio dos Jeronimos (where explorer Vasco da Gama, the first European to reach India, is interred), and rattling about on the city’s iconic yellow trams – number 28 is the best route, passing charming Portuguese neighbourhoods.
How to do it: Stansted or Manchester returns from £44 (ryanair.com).
QUICK IN VILNIUS
There’s masses to do, such as visiting the striking neoclassical cathedral
The speedy LTG Link from Vilnius airport takes a mere eight minutes to the city centre (and costs just 66p), making Lithuania’s capital perfect for a getaway with minimum wasted time to or from your plane.
There’s masses to do, from visiting the striking neoclassical cathedral to exploring the intriguing Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania (now a history museum), and seeing the harrowing exhibits in the Museum of Genocide Victims, in a former KGB headquarters. Lots of great bars and restaurants, too.
How to do it: Stansted returns from £41 (ryanair.com).
SALZBURG WALTZ
Salzburg silhouetted by the Alps during sunset
Catch the number ten bus – on Sunday it’s the number two – and within about 20 minutes you’ll be investigating Mozart’s home city, up by the Austrian Alps.
The composer’s Birthplace Museum is a great first port of call, then there’s the imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress, the gardens at Mirabelle Palace (where Do-Re-Mi was sung in The Sound of Music) and Nonnberg Abbey, where Gregorian chants are sung each morning.
How to do it: Luton returns from £34 (wizzair.com); Manchester returns from £59 (ryanair.com).
SPEEDY MALAGA
Take in the splendid Renaissance/Baroque architecture of the cathedral
Renfe trains run three times an hour and take 12 minutes on the C1 line from Aeropuerto de Malaga-Costa del Sol to the centre.
So you can hit the sights quickly, taking in the splendid Renaissance/Baroque architecture of the cathedral, dropping by at Museo Picasso (the artist lived in Malaga until the age of ten), and visiting the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro castle dating from the city’s Moorish period. Don’t forget the fabulous art at Centre Pompidou and a stroll on the nearby beach.
How to do it: Gatwick returns from £43 (easyjet.com); Manchester returns from £41 (ryanair.com).
RAPID RIGA
Riga’s House of the Blackheads – a merchants’ warehouse/meeting place dating from 1334
Take the Lux Express Shuttle from Riga airport and you’ll be in the centre of Latvia’s capital in 25 minutes (tickets cost about £3.30).
Head for the viewing deck at the 240ft Riga Radio and TV Tower, then stroll around the old town, with its busy restaurants and bars.
Take in the House of the Blackheads – a striking merchants’ warehouse/meeting place dating from 1334 – enjoy a show at the Latvian National Opera and Ballet and explore the Art Nouveau district, which is rightly famous among architecture lovers.
How to do it: Stansted or Manchester returns from £39 (ryanair.com).
PRONTO PORTO
Portugal’s second city is perfect for a weekend getaway with its beautiful tiled buildings
It’s an easy metro transfer from Porto airport to the city, taking 27 minutes (tickets cost about £1.70).
Portugal’s second city is perfect for a weekend getaway with its beautiful blue-and-white tiled azulejo buildings – including the mesmerising ticket hall at Sao Bento train station – and dramatic bridges across the River Douro, where port houses line the southern banks.
This is the place to go for a tipple at sunset. Don’t miss the dazzling baroque interior of Igreja de Sao Francisco church.
How to do it: Stansted, Edinburgh or Manchester returns from £42 (ryanair.com).
KRAKOW’S A CRACKER
Market Square is home to basement bars and cafes in medieval buildings
The train from Krakow John Paul II International Airport to the Polish city takes 20 minutes.
It’s then a 15-minute walk to Market Square, with its basement bars and cafes in medieval buildings.
The gothic splendour of Wawel Castle is not to be missed, nor is the Jewish quarter and Oskar Schindler’s Factory, where you can learn about his actions to save 1,200 Jewish lives during the Second World War.
How to do it: Luton, Manchester or Glasgow returns from £34 (ryanair.com).
CRUISE INTO COPENHAGEN
This Danish city is one of Scandinavia’s most interesting capitals
Jump on one of the metro trains from Copenhagen Airport and you’ll reach the city centre in 15 minutes.
On arrival, one of Scandinavia’s most interesting capitals is at your disposal, including Amelienborg Palace, Rosenborg Palace and the old-fashioned theme park at Tivoli Gardens.
How to do it: Stansted, Manchester and Edinburgh returns from £30 (ryanair.com).
BERLIN’S A BREEZE
The Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of German division during the Cold War
Brandenburg Airport is connected to the city centre by trains running every 15 minutes, which take half an hour.
The Reichstag – Germany’s parliament – is close by, as is Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of German division during the Cold War and now national unity.
Check out Checkpoint Charlie and the Holocaust Memorial.
How to do it: Stansted and Manchester returns from £34 (ryanair.com); Edinburgh returns from £104 (easyjet.com).
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