I traveled through 5 different airports during a summer trip to Europe. The best one surprised me.

Some would say it’s crazy to squeeze four countries into a two-and-a-half week trip to Europe. That “some” would include my parents, but I’ve always liked a challenge.

My June Eurotrip took me through five different airports, which provided five very different experiences. So I figured, why not rank them?

It should go without saying that travel is unpredictable and experiences can vary widely due to weather, national strikes, and time of year — not to mention the size of the airport. This is more to help with your own Europe travel planning than anything else.

5. Aeroporto di Firenze-Peretola in Florence, Italy

My experience with the Florence Airport was rocky from the beginning. It was the first stop on our trip, and my fiancé and I decided to grab a cab to our hotel after a full day of traveling from Los Angeles. However, peak tourism season was already in full swing, and we waited almost 45 minutes outside for an available car.

Our problems persisted when we returned to the airport four days later. There were no self-service kiosks for British Airways, which I was flying to London, or KLM, which my fiancé was flying to Amsterdam, leading to very long check-in lines. But that would be the least of our struggles.

Florence Airport only has one short runway, frequently leading to diverted and canceled flights during bad weather. It was somewhat windy that day, leading 30 people — including my fiancé — to get kicked off the KLM flight. He waited at the airport for hours to get rebooked on a new flight at 6 a.m. the following morning, then was taken via bus to a hotel 45 minutes away.

A spokesperson for the airport told me a project to modify the orientation and length of the runway is “currently undergoing approval.”

4. Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom

I studied abroad in Cambridge and lived in the UK during my 20s, so I’ve flown in and out of Heathrow at least a dozen times and have had fairly good experiences overall. It’s also ranked 22nd in Skytrax’s 2025 list for top 100 airports in the world, which is considered the Oscars of the aviation industry.

But Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world, can be chaotic. My first issue was during the self-service bag drop. This is a great time-saving feature at Heathrow, but my luggage got flagged for being one pound overweight. A nearby staff member told me the scales are extremely sensitive, and I’d have to shuffle some things around. It’s not a huge deal, but definitely something to know if you’re flying through this airport and happen to be a chronic overpacker (ahem, me).

The staff member then said I could go to the north or south security zone. I opted for the north, only to be turned away because the entire zone had suddenly closed. This led to a massive rush of people heading to the south zone.

The security line also took longer because of the general confusion around Heathrow’s very strict policy for liquids in carry-ons. People held up the line as they tried to organize their bottles into plastic bags, and carry-ons kept getting flagged if a stray bottle was found.

So, if you’re heading to Heathrow soon, be extra careful with your luggage and liquids and bank some extra time in case of long lines. That way you won’t have to be the person sprinting to their gate (ahem, me again).

3. Zurich Airport in Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich, ranked 10th in Skytrax’s top 100 list, was my connecting airport as I flew from LA to Florence. I was in the airport for less than two hours, but I was impressed with how they handled a lost item issue.

I was just about to wander away from our gate and grab a snack when my iPhone alerted me that I “seemed far away” from my AirPods, which I had apparently left in the seat-back pocket on the plane.

I was already in a different terminal, and my flight was set to board in 20 minutes. I went up to the first desk I saw, where an attendant was happy to help. She showed me how to submit the airport’s lost item report, a quick form I could complete from my phone.

Within two days, I received confirmation that my AirPods had been found and were being stored in the lost and found. I paid a fee to get them sent back to LA, where they were waiting for me when I returned from my trip.

2. Athens International Airport in Athens, Greece

I spent a lot of summers as a kid at the airport in Athens, often snacking on a ham and cheese toastie while we waited for a connecting flight to visit Thessaloniki, my parents’ hometown. So yes, I’m a little biased!

But my most recent experience at Athens International Airport, ranked 88th on Skytrax’s list, couldn’t have been smoother. We were able to quickly grab our luggage and order an Uber when we landed, and the check-in and security process was a breeze when it was time to catch our flight home.

What I really love about this airport is the dozens of shops where you can buy whatever Greek snacks you couldn’t fit into your luggage, which in my case was a lot. I was so content browsing through the bottles of olive oil and shelves of cookies (Caprice wafers are always a must) that my Norse Atlantic Airways flight was halfway through boarding when I got to my gate.

1. Düsseldorf Airport in Düsseldorf, Germany

I flew into Düsseldorf Airport — ranked 28th on Skytrax’s list — for a wedding in Recklinghausen, and from the moment I landed, everything just felt so easy.

I swiftly grabbed my checked bag and followed the signs to find the SkyTrain, a fully automatic railway that took me straight to the Düsseldorf Flughafen station to catch my train to Recklinghausen.

The return journey was just as effortless. My fiancé and I were able to check in with the airport’s self-service kiosks and bag drop, and this time, my luggage didn’t get flagged by a sensitive scale. We didn’t even have to wait in any lines! The security check was quick and efficient, and there were tons of great food and shopping options available at our terminal.

Summer travel is never stress-free, but my experience at Düsseldorf Airport came pretty close.

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