Lanzarote's Playa Blanca

Enjoying an exotic location in the Atlantic Ocean off the southern tip of Spain and the north west point of Africa, Lanzarote makes an ideal holiday destination. Flights to Lanzarote are some of the in Europe as tourists from colder climates look to soak up summer and winter sun in the Canary Islands.

Indeed a recent Thomas Cook survey recorded the Canary Islands among the top five European travel destinations. And search figures from Teletext holidays put Lanzarote and the Canary Islands at number one of the most sought-after holiday destination for Europeans.

That is good news for the islands which suffered a dip in tourism over the last two years due to the financial crisis. In a bid to aid the Canary Islands economy the Spanish government has reduced airline charges for 2010 and 2011.

Getting to Lanzarote is becoming easier and easier, especially now that the there are cheap deals with companies such as Fly Thomas Cook.

If you were to leave on January 27, a week long Lanzarote holiday is available from just £373 per person. Flying from East Midlands airport, you arrive at the self-catering four star Pueblo Marineros Apartments in Playa Blanca.

With January 24 down on calendars as Blue Monday, this is a very popular time of year to travel. Blue Monday is calculated as the most depressing day of the year according to a number of factors including that fact that people having low income as it is after Christmas and just before their next pay check.

But with the weather in Northern Europe being among the coldest for decades, it is thought that Europeans will still find a way to take a quick break in the sun, especially as prices for flights to the Canary Islands have become even cheaper.

Alex Saint, the CEO of Deal Checker explained: “There is on-going investment in tourism to Lanzarote and the Canary Islands which is good news for travellers and everyone involved in the Canary Islands travel industry.

“Canary Islands tourism recently suffered due to the challenging economic climate. However, the Canary Islands government took steps to rectify this and announced the creation of the Regional Marketing Fund in 2013 to support air traffic growth in Lanzarote and other islands. Hopefully that will encourage more people to fly to this great holiday destination.”

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Airports are places in which we have to spend an inordinate amount of time, especially since security measures have been heightened to combat terrorism. With that in mind, an airport’s facilities are just as important as the flights which it offers to different destinations. People can be wildly happy in airports in anticipation of that much needed holiday, or manically-depressive at the thought of waiting ten hours for a flight they didn’t want to take in the first place. Here’s a look at the best and worst European airports and what makes them so good or bad.

Europe’s Best Airports

These are judged on all the usual factors including cleanliness, the amount of time you have to wait for your flight and the helpfulness of staff. Being one of the best airports in Europe requires a good layout and an overall atmosphere of relative well being.

The best of the best

Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam - Photo: Digit@l Exposure II

The best airport in Europe could well be Amsterdam Schiphol. Considering that Holland is such a small country, Amsterdam Schiphol punches above its weight. Amsterdam Schiphol handles over 47 million passengers making it the third busiest airport in Europe. Those passengers have a fantastic array of opportunities in the airport including comprehensive wi-fi and the ability to get married right there in the terminal. The transit area has sleeper rooms and there are long leather couches around for everyone to enjoy. There are also sauna and massage facilities located before and after the check in procedure. The only drawbacks are incidents of fraud and crime with certain phone and credit card scams being reported.

The second best airport

Gatwick Airport, London - Photo: UggBoy

London Gatwick airport is surprisingly easy to navigate considering how big it is. Helpfully London Gatwick only has a north and south terminal which are connected by trains and these run very regularly. Although the security levels are high, it takes a fraction of the time to get through at Gatwick as it does at Heathrow. Eating options are plentiful and include a bar that serves rock oysters and champagne, fast food sushi and good sandwiches from Marks and Spencer. The shopping is also good.

The cleanest airport

Zurich Airport, Switzerland - Photo: Christoph Burgdorfer

Switzerland has long been a place where people come to rest and recuperate and Zurich airport does not disappoint. Cleaner than many British hospitals, Zurich airport is a calming place to check in and wait for your flight. Everything is as efficient as you would expect in Switzerland and the departures run with the efficiency of a cuckoo clock. The airport is well served by public transport and you will never have very far to travel.

The least stressful airport

Munich Airport, Germany - Photo: CelsoDiniz

While it can’t compete with the leather sofas of Amsterdam Schiphol, Munich Airport has padded benches for those long layovers and is generally clean with comfortable seats. In order to allow people to get some shut eye, announcements stop in terminal two at night which is extremely considerate. The airport is not too crowded and so doesn’t suffer from a terminally chaotic atmosphere. As well as being an award-winning airport for its facilities you can get from Munich airport to most of the world’s biggest cities including Tokyo and Los Angeles.

Europe’s Worst Airports

Europe’s worst airports are chaotic places to visit – a bit like stepping into someone’s head and finding out that they have a migraine. People normally behave like cattle in Europe’s worst airports. They have had their souls beaten into submission by a combination of dank toilets, long waits with nowhere to relax and staff who do their best to wind you up.

The worst of the worst

Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris - Photo: mtwood

Paris Charles de Gaulle airport has been described in terms that cannot be repeated here. Part of the bad feeling is because the airport is inundated with vagrants. Paris Charles de Gaulle is also an uncomfortable airport which gets disproportionately cold in winter and hot in summer. The restrooms are not well maintained which only adds to the feeling of general dinginess. Customer service doesn’t score highly either as you can wait for a long time if you need to make a change to your booking. In stereotypical French style, staff are rude and unhelpful.

The worst airport to access

Luton Airport, London

London Luton is possibly the worst situated airport in Europe. Cheap flights which go from London Luton airport with companies such as Easyjet are a fallacy. Most likely the plane will return from your holiday at some god-awful time in the morning and there will be no transport available. Customers often have to spend the night in London Luton airport and resort to sleeping on the floors as there is little else provided. The long walks to get a plane are not suited to the elderly or infirm who need to book assistance ahead of time. Staff have been reported as being rude and unhelpful.

The self-confessed worst airport

Leonardo Da Vinci Airport, Rome - Photo: Luigi FDV

According to reports, passengers waiting for a delayed flight at Leonardo Da Vinci airport in Rome once heard the captain apologise by saying – “Everyone knows that this is the worst airport in Europe.” Not only are you forced to wait inordinate amounts of time for flights due to bad planning, but it takes a long time to get your luggage too. Leonardo Da Vinci airport has high levels of crime, especially if you factor in the taxi drivers and fake taxi drivers waiting around outside to rip customers off.

The most stressful airport

Heathrow Airport, London - Photo: Canadian Pacific

This dubious accolade goes to London Heathrow airport hands down. With five terminals, constant delays and airstrikes, problems with baggage carousels breaking down and long walks to get to your flight, flying through London Heathrow makes for a nail-biting experience. You will definitely need a holiday after your holiday if you plan on flying from this massive airport. London Heathrow is one airport where going first class really makes a difference but even then you might have to make a mad dash for your gate. They should really provide maps at the entrance and have some soothing music playing in the terminals rather than frenzied announcements for last calls.

What do you think the best and worst airports in Europe are? What’s your favorite or least favorite? Make a comment and let us and everybody know.

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easyJet offers cheap flights to Spain, France, Germany, Italy and many more European destinations

It used to be that the most expensive part of traveling was the airplane ride. As recent as 10 years ago, the price of airfare was enough to dampen the dreams of the aspiring globetrotter. Over the years, however, airfares have gone down drastically, thanks mainly to the opening of budget airlines which operate in various parts of the world. The good news is that Europe is not exempt from budget airlines and cheap fares! This spells excellent opportunities to the traveler who does not have much spare cash to waste on airfare.

So what are your options when it comes to flying cheap in Europe? Perhaps one of the best known budget airlines is Ryan Air. This airline has gained a reputation in providing low fares to and from countless cities all over Europe. While their flights are not always on time, you cannot really complain much since they offer very competitive fares. Another thing to consider is their new one bag policy, which might pose a problem if you carry a lot of luggage when you travel.

Another option is easyJet, which is actually one of the pioneers in low cost airfares in Europe. They currently offer flights to and from about 89 European cities, which is more than adequate for the average traveler’s needs. If you’re planning a trip anytime soon, you ought to visit their site as they have a 20% discount for flights to France and Italy. Promo runs till the 7th of April 2009.

There are countless other budget airlines plying the various routes between European cities. For more information, you can check out Euroflights.info, which provides comprehensive data on these airlines.