A good airport can make the start of a holiday feel easy. A bad one can leave you hot, hungry and stressed before you’ve even boarded.
We’ve flown through a lot of European airports over the years, and honestly, most of them blur into one. So rather than rely on our own fuzzy memories, we’ve pulled together what thousands of real passengers are saying.
This guide brings together three of the biggest airport rankings published in 2026. Every airport mentioned below is based on what those studies found, not on our opinion.
What Is the Worst Airport in Europe?
Based on 2026 data, Heraklion International Airport in Crete is the lowest-rated airport in Europe on Google Maps, with an average of 2.6 stars from more than 28,000 reviews.
If you measure by punctuality instead, Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport was the lowest-ranked European airport in the 2026 AirHelp Score, in 274th place out of 279 airports worldwide.
Heraklion and Manchester are the two airports that appear near the bottom of both rankings, which is why they come up so often in conversations about Europe’s worst airports.
How These Airport Rankings Work
There’s no single official list of Europe’s best and worst airports. Different studies measure different things, so it’s worth knowing what each one is actually looking at.
The Holidu Airport Index 2026 ranks Europe’s busiest airports by their average Google Maps rating and number of reviews. It’s the closest thing to “what do everyday travellers think?”, because it’s based on tens of thousands of reviews per airport.
The AirHelp Score 2026 ranks 279 airports in 76 countries. It’s weighted 60% on how many flights arrive on time, with the other 40% split between passenger experience and facilities, based on more than 14,000 traveller ratings. The data covers flights from May 2025 to April 2026.
The Skytrax World Airport Awards 2026 are based on a large global passenger survey and are often described as the airport industry’s Oscars. Skytrax only publishes winners, though, so it tells you who’s best but not who’s worst.
Because each study measures something slightly different, the most telling results are the airports that appear near the top (or bottom) of more than one list.
The Worst-Rated Airports in Europe on Google
This is the part of the list nobody wants to be on. These are the five busy European airports with the lowest average Google Maps ratings in Holidu’s 2026 index.
| Rank (from bottom) | Airport | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heraklion, Greece | 2.6 | 28,458 |
| 2 | Brussels South Charleroi, Belgium | 3.1 | 26,348 |
| 3 | Nantes Atlantique, France | 3.2 | 10,544 |
| 4 | Pisa, Italy | 3.2 | 12,692 |
| 5 | Bordeaux-Mérignac, France | 3.2 | 20,214 |
Heraklion in Crete is the lowest-rated airport in Europe for another year. Reviewers mostly say it’s simply too small for the number of passengers it handles, leading to cramped terminals, too few seats, patchy air conditioning and confusing signs.
Charleroi’s reviews focus on congestion and long waits, with security lines described as understaffed. Nantes gets similar comments about cramped waiting areas and summer heat, while Pisa’s lower score comes mainly from queues at security and passport control.
Bordeaux deserves a little credit, though. Holidu notes its rating has risen from 2.7 stars in 2022 to 3.2 in 2026, one of the biggest improvements in the whole ranking, even if it’s still near the bottom.
Just outside the bottom five, Manchester, Berlin Brandenburg (both 3.2) and London Stansted (3.3) also sit among the lowest-rated airports in Europe.
The Lowest-Ranked European Airports in the AirHelp Score
AirHelp’s 2026 ranking paints a slightly different picture, because delays count for so much of the score. These were the lowest-placed European airports out of 279 worldwide.
| World rank | Airport |
|---|---|
| 267 | Nice Côte d’Azur, France |
| 268 | Heraklion, Greece |
| 269 | Manchester, UK |
| 271 | Rhodes, Greece |
| 274 | Lisbon, Portugal |
Lisbon was the lowest-ranked airport in Europe in AirHelp’s study. Its on-time score was the weakest of the group, and AirHelp mentions long queues, although it describes the staff as professional.
Rhodes’ low ranking was put down mainly to punctuality. We’ve flown in and out of Rhodes for two family holidays, and you can read how our journey went in our TUI flights and transfers review. We never had any issues.
It’s worth remembering that these scores reflect each airport’s performance across a whole year. Plenty of people pass through all of these airports without a single problem.
It’s also worth mentioning that often people only take the time to review when they’ve had a negative experience.
The Worst Airports in the World in 2026
Looking beyond Europe, AirHelp named Tunis-Carthage in Tunisia as the worst airport in the world in 2026. It came last out of 279 airports with a score of 5.50 out of 10, well behind every other airport in the study.
Pakistan’s Lahore Allama Iqbal and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat were second and third from bottom. Egypt’s Hurghada, a popular winter sun airport for UK holidaymakers, was fourth from bottom.
Rhodes is the only European airport in AirHelp’s ten lowest-ranked airports in the world, in 271st place.
The Best-Rated Airports in Europe on Google
On a happier note, these are Europe’s highest-rated busy airports in Holidu’s 2026 Google review analysis.
| Rank | Airport | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Istanbul, Turkey | 4.4 | 110,254 |
| 2 | Porto, Portugal | 4.4 | 33,878 |
| 3 | Helsinki, Finland | 4.4 | 20,156 |
| 4 | Athens, Greece | 4.3 | 53,883 |
| 5 | Zurich, Switzerland | 4.3 | 34,951 |
Istanbul holds on to the top spot, with reviewers regularly mentioning its bright, modern terminals, automated gates and clear signage. If you’re heading there, this guide to the must-see attractions in Istanbul is a good place to start planning.
Porto is praised for its simple layout and short waiting times, while Helsinki’s calm, clean single terminal and quick security checks keep travellers happy. Athens and Zurich both score well for being easy to get around, with good food and shops.
A few holiday favourites also feature in Holidu’s top 10. Alicante, Malta and Thessaloniki all score 4.3, and so does Fuerteventura, which made it into tenth place. We remember our family holiday in Fuerteventura for the beaches rather than the airport, but it’s good to know it’s well liked.
Europe’s Best Airports According to Skytrax
The 2026 Skytrax World Airport Awards were announced in March 2026, and Europe had a strong year. Paris Charles de Gaulle was named the best airport in Europe for the fourth year running, and ranked sixth in the world.
Rome Fiumicino came seventh globally and won best airport in Southern Europe. Istanbul climbed to eighth in the world.
Skytrax also handed out regional awards across Europe:
- Helsinki Vantaa won best airport in Northern Europe
- Munich won best airport in Central Europe, plus best airport staff in Europe
- Budapest won best airport in Eastern Europe again
- Paris Orly was named the best regional airport in Europe
London Heathrow (16th), Amsterdam Schiphol (17th) and Zurich (19th) also made the world’s top 20, and Heathrow picked up the award for the world’s best airport shopping.
Europe’s Most Punctual Airports, According to AirHelp
AirHelp’s ranking leans heavily on punctuality, so it often favours smaller airports that simply run like clockwork. That’s exactly what happened in 2026.
| World rank | Airport | AirHelp Score |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Bodø, Norway | 8.17 |
| 10 | Billund, Denmark | 8.16 |
| 21 | Bilbao, Spain | 8.08 |
| 23 | Bergen, Norway | n/a |
| 29 | Istanbul, Turkey | n/a |
Bodø, just north of the Arctic Circle, was Europe’s best airport in AirHelp’s ranking, with 87% of arriving flights on time. Billund in Denmark entered the rankings for the first time and went straight into the global top 10, helped by very strong passenger experience scores.
The Airports That Appear on More Than One List
When different studies, using different methods, keep coming back to the same airports, the results start to feel much more reliable.
On the positive side, Istanbul is the standout. It’s the highest-rated busy airport on Google, eighth in the world according to Skytrax, and one of Europe’s top five in the AirHelp Score.
At the other end, Heraklion and Manchester both appear near the bottom of the Google review rankings and the AirHelp Score. Two independent studies, one based on reviews and one mostly on punctuality, came to a similar conclusion about both.
The Best and Worst Airports in the UK
If you’re flying from the UK, it’s worth knowing how our own airports stack up. In Holidu’s Google review ranking, Liverpool John Lennon is the best-rated UK airport with 4.1 stars, followed by Heathrow and Glasgow on 4.0.
Reviewers like Liverpool for being compact and quick to get through, which is often what matters most when you’re travelling with children.
Manchester is the lowest-rated UK airport on Google with 3.2 stars, ahead of London Stansted (3.3) and East Midlands (3.4). Reviewers mention dated terminals and long waits at security, passport control and baggage reclaim.
AirHelp agrees on Manchester, ranking it the UK’s worst-performing airport in 2026 at 269th place. Its best UK airport was London City, in 43rd place globally.
What About Flying From the South West?
Bristol Airport is the only South West airport big enough to feature in these studies. It has an average Google rating of 3.4 from more than 12,800 reviews, which puts it in the lower half of the table.
Smaller regional airports such as Newquay and Exeter aren’t included, as the rankings only cover Europe’s busiest airports. For South West families, that often means choosing between a short drive to a small airport with fewer routes, or a longer journey to somewhere with more choice.
We’ve flown from Newquay, Exeter and Bristol and all have been fine. Only once, when busy over Christmas, did my husband have long queues and lost luggage when using Bristol Airport.
If you’re hiring a car once you land, our family tips for car hire in Europe cover everything from booking ahead to avoiding the desk upsell.
Tips for Getting Through a Busy or Low-Rated Airport
You can’t always choose your airport, especially when it’s the only one serving your destination. A little preparation makes a big difference, though.
Leave more time than you think you need, particularly in summer and on the busiest travel days. The EU’s new Entry/Exit System has also caused long border queues at some European airports, and some airlines have advised British travellers to allow extra time.
A few other things that help:
- Pack your own snacks and refillable water bottles, as food queues can be long and prices high
- Download boarding passes, films and offline maps before you leave home
- Keep chargers and a power bank in your hand luggage
- Know your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled
If you’re travelling light, our Ryanair under-seat bag packing list shows how we fit a week away for the whole family into small bags. It makes getting through busy airports much quicker.
For connecting flights, these tips for making the most of a long layover can turn a long wait into something far more bearable. And if things do go wrong, it helps to understand cancelled holidays, compensation and travel insurance before you travel.
It’s also worth being careful with free airport Wi-Fi. Here’s more on when it’s safe to log in to hotel and airport Wi-Fi, plus how to avoid roaming charges on family holidays abroad if you’d rather use your own data.
Final Thoughts
Across all three of the big 2026 studies, Istanbul comes out as one of Europe’s best airports, while Heraklion and Manchester consistently sit near the bottom.
Rankings like these are a useful guide, but they’re not the full story. A lower-rated airport can still be perfectly fine on a quiet Tuesday morning, and even the best airport can be chaotic in the middle of August or over the Christmas period when people travel to see family.
If your holiday starts at one of the lower-rated airports, don’t let it put you off. Arrive early, pack snacks and plenty of patience, and the holiday will be waiting for you on the other side.
Sources:
- Holidu: The Airport Index 2026
- AirHelp Score 2026: airport rankings
- AirHelp: worst 10 airports in the world 2026
- AirHelp UK press release, 2026
- Euronews: best and worst airports in Europe (AirHelp 2026)
- Skytrax World Airport Awards 2026
- Holidu European Airport Ranking 2026 (German edition)
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