Zurich's airport most pleasant in Europe, survey shows

A report released last week by the French airports group Aeroports de Paris has suggested that Zurich's airport boasts the highest customer satisfaction in Europe.

Nearly 90 percent of travelers said that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their travel experience through Zurich International in Switzerland, by far the highest score of the 16 airports surveyed by BVA on behalf of Aeroports de Paris.

In second place, with 87 percent, was Paris Orly, the smaller of the French capital's airports, while Schiphol in Amsterdam took third place with 86 percent.

Europe's major hubs - Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow - fared less well, earning eighth and tenth places respectively, although both appeared to positively shine in comparison to Italy's Milan Malpensa, which earned a satisfied rating from 69 percent of travelers.

The survey was conducted by questioning just over 3,700 travelers at some of Europe's major airports on everything from baggage facilities to customs checkpoints.

For the best experience with parking at the airport, head to Copenhagen (where 100 percent of travelers were satisfied), while the best toilet experience and elevators are to be found at Munich Airport in Germany.

For airport shoppers, the indisputable winner was Amsterdam (followed by Zurich and Brussels), while gastronomes are best settling into a bar or restaurant at Zurich.

The best airport for a transfer was Munich, followed by Amsterdam and Barcelona, said the survey.

Europe's best airports

1. Zurich International, Switzerland
2. Paris Orly, France
3. Amsterdam Schiphol, the Netherlands
4. Brussels International, Belgium
5. Copenhagen International, Denamrk
6. Barcelona El Prat, Spain
7. Munich International, Germany
8. Paris Charles de Gaulle, France
9. Madrid-Barajas Airport, Spain
10. London Heathrow, United Kingdom

http://www.bva.fr