Border proximity benefits of German airports - Dusseldorf, Munich, Cologne, Stuttgart, Hamburg

May 26 2016 Germany Travel trends

How airports border proximity can be of an advantage

Germany has many big airports which are spread over the whole country. Being a federal nation and quite evenly and densely populated territory this does not come by surprise. In addition, in some locations, regional politics also play an important role to justify the existence of local airports.

If you take a look at the country´s map, you might wonder how some of those airports that are close to foreign borders can do so well. Some of them appear far quite away and without good connections that would make them accessible. But as you will learn, this is just a misleading impression.

Many of the major German airports serve as important hubs for connecting flights to some other places on the European continent. Munich Airport (MUC) for instance benefits largely from that factor. While it is also located in the heart of a big metropolitan area, it finds itself also in a centric location within Europe, and being up to date in architecture and design it also provides excellent facilities that attract many travelers to place their stop over there. With over 40 million passengers per year, it is even the second largest airport in the country, in spite of its southern location close to the Alps.

It also attracts travelers from the Salzburg and Upper Austria regions from outside Germany. Their only alternative would be the far smaller Salzburg Airport (1,7 million passengers per year), which can´t offer a lot of connections and often also at only elevated prices. Also, mountain-tourists from far away often choose to go from Munich Airport (MUC) to Austria and Switzerland.

Other airports that are close to a national border benefit in a similar way. Going from Dusseldorf Airport (DUS) to the Netherlands and vice versa is common practice (or from Cologne Airport (CGN) to the Netherlands), as is the driving from Stuttgart Airport (STR) to France. France is very well connected via train and highways and many French citizens who live close to the border prefer taking off at Stuttgart which might not be the biggest airport, but has some very nice direct connections to offer. Easy transfer from Hamburg Airport (HAM) to Denmark is another variant that plays of well for that specific location. For many Danish people living close to the border, it often is a much better choice than going to Aarhus (AAR) or even Copenhagen (CPH).

All of these cross-border travelers benefit largely from the common Schengen-area and EU regulations for passenger rights that are applicable everywhere in the EU. And for those who ask, “will my passenger right be asserted if necessary?”, we can reassure you! Strong partners such as MYFLYRIGHT will help out if necessary. Our fly right is your fly right!

✈ Stuttgart Airport (STR) is interesting for France travelers.

✈ Getting from Munich Airport (MUC) to Austria and Switzerland is very easy.

✈ Many people go from Dusseldorf Airport (DUS) or Cologne Airport (CGN) to the Netherlands and vice versa.

✈ Easy transfer from Hamburg Airport (HAM) to Denmark or the German coast is a major factor for this hub.

Dusseldorf airport benefits from excellent road-rail network

Dusseldorf and the Rhine-Ruhr region benefit of the tightest highway network that can be found in Germany. There are more national highways than in any other parts of the country. And three of them bring you directly to the Netherlands. For instance, driving from the city of Roermond to Dusseldorf Airport takes just about an hour by car or bus, and also Eindhoven is still approachable with a driving distance of about two hours. Those who chose to go by train pay just about twenty Euros, which is a great deal given the distance and cross-border travel.

It´s no surprise that Dusseldorf Airport is one of the oldest airports in the country being located in such a densely populated area. It operates since 1910 when at first it served as an airfield for the famous DELAG -Zeppelins – making the DELAG the world´s first commercial airline.

Hamburg airport – an important hub for Scandinavia and Eastern-Europe

Hamburg Airport (HAM) is located right in the center of northern Germany and at the same time relatively close to Scandinavia and Poland. Travelers going there might visit the famous city of Hamburg, head to the German coast, continue by train or car to Denmark or take a connection flight to Scandinavia or Eastern Europe.

For tourists that go on a cruise to the polar circle or around the world, this is also the preferred airport. Many of those ships are starting their journey in the Harbour of Kiel , such as the AIDA lines, the Astor, MSC Fantasia, the Ocean Majesty and even the prestigious Queen Elizabeth. This applies to many travelers coming from further away, such as from the south of Germany, Austria, Switzerland or eastern European Countries.

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