On a three-day break, the airport transfer is a bigger slice of the trip than people expect. Spend 90 minutes and €60 getting into town and you've lost half an afternoon before you've seen anything.

We compared the arrival details in all of our city guides (see the full 35-city table) and ranked the ten easiest arrivals. "Easiest" means three things: it's quick, it's cheap, and it's hard to get wrong after a flight. Prices are approximate and come from our 2025–2026 guide research.

1. Geneva: free, and seven minutes

Geneva is the clear winner. Before you leave the baggage hall, take a free 80-minute public transport ticket from the machine. The train then reaches Cornavin station in seven minutes. No other city on our list gets you into the centre faster or for less. A taxi costs 35–50 CHF for the same 4 km. Geneva guide

2. Florence: €1.50 by tram

The T2 tram runs from Peretola airport to the edge of the historic centre in about 20 minutes, on a standard €1.50 ticket. Trams run every 5–10 minutes until around midnight. Late arrivals can take a flat-fare taxi for about €22.

3. Tallinn: tram 4 to the Old Town

Tallinn's airport is only about 4 km from town. Tram 4 runs from outside the terminal to Viru Centre, at the edge of the Old Town, in around 15 minutes, for €2 or a contactless tap. A Bolt or taxi costs €10–15 and takes ten minutes. Tallinn guide

4. Amsterdam: Schiphol by train

Trains leave Schiphol for Amsterdam Centraal every few minutes and take 15–20 minutes for €5–6. The station is under the terminal, so you're on a platform within minutes of collecting your bag. Amsterdam guide

5. Lisbon: the metro from the terminal

Lisbon's airport is unusually close to the city. The red metro line starts at the terminal and reaches the centre in about 20 minutes. If you'd rather not change lines with a suitcase, the Aerobus costs €4, and a taxi is €12–18. Lisbon guide

6. Salzburg: bus 10 or bus 2

Salzburg's airport is 5 km from the city. Bus 10 or bus 2 gets you to the centre or the main station in 15–20 minutes, and a taxi is €15–25. From there, trains run to Munich in about 1.5–2 hours, which makes Salzburg an easy two-city break. Salzburg guide

7. Krakow: 17 minutes by train

The airport train links Kraków's airport to Kraków Główny in about 17 minutes. That station is next to the Old Town and is also where you catch trains for day trips to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Taxis cost 70–100 PLN. Krakow guide

8. Vienna: choose fast or cheap

Vienna gives you a clear choice. The City Airport Train reaches Wien Mitte in 16 minutes for about €12, and the S7 S-Bahn takes about 25 minutes for about €4. Both beat a €30–40 taxi.

9. Warsaw: the SKM train

Chopin Airport is 8 km from the centre. The SKM and KM commuter trains reach Warszawa Centralna in about 20 minutes for a few złoty. A taxi through Uber or Bolt costs around 40 zł.

10. Porto: metro line E

Metro line E (purple) runs from the airport to the centre in about 30 minutes for around €3. It's slower than a taxi (€20–25), but it's simple and cheap, and there's no traffic to worry about. Porto guide

The ones to plan for

Some arrivals are perfectly fine but need a bit more planning:

  • Reykjavik. Keflavík is 50 km from the city, and a taxi can cost around £100. Book the Flybus or Airport Direct shuttle (about 45 minutes) in advance. Reykjavik guide
  • Munich. The S-Bahn is easy (about 40 minutes, around €11), but a taxi runs €70 or more.
  • Paris. CDG taxis have fixed fares of about €56 to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank. The RER B train is cheaper but gets busy at peak times. Paris guide
  • Bruges and Galway. Neither has its own airport. Plan on about an hour by train from Brussels Airport for Bruges, and a coach from Shannon or Dublin for Galway. Bruges guide · Galway guide

Three habits that make any arrival easier

  1. Know your ticket before you land. Several cities, Athens and Barcelona among them, charge a higher airport fare on the metro than a normal ride. Check the airport fare, not the city one.
  2. Use official taxi ranks. Where fares are fixed (Athens, Paris, Naples, Seville, Florence), confirm the price before you set off.
  3. Screenshot the route. Airport Wi-Fi can be patchy. Save the station name and the line you need before you fly.

Every one of our city cheat sheets starts with exactly this kind of detail: the airport, the transport ticket worth buying, and the neighbourhood to stay in. Browse all city guides.