Some European airports are 15 min from the centre. Others are 60+ min. Here's the honest sort.
Tier 1 — under 20 minutes
- Copenhagen (CPH): 13 min metro. Best in Europe.
- Zurich (ZRH): 10 min train.
- Helsinki (HEL): 30 min train (close enough).
- Amsterdam (AMS): 15 min train.
- Vienna (VIE): 16 min CAT train.
Tier 2 — 20-35 minutes
- Lisbon (LIS): 25 min metro.
- Madrid (MAD): 30 min metro.
- Barcelona (BCN): 30 min train.
- Munich (MUC): 40 min S-Bahn.
- Paris CDG: 35 min RER B.
- Rome FCO: 32 min Leonardo Express.
Tier 3 — 40-60 minutes
- London Heathrow: 15 min Heathrow Express to Paddington (then central tube).
- London Gatwick: 30 min Gatwick Express.
- Berlin BER: 30 min train.
- Frankfurt (FRA): 12 min train (centre uninspiring).
- Stockholm (ARN): 20 min Arlanda Express + tram.
Tier 4 — 60+ minutes (avoid for short stopovers)
- Paris Beauvais: 1h 15min bus.
- Frankfurt Hahn: 2h bus.
- Bergamo (Milan secondary): 1h bus.
- Stansted, Luton (London): 50-90 min.
- Charleroi (Brussels): 1h bus.
Strategy
For short stopover layovers, prefer airports with sub-30-min transit. For arrivals, weigh transit time + flight cost — sometimes Beauvais flight + bus = same total time as CDG with cheaper fare.