The beauty of Europe is the ease of travel between different countries and their distinct cultures. Pre-COVID, the leisure market in and around Europe, was very popular, prompting the need for short flights between top destinations. Here are 10 of Europe’s shortest trips.
1. Helsinki to Tallinn
According to the OAG’s reports on the world’s busiest routes, the international journey between Helsinki in Finland and Tallinn in Estonia was the shortest in Europe in 2019. At just 55 miles long across a stretch of the Baltic sea, the flight takes less than one hour to complete.
In fact, it can be done between 30 and 35 minutes direct. At the moment, Finnair is the only airline that advertises to fly between the two cities, non-stop. It offers flights up to six times per day, making this route convenient as well as quick.
The only other way to travel between these two cities is by ferry. That takes around two hours. For speed, flying is the best option!
2. Gran Canaria to North Tenerife
The next shortest flight within Europe is a domestic service between the Spanish Canary Islands. The trip between Gran Canaria and North Tenerife is just 60 miles long and takes 30 minutes by plane.
The only other alternative on this route is to take a ferry, which could set you back an hour and twenty minutes.
Currently, three airlines fly between these two destinations:
- Air Europa;
- Binter Canarias; and
- Canary Fly.
A similar service runs between Gran Canaria and Tenerife, which comes in at 63 miles.
3. Menorca to Palma
Due to the nature of Spain’s islands, a trip between Menorca and Palma is also very quick. This service is 70 miles long and takes around 35 minutes to complete by plane. Two airlines currently offer direct flights between the cities: Air Europe and Iberia. Vueling and Ryanair also provide services but with a stop.
The only other alternative to get between these two destinations is to drive and take a boat. A car ferry takes two hours to cross the sea.
4. Athens to Mykonos
Like the Spanish islands, Greece has its own archipelago, which needs good transportation links. A flight between the capital of Athens and the popular tourist destination on Mykonos is 72 miles long.
A ferry between Athens and Mykonos could take two hours and fifteen minutes without driving on the other side. However, a flight can take anywhere between 35 and 45 minutes.
The following carriers currently advertise to offer non-stop services between the two destinations:
5. Isle of Man to Liverpool
There are 77 miles separating the Isle of Man on the west coast of England and the bustling city of Liverpool. A flight between these two destinations takes around 50 minutes and is currently operated by Loganair.
By contrast, a car ferry between the two towns would take two hours and 45 minutes.
6. Stuttgart to Zurich
This international flight is one of the shortest in Europe at 78 miles. A flight operated by SWISS could take just 40 minutes; however, this service is presently not being run. In fact, there are no direct flights between the two destinations right now. Instead, flying from Stuttgart to Frankfurt and continuing to Zurich would take three hours.
Even with those stops, the trip still beats the bus or the train, which takes around four hours. Driving between the two countries will take approximately two hours as an alternative form of travel.
7. Aarhus to Copenhagen
Denmark’s regional route between Aarhus and Copenhagen is 79 miles long and operated by Regional Jet OÜ. It takes 40 minutes to complete compared to a three and a half hour train journey or four-hour bus ride.
8. Graz to Vienna
Austrian Airlines offers a domestic flight between Graz and Vienna that’s between 35 and 40 minutes long. It makes completing the 81-mile trip a breeze. Without the benefit of air travel, this trip could take over three hours by bus or train and just under two hours if driven.
9. Frankfurt to Stuttgart
Currently, Lufthansa offers passengers a domestic trip between Frankfurt and Stuttgart. The journey takes 40 minutes to complete over a distance of 83 miles.
Though it’s fast by plane, this trip could take:
- nearly two hours by train;
- three hours and 40 minutes by bus; or
- one hour and 45 minutes to drive.
10. Amsterdam to Brussels
The final journey on our list is the international route between the Netherlands and Belgium. This flight runs 84 miles and direct with Lufthansa it takes about 40 minutes. By comparison, the trip can be completed by train in one hour and 47 minutes, by bus in three hours and 55 minutes, or by car in just over two hours.
For a quick flight, air travel is the best bet!
Have you ever flown any of these routes? Got a memorable moment to share from them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
