In the wings of love: finding romance in European airports.

Love might be in the air, but it also touches down, especially in the airport drop-off zones, or Kiss & Fly zones as they are also called, and the general airport parking areas. These often are filled with heartfelt farewells and tender moments, when travellers are parting ways. At KAYAK, we’re passionate about assisting you in planning and managing your travels effectively. So we evaluated 112 airports in Europe to see where you’ll need to make your goodbyes short and sweet – and where you’ll have all the time in the world.

Kiss & Fly: Europe’s top airports for long goodbyes.

Aarhus Airport in Denmark, Gatwick Airport in London, and Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport in France stand out as prime examples, offering ample time for heartfelt goodbyes, without incurring any charges.
Aarhus Airport appears to offer an impressive 300-minute free parking option in a long-term parking lot, a bit further away from the terminal. This allows loved ones to linger a little longer together before one of them has to take off. Similarly, Gatwick Airport offers 120 minutes of free parking in its long-term parking lot, although there is no designated time for a quick goodbye at its drop-off area. Lyon airport provides a generous 20 minutes of complimentary parking in its Kiss & Fly zone, topped off with some free minutes in its long-term parking area.

A joyful multi-ethnic couple excitedly reunites and embraces each other in the bustling atmosphere of an airport.

Some European airports, such as Luton in London, Dresden in Germany, or Kastrup in Copenhagen, appear to provide a thoughtful balance of 15 minutes in their Kiss & Fly zones, catering to the practicality of swift drop-offs while allowing for meaningful goodbyes. Notably, Luton also goes the extra mile by offering a generous 1 hour of free time in its long-term parking area, giving it an edge and elevating the airport experience.

On the contrary, while high up in the ranking in their own countries, Hanover Airport in Germany and Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna in Spain offer less time compared to some other European airports, emphasising efficiency over lingering farewells.

In some instances, fees are imposed for drop-offs or even accessing the airport’s Kiss & Fly zone. Heathrow airport in the UK, for example, levies a £5 charge per entry, while several airports in Sweden also seem to require payment for parking to bid a swift farewell.

Hover over the hearts on the map to see how much free time each airport allows in their Kiss & Fly zones and/or long-term parking areas.

How much is a goodbye kiss? Average costs per minute for airport parking

In case your departure airport does not have a free Kiss & Fly or parking zone – or your goodbye just takes longer than the free slot allows – don’t worry, we have calculated how much you’d have to pay per minute kissing, while parking at airports at home and abroad.

Good news for UK holidaymakers: The UK’s favourite destinations in Southern Europe do not only promise sunshine, but their airports also offer budget-friendly options to stretch your goodbye kisses without stretching your wallet. At just 1 penny per minute in the short-term parking area, Ibiza Airport in Spain, Tirana Airport in Albania, and Podgorica Airport in Montenegro offer the most affordable airport rendezvous. Meanwhile, Aarhus Airport in Denmark is the only airport in Northern Europe to rank so high in the top, demonstrating that also in often higher priced Scandinavia, affection doesn’t have to break the bank. Cluj Airport in Romania and Skopje in North Macedonia follow closely, with parking priced at 2 pence per minute, still a steal for heartfelt farewells or joyous reunions. Airports in destinations such as Alicante, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca and Malta charge 3 pence per minute for short-term parking, making every embrace worth the splurge.

Prepare to spend more on airport kisses in the UK compared to the rest of Europe, with UK airports showing the highest prices for short and mid-term parking. London Stansted Airport and Edinburgh Airport charge more than 30 times the rate for short-term parking compared to Aarhus Airport or Ibiza, with rates reaching around 30 pence per minute. Among London airports, Luton Airport offers the best value parking, averaging 6 pence per minute.

A Kiss & Fly zone, also commonly referred to as a drop-off zone for passengers, is a designated area at an airport where drivers can briefly stop their vehicles to let passengers out before continuing on their way. Naming of the drop-off zone may vary from airport to airport.

KAYAK ranked 112 airports across Europe, factoring in free Kiss & Fly parking minutes and opportunities for long-stay parking without incurring charges. Airports with the same scores take the same place in the ranking.

KAYAK also analysed paid parking options in these airports. The cost per minute for parking was calculated based on the rates for short- or mid-term parking spaces at the analyzed airports and ranked accordingly from cheapest to most expensive. The information was sourced from each airport's respective website as of June 24th, 2024. Prices may vary with time.

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