Anyone that has ever flown on a budget airline in Europe has inevitably encountered the crappy, small-time airports that most of these cheapy airlines fly through. You know the ones:  they are named for a large city but, in reality, are located at least 40 kilometers from that city and are basically little shell warehouses with absolutely zero facilities.

Budget airports are never fun

Most of these airports started out as just small, private or limited airstrips that were aggrandized with the arrival of mega-commercial airlines like Ryanair, looking to capitalize on the almost non-existent fees for use of such airports. And the practice has become basically standard these days, with almost every European city of any size offering some type of “alternative” airport some distance away.

The problem with most budget airports is that they are located miles from any sensible amount of civilization and, worse yet, are usually devoid of basic things like restaurants, bars or entertainments of any sort, which means that if you’re stuck there for a layover of any length at all, you will be bored to tears.

Eindhoven Airport is a breath of fresh air

Not the case with Eindhoven Airport. This little Dutch beauty is about the most ideal budget airport I can imagine, with its airy, clean check-in area (complete with coffee bar, sandwich stand, several shops and a huge tourist information desk) and teensy terminal stocked with a nice little bar and comfy seats. What’s more, at only 7 km from Eindhoven city center, you can be drinking a delicious beer or enjoying the delights of Dutch modern architecture within minutes.

Eindhoven’s super speedy (and green) public transit system makes getting into town no problem. Bus number 401 departs from a stop just south of the terminal building (turn right as you exit). Tickets are available with exact change (coins only) from machines on board the bus, or alternately you can buy a ticket from either machines or a very friendly ticket agent situated at the stop itself. A day ticket costs a mere €3!

Slick and clean - Eindhoven's check-in area

It’s not always possible to chose your point of transfer when traveling on budget airlines. The nice thing about Eindhoven Airport is that it does service a number of major airlines, meaning it’s possible to book so that you transfer here in the event of a long layover. Airlines that offer service through Eindhoven include Wizz Air, Ryanair, CityJet, Transavia and Corendon.