Airport Facilities/policies etc.

A snowHead

It's useful to know, but often hard to find out, facts about airport facilities before travelling. I suggest we have one named airport per post and give brief information (rather than opinion) addressing issues such as the following, which isn't a full list nor is in any specific order:

Catering/Shops before security
Catering/shops after security
Seating/waiting area facilities after security (so you know if it's worth going through or not when you still have ages to wait)
Alternative facilities within walking distance of airport
Parking for people dropping off/meeting
Left luggage arrangements & things to do if you have long wait
Transfer companies serving named resorts with prices if poss
Public transport
Attitude towards skiboots in hand luggage etc. (Keep to facts, not opinion - what happened!)

A snowHead

GRENOBLE
-----------
Summarised from posts made in another thread and edited after my own trip through it:
Arriving

- small, so crowded when big aircraft arrive on a Saturday - quiet midweek

- for large flights luggage may come out on 2 different carousels at the same time

- We didn't immediately spot the small notice telling you of the carousels in a separate room

- no luggage trolleys, but not far to walk with luggage - if you really need a trolley, go out of arrivals and turn right and right again and you will find them in the departure terminal. But you have to fight against the surge of people coming out.

BensBus does individual transfers to LDA, ADH. Cost £42.50 pp return Jan 09.

Departing

- do not put boots or helmets in hand luggage - there are signs at the check in desks saying if you do they "will be removed at security and destroyed " .

- if delayed, outside the terminal on your right is a caravan serving OK food with a few chairs & a post box. Also if you go out of the airport and turn right there is a McDonalds about 10 - 15 minutes walk.

- the airport authorities will tell you to go through security when they reckon you and all on your flight are taking up space that the next load will need in the terminal but facilities "airside " are markedly less and there is no alcohol (and big signs in Russian telling you not to drink any alcohol there).

- the signs tell you to go to departures 1.15 before the flight but it's only a 2 minute walk after getting through security. Shocked

The security area's small - if there is no queue visible it probably won't take that long to get through. In departures there are 5 gates sharing 3 linked rooms. There are vending machines for hot/cold drinks, and in the centre a snack bar and standard, reasonable sized, airport shop.

I would like to add that in our experience all the staff working there were friendly and had a sense of humour - often a rarity in airports.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

GENEVA

a couple of tips:

You need a 2E or 2CHF coin for the trolleys

Arriving:

Collecting skis, they do not come out on the carousel, they come out near the oversize baggage (prams etc) desk but not on it. They wheel them up and then leave the big trolley there. If it is busy and there are already lots of big trolleys in this area they may 'park' the trolley randomly at some other place i.e. in between the carousels. So if you have been waiting ages and think they have lost your skis have a good look around the baggage reclaim area for a trolley on its own which may well have your skis on it.

Worth walking to the car hire car park if there's a queue for the bus, it's not far.

Departing:

Checking in skis, they tell you to go to oversize baggage but before you get there there may be a 'bank' of big trolleys with flight numbers/destinations on them and porters there who will take them off you, saves walking the full length of the check in hall.

if you are on Easyjet they often go from gates B, if you have a long time to wait don't go through security to the B area as there is only 1 small combined shop/bar and nothing else.

It was ok to have helmets in hand baggage. Also they allowed through small cartons of juice for our child, we were just about to put them in the bin and they said no need, drinks for a child are fine.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Does Geneva airport have a Swiss and French side? and the city? Very confusing on trainschedules . Is there anything you need to know regarding different areas?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

INNSBRUCK

Arrival
Collecting skis on arrival - LEAVE the baggage reclaim area! (after picking up any other luggage you have) The skis will be loaded on trolleys outside the terminal building, to the right as you go out of the door. The trolleys are labelled with which flight they came from, but not always easy to see.

Departure

You can book the skis in before going to the main check in. The ski check in place is at the very right hand end of the check in hall (as you look at the desks). This saves you having to carry them in the "queue" for check in, and makes sure the check in desk can't query what else may be in the ski bag Smile

The check in area is not nearly wide enough on a busy Saturday, so all the queues merge into one big scrum towards the rear of the hall.

As with many smaller continental airports, there isn't much but the gates once you are through security, so unless there is a huge queue, it is usually best to wait until fairly shortly before your flight. There is a reasonably large and reasonably well-priced cafeteria upstairs "groundside", and you can also get out to a viewing balcony from beside that cafeteria.

You'll need to Register first of course.

CHAMBERY

Arrival

Seems bl**dy chaos, but luggage does seem to come out strictly on order of planes landing. If you can't get near the belts, go outside and turn hard left and you can see where they offload from trolleys onto the belts - play spot your luggage!

Departure

Chaos as all the TO buses try to arrive exactly 2hrs before the flight. If you are travelling independently, avoiding this time makes check-in much easier. Stay landside until you *know* your plane is in - quite good restaurant/bar upstairs. Airside there is very little room and almost *no* facilities.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

GENEVA

If you fly on Easyjet and your skis/luggage do not arrive then check whether another flight is due from your airport and wait for it. May work for other airlines that have multiple flights as well.

After all it is free

GENEVA - car hire
(From other posts in another thread)

The car hire desks at Geneva have now been moved from the arrivals hall.
On entering the hall turn right and walk to the far end where an extension has been built fo the car hire desks.

To find the cars it's a 5 minute walk:
Turn right out of the double doors after the car hire desks and walk to the right, follow the footpath/cycle path markings on th pavement, up a slight hill, pass the coaches parked on the right and the hire cars are parked in the second multi sorey on the left, think it is P51. Cross the road at the traffic lights crossing, go down in the lift to level 1 and the car hire places are all down here.

NB: It seems that there may be a charge (CHF 8.) to use the car hire courtesy bus, charged to the driver's credit card.

GENEVA - time to kill

If you have more than a couple of hours to kill the city is easily accessible. The railway station is at the far right hand end (if you have your back to the doors to the outside) of the ground floor level. There are left luggage lockers there and a left luggage office where you can leave skis. All trains go to the city & they're frequent. The journey is under 10 mins. On arrival come out of the station the side where the very wide street is, cross that and head straight away from the station and 10 mins walk takes you to the lake.

GENEVA - You don't need a 2E or 2CHF coin for the trolleys - a 2p coin works just fine.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

LYON - EASYJET (TERM 3)

Easyjet have their own terminal at Lyon (Terminal 3) or Gate 10 (departures) - note this is not much more than a glorified tent so it's very cold, so take a jumper / xtra layer

Arrivals
Pretty straightforward, check passports as walk off the plane (queuing outside so take a jacket), then small reclaim area. Seemed to be a bit rubbish at dealing with ski-kit but this was out of season (Nov'0 Cool

was just shoved onto the conveyor last but wouldn't get round the corner - so I had to go and climb across the conveyor myself

Departures
Very easy terminal to use, totally compact but cold. Prior to security control there is a newsagent, but the prices are more expensive than in terminal 2. Post security there is a resonable sandwich bar that seems to be open until the last flight departs but not much in the way of retail therapy otherwise.

Car Hire
***WARNING*** - the layout of lyon for Easyjetters is a complete PITA if you are hring a car. To get to the car hire spot you need to walk out of terminal 3, along the road (300 yds) to terminal 2, then inside, upstairs and then yomp past all the shops to Terminal 1 - follow signs for car hire or the 'footprints' on the floor, go back to the lower level on terminal 1 and then outside the door to get the bus to the car hire place. This 'yomp' can take 10 minutes with ski-kit so it's probably best to send the driver to get the car and then the rest of the group to wait outside terminal 2. The driver then needs to drive back round the loop and pretend he's a "authorised vehicle" otherwise you can't get into the bit outside terminal 2/3

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

LUTON
-------
From memory there is a good range of shops/cafes AFTER security here.

snow reports

SALZBURG

Arrivals:
Not the largest of airports so multiple flight baggage on shared carouselles. Skis/boards etc aren't retruned to the main baggage reclaim area, they are place on a trolly outside the arrivals hall towards the car park to the right. (a bit too far away from the main building for security of belongings IMO and not very well signposted which caused some confusion)

Departures:
Well organised but lengthy queues and the shops landside are quite small. Airside there's a good duty free shop a baguette stall and a food and drink place (a bit pricey though, the Austrians seem to exploit airside pricing more than the British airports) there's a kids play area but this is right next to the indoor smoking area? There's adequate seating until delays occur and then it gets really cramped. We were stuck there the weekend that the storms hit Europe last year and every flight was grounded so these circumstances were pretty extreme. During the drive to the airport our taxi driver informed us that if the storms hit before we were scheduled to take off that Salzburg is very nice for shopping so if you have some time on your hands the shops etc are not too far away.

All in all, I found it to be a pleasant and well contained airport, nice and tidy with helpful staff. I would certainly use this airport again.

MUNICH

I can only comment on the departures here as we were bussed to this as an alternative departure point when Salzburg flights were grounded.

Departures:
Lots of check in desks and queue lanes are fairly well signposted.

Landside shops seemed to be lacking in the terminal we were departing from. Airside shops were good though, restaurant/snack bar, clothes, usual DF perfumes etc, newspaper stand and a coffee bar.

There was plenty of space and seating, and there's a really nice chill out area next to the coffee bar with large lazy leather sofas and chairs, nice and comfey! The facilites were very clean and the security and passport control staff seemed quite jovial with the passengers which was a welcome change.

You know it makes sense.

SALZBURG
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First of all, it's worth noting that your experience will vary massively depending on whether you arrive on a charter or scheduled flight. Charter flights use T2, scheduled (including Ryanair and Thomsonfly not part of a package) use T1. T1 is much nicer but doesn't cope with queues and large numbers of people well, T2 is more of a hangar with lots of space for lots of people, but not much else in it. If you arrive by charter flight, your skis will be delivered outside the terminal building (after baggage claim), but on scheduled flights it's on the carousel as usual. It's important to remember this, standing around in baggage reclaim for skis that are never going to arrive is one thing, but realising when you are outside looking for your skis that they are actually back the other side of security going round the carousel is more complicated!

Catering/Shops before security - In terminal 1, there are a few small shops selling gifts etc. and swarovski merchandise, but not much that is useful, and a small (smoky) bar on the ground floor that also serves sandwiches. However, the airport's best kept secret (not anymore!), is that there are two restaurants on the first floor. One is a fairly upscale table service restaurant serving good quality austrian food and really excellent wine, which makes it an excellent place to kill an hour or so (although no really cheap food here). The other is a more canteen type place serving soups, sandwiches, pizzas, etc. In terminal 2 (the charter terminal), there is precious little before security, and even less after.

Catering/shops after security - In T1, there is a duty free/gift type shop and a small bar which sells sandwiches (although only a small number per day so if it's the evening and it's busy, there may be none left). In T2 there is a bar, a 'Salzburger' burger typs place and a duty free/gift shop. Advice is not to go through security in either terminal until you need to, as there is not much the other side.

Seating/waiting area facilities after security (so you know if it's worth going through or not when you still have ages to wait) - seating in T2 is plentiful, but T1 is cramped.

Alternative facilities within walking distance of airport - Just across the road from the airport, there is a big shopping centre, cinema, fast food etc. type complex. There are also two airport hotels which both have restaurants. One does good pizza!

Parking for people dropping off/meeting - Multi-storey across the road with ticket entry/exit system. I think the actual drop off/pick up area is just for taxis but I may be wrong.

Left luggage arrangements & things to do if you have long wait - Well the first floor restaurant as mentioned is good to kill an hour or so. If you have a longer wait, hop on the bus into Salzburg.

Transfer companies serving named resorts with prices if poss - It's usually cheaper to use the individual resort transfer companies, e.g. Schladming return is EUR42.50 per person return with Haberstatter Reisen, Zell Am See is about EUR50.

Public transport - Buses into Salzburg run from right outside the terminal, and there are also a few buses directly to resorts. Trains from Salzburg go all over Austria at reasonable prices. They are not fast, but are usually on time, and connections are designed to 'work', e.g. a 5 minute change is usually to the train right across the platform and carrying luggage is not a problem.

Attitude towards skiboots in hand luggage etc. (Keep to facts, not opinion - what happened!) - no idea!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

ZURICH
______

Our local airport but IMO just about the best facilities and easiest usage of any airports I've come across

Arrivals:
Passport control is just before baggage reclaim. Every single time we've arrived, by the time we've reached baggage reclaim, the carousel is about to start running. Usually plenty of free trolleys around and hardly ever busy at the times we're there. Toilets available in baggage reclaim area.
Unless you have to get a bus from the plane to the terminal, everything is under cover. Even with a bus you have at most about 5 strides between the plane and bus, which then arrives under awnings.
Must confess I don't know about car hire as have never done so from here.
To get a train, go upstairs from the arrivals halls, across the bridge over the road and into the main landside shopping area, then down about 2 storeys on escalators. There are cashpoints on the storey above the platforms, along with ticket machines that take cash or cards, and a ticket counter. There's a handy coffee shop here too so you can have a drink and sit down while waiting for your train
Hotel buses and, I believe, the shuttle to St Anton leave from directly outside the arrivals hall
Everything is very well signposted

Departures:
If you arrive by train, the station is immediately under the main landside shops and restaurants. If you are flying with Swiss or another Star Alliance airline, you can check in at check-in 3 immediately above the station. If you are with another airline, you will have to check in upstairs and across the bridge in the main check-in areas.
The main landside shopping area is 2 floors above the railway platforms. There is a food court with everything from Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Seafood, Swiss cuisine etc. There is a fairly large Migros supermarket (which we always seem to end up using), and a whole host of shops - jewellers, travel goods, electricals, clothes, a branch of Credit Suisse etc.
Passport control is central between check-in 1 and check-in 2 and leads into a central departures area and it is advisable to hang around here if you've got time to kill and have exhausted the landside facilities. Once you pass security to get to the gates there are usually toilets, a coffee bar and maybe a small duty free shop, but really nothing particularly large compared with the central area. The latter has 2 huge duty free shops, souvenir shops, electricals, leather goods, eateries etc etc etc
There are signs telling you how long to expect it to take to get to the gates; they are reasonably generous for gates A and B (I think they include the security time in this). However, if your flight leaves from gates E you will need to get the Maglev across to terminal E and you need to allow plenty of time for this. I would advise you to start heading over there about an hour before your flight is due to leave as they have been known to have breakdowns leaving only one running. Security at Terminal E is also more of a bottleneck as the waves of passengers arrive on the Maglev

A snowHead

Bournemouth

Park car in Car park. Walk across road into Departures Portakabin.
If checked in on line turn right to security gate have a laugh and a joke with the security peeps and then wander through the shop portakabin to the bar and restaurant portakabin or go to the gate portakabin where there is now another snack bar and bar.
Sit back amd watch your plane taxi up from the end of the runway and park by the portakabin.
When boarding group A called wander through out onto the stand. Head for the rear steps, most peeps seem to head for the front steps.
Select seat and note that push back is always bang on time

A new purpose terminal building is being built, (just in time as the roof of the Passport control portakabin is leaking Very Happy

) which will of course completely spoil the overt simplicity of Bournemouth International but will allow the airport to handle 6 aircraft instead of the current 3

A snowHead

Boredsurfing, lol

We liked Bournemouth airport. We had a 7am flight a few years ago and turned up at the airport at about 4.30ish. (Mrs always likes to arrive early and relax)

When we got there, the airport was in darkness and all locked up!! Had we got the wrong day?? After about ten minutes of waiting, a young lady arrived with the keys and let us in. She then turned on the lights and got behind the check in desk and checked us in! very strange! Laughing

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Boredsurfing, Flown from Glasgow to Bournemouth once. It was quite an experience, a very good one!!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Chambery

As from Feb 1st - no ski boots or helmets allowed in hand luggage.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Boredsurfing, Bournemouth airport - think it beat Singapore airport et al in a recent vote for best airport in the world. I hope the planned expansion/improvements don't 'spoil' it. Security is rigorous though - included my tiny bottle of shampoo in the required plastic bag being tested before being returned to me!

The record from the plane coming to a halt to opening the car - 2 minutes (with carry on only)

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

CHAMBERRY

very simply - DONT USE IT !!
way too small for volume of planes / people coming in
departure chaos - not enough room for everyone
NO luggage trolleys anywhere on site - its not they had run out as they were being used..NOPE - they dont actually provide any. not good with all the stuff you need for a familty ski trip
All the tour op buses come in around the same time so total chaos
Airside is tiny. no facilities except a toilet and a vending machine. also very small area - we were crammed in due to a few flights backing up and it was scary. had their been an emergency evacuation woudl have been chaos.

Does geneva airport have much in the way of food, bars, shops before or after security?

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

adamtheyido,
There's OK cafe bars for gates A and D - don't know about the B and C gates as have never used them - although you usually don't get to know which gate you're departing from until about 45 mins before your flight time. Th e airport is going through a refurb currently which may help to improve quality / choice of food between passport control and security.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

adamtheyido, sarep,
Geneva B gate poor, only one combined shop/bar. You can get drinks and snacks, souvenirs, newspapers & mags etc but not much else. You can't eat a meal there, you can't even sit in the bar, it's just a bar counter in the shop.

snow reports

GENEVA B-gates
There is a round "pod" you come up into which is several gates with a common waiting area and the one shop/bar as mentioned. The food is strictly limited and stocks may not be great - best to eat before if you can. Don't leave it too late to go to the gate as there is a single queue to get through the 2 security scanners for the whole "pod".

Geneva Airport - and importantly train station.
I have flown into Geneva many times but usually hire a car for the short journey into the Chamonix area for skiing and climbing. This January was the first time I have used public transport for the connecting journey - Lauterbrunnen this time - and therefore the first time that I have used the airport train station. I would suggest that although the airport is improving it's catering options before security (Starbucks/Burger King etc.), I would recommend checking your bags in and then leaving the airport and walking a few hundred yards into the train station (all undercover - just follow the signs) and eating at one of the restaurants in the station itself. The options are far better and it's far less crowded at peak times.
I would agree with Butterfly above about security though - don't sit in the relative luxury of the station for too long!

You know it makes sense.

alderaan

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Steve Sparks

A snowHead

I have to agree with eng_ch, I flew into/out of Zurich last week for my trip to Zermatt. It's not overcrowded, it's spacious, it has loads of catering, shopping and other facilities on both sides of security, passport control and security are quick and efficient. In fact it's everything that Geneva isn't and has to be the best choice for many, if not most, Swiss destinations.

A snowHead

Would concur with backhojo re Chambery: having been there on a Saturday this Jan I'd say it may be 1 hr closer to the slopes but the messing around and the smallness of the airport makes it a pretty unpleasant experience. Problem is the place can accommodate 1 flight at a time and if any aircraft has a fault while on the tarmac it causes big problems for anyone else. Better to fly to a proper airport and hope to get out in reasonable time IMO.

Re recent posts on Geneva: I haven't been this season (yet - 8 days to go!) but last year and previous experience says that if you're in the charter terminal forget it. It is possible to walk to the airport proper where there are some (though not enough) facilities but nothing at all there. If in the main terminal best to delay going through passport control (security is at the gate which is not so bad) as though you will have the oppo to buy lots of not particularly cheap duty free the place will be heaving on a Saturday and you will never ever find somewhere to sit down.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

RobW, Barry Manilow, CHAMBERY - would agree that it is complete chaos on a Saturday morning/lunchtime but crowds thin out as the day goes on. However, both times in recent years I've been at Easter and the weather has been sunny so everyone has camped out on the grass outside to await their flights - where on earth does everyone go if it's bad weather? Proximity of the mountains can also cause first-time arrivals to freak out, particularly when the pilot informs them that the imminent landing is going to be "interesting" Shocked

I also have to put in a vote for DONCASTER airport - as cute as Bournemouth but with actual buildings rather than portakabins, and of course I'm not at all biased by the fact that it's only about four miles from home. If you check in early you can go and have something to eat in the garden centre cafe next to the runway.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

GRENOBLE

Just a couple more tips:

Departures: There is nothing whatsoever once through security but if you object to paying €3 for a coffee there is a hot drinks machine in the departure lounge which charges €1.

Arrivals: Mid-week the airport is deserted, I was out the airport within 5 minutes of the wheels touching the tarmac, weekends is another matter.

If you've hired a car there is a big Super U next to MacDonalds, also has cheap fuel for returning.

Buses depart from outside the entrance to departures (come out arrivals and turn right) take change! They will drop you at the Gare Routiere in Grenoble (next to the station) and you can change for buses to L2A or AdH buy tickets for these inside as the buses will fill up first with ticket holders for the destination (rather than intermediate stops). There are also buses to Briancon but you have to book in advance online. Info on buses at http://www.vfd.fr/ cost to L2A just under €10 on the day, cheaper in advance.

You'll need to Register first of course.

www.sleepinginairports.net is pretty useful!

I did an overnight in Basel (Swiss side) on Thursday and it was pretty good, they turn the lights off and the cleaners don't disturb you. Quite a few people about considering it was the middle of the night but plenty quiet to sleep. I kipped in departures on the leather seats and eventually ended up lying down on my ski bags. Chairs without arm rests downstairs. No shops open.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Manchester Airport
============

Manchester now charge £1 a time!!!! for the little bags you need to put your 100ml liquid bottles in when going through customs, so take your own

Manchester also charge for parking when picking people up at arrivals - the exception is Terminal 3, which is the other side of the building from Terminal 1, so you can simply walk though: or, you can simply take the lift to the "departures" section and load up as everyone else is unloading,

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

alex_heney, i have a friend (not me , guv, oh not not me at all honest, no way I'd ever do something so stupid and admit to it in public Embarassed

) who recently passed through UK customs and then filled his 3 litre camelbak, then on landing in the US went through customs without remembering to empty it again. Bit of a pant filling moment when someone mentioned needing a drink while putting shoes and belts back on, and said friend started to pull out the camelbak before remembering that taking liquids through customs was not a good idea, especially in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave....

Help!!

Airport Facilities/policies etc.

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