EUROPEAN AIRPORTS WANT YOU…
Munich and Zurich Airports
By Bob Enzel

It seems the latest in travel amenities are being contested by airports. Two of Europe’s finest have updated their facilities and not only want you to fly their country’s carrier, but visit awhile in its airport and do a little dining and shopping.

A little overview on the amenities of both the Zurich and Munich Airport may even entice you to do just that. And, why not if you have time to spare?


MUNICH AIRPORT

Airport passengers with time on their hands know that time seems to move more slowly while waiting for their next flight. With this in mind, Munich passengers with airport waits of a few hours or longer have been given more options to occupy their time while awaiting the next flight.

For instance:
Passengers with a three hour wait can indulge themselves with a soothing massage or acupressure; enjoy a delicious Bavarian meal at the “world‘s only airport brewery;” take a leisurely walk to the Visitors’ Terrace via the “Skywalk” or do a bit of shopping in a fantastic array of shops.

Those unfortunate to find themselves with more than three hours between flights can make the most of it by visiting the town of Freising (fifteen minutes by bus or taxi) or hop on a train for a twenty minute ride to Oberschleissheim and visit the Schleissheim Palaces. A five hour layover gives you enough time to even see a bit of Munich.

A visit to the information counter will help get you organized…and don’t forget your documents.


ZURICH AIRPORT

A nice feature of the Zurich Airport is that you can easily connect to the train and be in the center city in ten minutes and vice-versa. But that’s only one of the many features of this modern facility.

For those families traveling with children there is a staffed nursery/playroom in the departure zone. It’s also free and available to all travelers and can provide minor medical service and arrange for medical care. One small caveat is that at least one person should be around to watch the child/children.

Of interest to most passengers is some sort of shopping to wear down the wait between flights. Zurich to the rescue with its sparkling new Airside Center that provides shoppers with “one of Europe’s last remaining tax + duty free” outlets. On the “landside” is another shopping complex complete with a grocery store, many other shops and the ubiquitous food and drink establishments.

For business types there is a Conference Center with 28 rooms that can provide a meeting space for 2 to 120 conference guests equipped with the latest in technological support.

A little prior planning by using the following web sites before you leave the U.S. may even have you looking forward to a longer layover between flights.

www.munich-airport.com and www.zurich-airport.com

Click on Travel Information.