With Valentine’s Day just a week away, Catamaran Charter Croatia has shared a study detailing the most romantic capital cities in Europe. The study ranked capital cities by the number of romantic hotels and restaurants per million inhabitants, with some interesting results. Let’s see how you can fly to the top three.
1Lisbon
Top of the pile, as far as the study’s results are concerned, is the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. The city has a population of just over half a million people, with ratios of 1,077 romantic restaurants and 278 romantic hotels per million inhabitants.
Such favorable figures make it an ideal Valentine’s Day getaway for loved-up couples. Regarding air travel, the Portuguese capital is served by Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), situated just seven kilometers (four nautical miles) from the city center. By European standards, this represents excellent levels of proximity.
According to ch-aviation.com, Lisbon Airport has direct links to 142 destinations in 51 different countries. As such, travelers from all over Europe (and indeed the world) have relatively easy access to the Portuguese capital. Flag carrier TAP is one of 12 airlines based there, and it, alone, serves 89 cities in 34 countries.
2Monaco
The city-state of Monaco, located on the French Riviera, ranks second on the list, with 1,472 romantic restaurants and 164 romantic hotels per million inhabitants. Of course, with a population of less than 40,000, the raw figures are somewhat lower. Nonetheless, it has long been known as a rather enchanting destination.
Monaco doesn’t have an airport of its own, so visitors are generally required to fly into neighboring France. However, it does have a heliport, from which three operators operate shuttles to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE). As such, this is probably the best bet for those wanting to visit the glamorous seaside city-state.
Nice doesn’t quite serve such a wide range of destinations as Lisbon, but, with 111 listed by ch-aviation, its total is still comfortably over 100. These are located in 42 different countries. Air France, easyJet, Volotea, and Wizz Air are Nice’s largest airlines by destinations served, but tend to stick to short-haul routes. Various other carriers operate long-haul flights to North America and the Middle East.
3Paris
Across the border in France itself, Paris ranks third on the list. While it has a larger number of romantic restaurants and hotels than Lisbon and Monaco, its higher population dilutes their ratios per million people somewhat.
Paris is served by two main airports: Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY). Both of these offer impressive connectivity, serving 274 and 177 destinations respectively. Air France has a significant presence at both of these facilities, although the latter primarily tends to see the French flag carrier operate short-haul flights. As such, CDG Airport offers the greatest variety of destinations.
For passengers looking to travel on a budget, low-cost carriers also serve Beauvais–Tillé (BVA) and, to a lesser extent, Châlons Vatry (XCR). However, as is often the case with facilities served by budget airlines, it is worth noting that these airports, particularly Châlons Vatry, are located a considerable distance from the city itself.
Source: simpleflying.com