These five small yet mighty countries welcome their tourists without an airport.
Andorra
This beautiful small country, spread over 468 sq km, features mountainous terrain. Its capital city holds the record for being the highest elevated capital European city. The country is landlocked between Spain and France and features beautiful valleys, climbs, hikes, and amazing vistas. You can reach Andorra within three hours from the neighbouring airports in Spain and France. The country features the highest life expectancy worldwide, ideally not linked to not having an airport, but it does many things right.
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein is among the tiniest countries worldwide, nestled between Germany and Austria. Spread over 160 sq km and inhabiting about 40,000 residents, this country has one of the highest GDP per capita and the lowest national debt globally. High hills or low mountains and small plains decorate the landscape of this small country. The easiest way to reach Liechtenstein is by road, boat, or rail system from the neighbouring Austrian or Swiss rail stations. Switzerland’s St. Gallen-Altenrhein is the nearest airport to Liechtenstein.
https://t.co/0uZikYnzZM Want to visit Liechtenstein, one of the smallest and wealthiest countries in the world? A place with no army and no airport. It is an affluent country of museums, castles, mountains and monarchy. Its capital, Vaduz, can be seen in a day.#Liechtenstein pic.twitter.com/ODiZGRm5Jw
— traveltheworldclub.com (@TrvTheWorldClub) November 8, 2021
Monaco may be the host country of the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix, but it is yet to have its own airport. The second smallest country globally is spread over two sq km and is one of the most densely populated sovereign states worldwide with about 40,000 residents, with France nestling it from all corners. The easiest way to reach Monaco is via a boat or car ride after landing at the Cote d’Azur Airport in France.
San Marino
Housing some 33,000 residents, San Marino is the fifth smallest country and the oldest state worldwide. This country is surrounded by Italy from all corners and doesn’t have access to the sea. This country may be small, but it has the highest GDP per capita and is well developed. All facilitation to this small country is through the Federico Fellini International airport and the Rimini International airport, 9 miles and 16 miles away, respectively.
Vatican City
The smallest country, spread over an area of 0.44 sq km and a population of 800 people in the world, doesn’t have an airport. Rome has surrounded this gorgeous city-state from all sides. All visitors who intend to travel to Vatican City need to travel through the two international airports in Rome. The landscape of Vatican City is decorated with the Catholic Pope’s residence, Vatican fields, and other historic buildings. There is no entrance fee charged, given the tourist interest in this beautiful destination.
These tiny countries have demonstrated that it is really not essential to have an airport. Instead, it is vital to maintain an excellent working relationship with your neighbours that allows for the sharing of resources in the right way. In addition, the terrain and space don’t leave them with obvious choices.