Do you ever feel like the walk between Schiphol’s security and your gate is so long that you might as well take a few more steps and reach your destination on foot? Well, it’s not just a feeling.
With 1.5 kilometres separating the departure hall from its furthest gate, Schiphol Airport has the eighth longest walking distance in Europe, according to research by Parkos.nl.
However, it is also one of the most proactive airports in finding solutions to mitigate this problem — specifically, high-tech solutions.
Lots of competition
Schiphol’s walking distance is all the more ridiculous when measured against its Dutch peers, such as Eindhoven Airport (485 metres) and Rotterdam-The Hague Airport, with its cute little 189 metres.
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However, Schiphol passengers are far (pun intended) from the only ones who need good trekking shoes to reach their gates.
In fact, Schiphol’s 1.5-kilometre walking distance is not all that impressive when compared to some of its European peers.
Check out the top 10 longest walking distances at European airports.👇
| Place | Airport | Distance |
| 1 | Madrid-Barajas Airport, Spain | 2,503 metres |
| 2 | Athens International Airport, Greece | 2,490 metres |
| 3 | Charles de Gaulle Airport, France | 2,346 metres |
| 4 | Frankfurt Airport, Germany | 1,835 metres |
| 5 | London Heathrow Airport, UK | 1,798 metres |
| 6 | Manchester Airport, UK | 1,779 metres |
| 7 | Lisbon Portela Airport, Portugal | 1,609 metres |
| 8 | Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands | 1,460 metres |
| 9 | Vienna International Airport, Austria | 1,409 metres |
| 10 | Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, Finland | 1,343 metres |
How is it calculated?
These numbers are the result of a simple calculation performed by Parkos, a comparison website specialising in comparing airport parking spaces.
This time, they branched out and looked at walking distances: using Google Earth, they measured the distance between each European airport’s departure hall entrance and its farthest gate.
Technology saves the day
Schiphol may have some of Europe’s worst walking distances, but it also has some of the best coping strategies.
Besides offering personal assistance to travellers with reduced mobility, since September 2024, Schiphol also offers a free self-driving wheelchair service.
Yes, it’s what you’re thinking: passengers can simply borrow these high-tech wheelchairs, select their gate, and sit back while the chair drives them there.
Once they’ve reached their gate, their discreet automatic chauffeur will just turn around and return to its starting point.
So far, this is just a trial service supported by a fleet of ten wheelchairs supplied by WHILL, but if it proves successful, it might revolutionize Schiphol’s passenger mobility.
Will it be creepy to see empty wheelchairs driving around Schiphol like ghosts on wheels? Yes. But will it make travelling a thousand times better for a lot of passengers? Also yes. 😎
Have you engaged in the intense physical activity of walking around Schiphol before? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.