Where you can cycle to the airport

Mallorca does it. The first cycle path from the beach to the airport is opened on the Balearic Islands. According to the motto: First swim, then bike to the plane. That's a sporty variant.

Now you can cycle a good two kilometers from the city beach of Playa de Palma directly to the terminal at Palma de Mallorca Airport in Son Sant Joan. Hand in your rental bike there or fold your own, take it with you as special luggage, and off you go on the plane. Admittedly, this is more for holidaymakers who are traveling with a backpack or with little hand luggage in the bicycle basket. Ambitious hardliners could, of course, switch to a cargo bike or have their suitcases rolled alongside.

For everyone else, the airport is also easily accessible: by rental car via the motorway, with the bus lines A1 (from Palma) and A2 (from Playa de Palma), by 2027 a new tram will connect the city center with the airport.

The airport in Portuguese Faro in the Algarve has also developed into one of the most bicycle-friendly airports in southern Europe. A cycle path towards the city center starts there; in the terminal there are three bike assembly stations for quick assembly, even with turbo pumps.

Milan Bergamo Airport, on the other hand, is only four kilometers from Bergamo city center and already has an excellent cycle path. There is also a bike rental and bike boxes at the airport.

As expected, Northern Europe is also exemplary: in most airports in Denmark, the Netherlands and also Sweden, it goes without saying that you can cycle to the airport. There are secure bike parking spaces available, free of charge.

Norway goes one step further: the airline Widerøe, which is now also taking off from Hamburg, is offering “Fly and Bike” on arrival at many airports in the summer, for example on the Lofoten Islands or in Tromsø. Rental bikes can be picked up and returned there just as easily as rental cars. Climb on, pedal and go.

Fly and Bike is a wonderful combination for airports close to the city. Even Singapore has discovered this and is now offering bikes for rent at Go-Cycling at Terminal 2 (under the Skytrain route) for visitors who want to cycle from Changi Airport towards East Coast Park and enjoy the sights along the cycle path even tandem and children's bikes. They can easily be returned downtown.

Even in car-dominated Los Angeles, you can cycle from the airport terminal to the Pacific Ocean, almost entirely on bike paths.

And in this country? little is happening. Those responsible are probably concerned, not entirely unjustifiably, that the cycle paths to their airports could be blocked in no time by climate demonstrators who have been stuck in place. After all: The airports of Bremen and Hamburg try to attract cyclists, for example with free parking spaces and rental bikes.

Berlin does not offer such a service. There, cyclists can reach the terminal on signposted cycle paths parallel to the motorway, but they are only allowed to park their bikes at BER for a short visit.

Self-proclaimed climate activists have again caused a stir with protest actions. They gained access to the site at both Munich and Berlin airports. But not everyone involved managed to get stuck on the runway.

What: WELT / Charlotte Hallier