Most airport transfers are something you want over with quickly. A few are different. The road itself becomes a reason to land at one airport instead of another, or to skip the train and book a car. Below are eight European routes where the drive earns its place, with notes on what to expect and how to plan it so you actually enjoy the window seat.
A quick practical point first. On a private transfer you can ask the driver to pause for ten minutes at a viewpoint, and a good local driver will know which lay-by is worth stopping at. That’s the real difference between a fixed-price car and a metered taxi watching the clock.
routes where the drive is the point
- Nice airport (NCE) to Monaco. The Basse Corniche hugs the coast through Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap d’Ail. About 45 minutes without traffic. Ask for the lower coastal road rather than the A8 motorway if you’re not in a rush.
- Geneva airport (GVA) to Chamonix. Roughly an hour and a quarter, with Mont Blanc filling the windscreen for the last stretch. The motorway is fast, but the views open up well before you reach the valley.
- Innsbruck airport (INN) to the Tyrol valleys. Short hops to Seefeld or the Stubai valley climb quickly out of the city into alpine pasture. Good in summer, genuinely beautiful after the first snow.
- Catania airport (CTA) to Taormina. Etna on one side, the Ionian Sea on the other, in under an hour. Morning light is kinder for photos on this stretch.
- Faro airport (FAO) to the western Algarve. Heading out toward Lagos and Sagres, the road runs past cork oaks and cliff country. The further west you go, the emptier and wilder it gets.
- Salzburg airport (SZG) to the Salzkammergut lakes. Hallstatt, Wolfgangsee and the lake district sit within an hour or so. The water turns a deep green once you’re past the foothills.
- Bergen airport (BGO) to the Hardanger fjord region. Tunnels and bridges thread between fjord arms. Longer than the others here, so treat it as a journey rather than a quick hop.
- Reykjavik airport (KEF) to the south coast. Heading toward Vik you pass black sand, waterfalls and lava fields. The drive from the airport into the capital is flat lava plain, but go south and it changes fast.
when the scenery is worth a longer route
Scenic roads are usually slower roads. The coastal corniche above Monaco has tight bends and summer traffic. The Hardanger route involves ferries or long tunnels depending on which arm of the fjord you want. None of this is a problem if you’ve planned for it, and it becomes a problem only when you’ve booked a tight connection and assumed the car will move like it’s on a motorway.
Two habits help. Build in slack: add 30 to 45 minutes over the fastest estimate on any mountain or coastal route. And tell the booking what you actually want. If you’d rather take the slow road, say so when you book so the driver plans for it and the price reflects the real distance.
what to check before you book
A scenic transfer only works if the basics are solid. A few things are worth confirming:
- The price is fixed and covers the whole door-to-door trip, including any tolls or ferry crossings on routes like Hardanger.
- The driver speaks English and knows the area, so a viewpoint stop is a quick request rather than a negotiation.
- Your flight is tracked, so a delay into Catania or Bergen doesn’t leave the car gone by the time you clear baggage.
- You can cancel online if plans change. GetPrivateRide allows online cancellation on 99% of rides, which matters when weather closes an alpine pass.
Winter adds one more line to the checklist. Chamonix, the Tyrol and the Salzkammergut all see snow, and you want a vehicle and driver equipped for it. Mention the season when you book so the right car is assigned.
making the most of the trip
Sit on the right side for the coast on the Nice and Catania runs, and on the valley side heading into Chamonix. Keep your phone charged for photos, because the good stops come without warning. If you’re tired after a red-eye, you can also just close your eyes and let the driver handle the bends, which is the quiet luxury of not driving yourself in an unfamiliar country.
GetPrivateRide runs private door-to-door transfers in more than 130 countries with fixed prices and local drivers, so the same booking habits work whether you’re landing in Faro or flying into Reykjavik. Pick the airport with the better drive, and the transfer stops being dead time.
