Did you know that out of the 193 to 207 countries in the world (depending on how you count them), five don’t have a single airport? It’s pretty wild when you think about it! There are a bunch of reasons why a country might not have an airport, and it’s actually pretty interesting.
First off, it’s all about geography. These countries are typically on the smaller side, and airports need a lot of flat space for those long runways. If a country’s all mountains and hills, it’s tough to find a good spot for planes to land safely. Plus, some of these places are so crowded that there’s barely any room to squeeze in an airport even if they wanted to!
Money is another big factor. Building and running an airport isn’t cheap, and these countries often have small populations. It’s hard to justify spending all that cash when there aren’t many people who’d use it regularly. So, let’s take a look at these five unique countries that are getting by without any airports.
Andorra
Tucked between Spain and France, Andorra is the biggest country on our no-airport list. It’s about 468 square kilometers (that’s about 181 square miles for our American friends) and home to around 80,000 people.
If you’re heading to Andorra, you’ve got a bit of a drive ahead of you. The closest major airports are in Barcelona, Spain, and Toulouse, France – both about a three-hour car ride away. But here’s a pro tip: there’s a closer option called Andorra-La Seu Airport. It’s in Catalonia, just 26 kilometers (about 16 miles) from Andorra’s border.
Monaco
Monaco is like the VIP room of countries – it’s where the rich and famous love to hang out. It’s right on the French Riviera, bordered by France and the Mediterranean Sea. Get this: it’s only about two square kilometers (less than a square mile), making it the second smallest country in the world!
Around 37,000 lucky people call Monaco home, but it gets a whopping 5 million visitors every year. Most people get there by car, train, or flying into Nice Côte d’Azur airport, which is about a 40-minute drive away. And if you’re really living the high life, Monaco even has its own helicopter airport for those extra special guests.
Liechtenstein
Sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is a tiny country of just 160 square kilometers (about 62 square miles) with around 40,000 residents. The lack of an airport might be why it’s one of Europe’s least-visited countries – but that just means it’s a hidden gem!
If you’re in Liechtenstein and need to catch a flight, your best bet is Altenrhein Airport in Switzerland, just a 30-minute drive away. Or, if you’re up for a slightly longer trip, Zurich Airport is about 90 minutes by car from Vaduz, Liechtenstein’s capital. Oh, and here’s a fun fact: while there’s no public airport, there is a private helicopter airfield in Balzers if you’re feeling fancy!
Vatican City
Now here’s a fun fact: Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world! It’s the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and where the Pope lives. To give you an idea of how small it is, it’s only 44 hectares – that’s about the size of 60 football fields put together!
The Vatican only has about 825 official residents, so it’s no surprise they don’t have their own airport. But don’t worry, Rome’s airports (Ciampino and Fiumicino) are super close by. And get this – the Vatican does have its own heliport, used by the Pope and other important visitors. Talk about traveling in style!
San Marino
Completely surrounded by Italy, San Marino is like a country within a country. It’s one of the oldest republics in the world and is famous for its beautiful old buildings. It’s just over 61 square kilometers (about 24 square miles) and home to nearly 35,000 people.
When you’re heading to San Marino, you’ll probably fly into Federico Fellini International Airport in Rimini, Italy. From there, you can hop on a regular bus that’ll get you to San Marino in about 30 to 40 minutes. Easy peasy!
Just to wrap things up with a cool fact: according to the CIA’s “The World Factbook,” the USA is the airport champion with over 13,500 of them! Brazil comes in second with almost 4,100, and Mexico takes third place with just over 1,700. And Switzerland, despite being a small country, has an impressive 63 airports and aerodromes.
