Who has not at some point used a flight search engine as a possible destination for a trip? The plane, today questioned for its high carbon dioxide emissions, has played an important role in the development of the tourism sector. Aviation has reduced distances and established connections between points unimaginable in the past and airports have epitomized the economic and social commerce of an area.
More than one could come to believe that there are no countries with a high economic level without facilities that allow the takeoff and landing of aircraft within their borders. However, nothing could be further from the truth. A look at the map reveals five sovereign states, only five! that lack them. They are not found in remote corners of the planet, but are located on the Old Continent.
These are Andorra, Vatican City, Liechtenstein, Monaco and San Marino. None of them belong to the European Union, but they have excellent agreements with it - all have adopted the euro as their official currency with the exception of Liechtenstein, which maintains the Swiss franc. What they have in common is their small size and low population, which limits the construction of a large airport facility.
However, all of them have their mobility needs resolved, through rail, sea and road transport. Additionally, they use the closest airports as their reference infrastructure. In short, traveling to any of these countries is not necessarily difficult, although on occasion it requires more than one stage. Do you want to meet them?
The smallest and least populated state in the world, seat of the Catholic Church, occupies 0.44 km² and barely exceeds 800 inhabitants. Located in the heart of Rome and despite its tiny dimensions, it has a railway network of 300 meters of tracks that connect it with Italy. It also has a security service - the Swiss Guard - made up of members of the Swiss country, its own bank, postal service and language - Latin.
For obvious reasons, access to the Vatican is almost exclusively on foot (public transport, such as the bus, circulates around its perimeter). Its reference airports are Fiumicino and Ciampino, 30 minutes by train, and it has rail connections with different Italian cities. All this is no obstacle for it to receive millions of tourists every year eager to visit Saint Peter's Basilica, one of the most sacred corners of Catholicism.
The principality of glamor par excellence is located very close to the Italian border, on the south-eastern coast of France, about 30 minutes by car - and five by helicopter - from Nice, which turns the city's airport into the de facto airfield. Monegasque. Monaco is well connected by rail, by sea - it receives a good part of its goods through the port - and by car along winding roads.
Despite its small size - it occupies an area of only 2 km² in which just under 40,000 inhabitants live - the second smallest country on the planet has everything. Here luxury is breathed in every corner: high-displacement cars, superyachts and exclusive stores leave foreigners with their mouths open. The Monte Carlo casino, St. Nicholas Cathedral and the marina are worth a visit. Those who need more can add the botanical garden, the royal palace and Rainier's private collection of vintage cars to their list.
San Marino is, surely, one of the most unknown states in Europe. The third smallest country in Europe - it has an area of 62 km², the equivalent of the Big Apple, and 33,000 inhabitants - can boast of being the oldest republic in the world; the only survivor of the city-states that dominated much of the Italian peninsula during the late Middle Ages.
Its most iconic image is drawn by Mount Titano, 739 meters high, on whose slopes extends the medieval city of narrow streets and historic buildings. The easiest way to access this microstate is by road, either by private vehicle or by bus from Rimini, a coastal city in Emilia-Romagna, whose airport is used by the people of San Marino as the reference one.
Liechtenstein is a small paradise for lovers of mountains, hiking and winter sports hidden between Austria and Switzerland. It has a 75 kilometer route between peaks and pastures, the Liechtenstein Trails, which allows you to travel the entire country in a weekend.
With an area of 160 km² - of which 45% is protected natural space - and 39,000 inhabitants, it is ranked after San Marino, as the fourth smallest country in Europe and the sixth smallest in the world. Crowned by numerous towers and castles, its inhabitants and those who visit the country usually make use of the facilities of Zurich, a Swiss city just over a hundred kilometers from Vaduz, the capital.
It is not as small as the four countries that have preceded it: it has an area of 468 km² and a population of 85,000 inhabitants, but its orography makes the construction of an airport unfeasible. Located in the heart of the Pyrenees, between Spain and France, it has seven peaks that exceed 2,900 meters in height. To make up for its lack of infrastructure, the principality uses the Andorra-La Seu airfield, a facility on Catalan lands, about 30 kilometers from the border, which is accessed via the N-260 highway.
Andorra can boast of having most of its surface classified as a world heritage site. A renowned nature destination, it is frequented by ski fans, hikers, lovers of adventure sports and shopping. Less known are its tiny villages, authentic treasures dotted with stone houses and slate roofs and dozens of small Romanesque churches.
