Layover options
 

Hi all

Will be flying from Singapore to Dublin with Singapore Airlines and I have a few layover options.

What I'm after is which is the easiest airport to get through. Choices are Heathrow, Manchester, Amsterdam, CDG and Munich. Heathrow has the shortest layover and the other four are between 3 to 5 hours.

A few people recommended Heathrow but I thought this was a nightmare airport to go through?

Does anyone have a preference or airports to avoid?

I don't find LHR a nightmare, but I am very used to it and also have the option to spend my time in the BA first class lounge, so YMMV. I would avoid CDG, but again, that's me.

Some questions that could help determine which airport would be best:

What is the layover duration for the LHR connection? (In other words, is it so short that you could be in danger of missing your connection if your inbound is delayed?)

Are you traveling in Y, or a higher cabin that will give you lounge access?

What airline(s) would you be taking to get from your European connecting city to DUB?

Personally not a fan of CDG as well....LHR is alright, but will need some patience depending on your luck. AMS is good, it does the job, and haven't transfer at the other few before.

Of those listed, MUC is by far the best. Of course, something can always go wrong!

those people who suggested lhr are not your friends. i hate that airport with an undying passion. unless your flight from lhr is out t2 (only airline i can think of is aer lingus). also with lhr (assuming you are star gold and or in business class) there are nice lounges, particularly the united and lufthansa lounges. but honestly lhr sucks.

go thru muc or ams. i hear man is ok but honestly i hate dealing with british security and i always get in arguments with them. cdg, while the staff there are decent, is just not a very well built airport. lots of weird narrow hallways, bottlenecks, poorly connected concourses, not that great.]

muc.

1. MUC
2. AMS
3. CDG
4. LHR (a real pain even when almost efficient it drains you)
no knowledge of MAN

Killing 3-5h in MAN could kill you :-}

In fairness, a T2/T2 transfer at LHR is not that bad. The nightmare is T3/T5, and anything to do with T4.

MUC is by far the best airport in that list to connect at.

LHR/AMS/CDG/MUC are all fine. If LHR has the shortest layover then take that one you're going to be doing a T2-T2 transfer.

CDG your doing T1-T1.

AMS and MUC the terminal issue isn't as relevant.

1. Muc
2. Ams ~ cdg

...

∞. Lhr

Thanks for the many feedback folks.

- No, I will be flying economy so no lounge access. It's a work trip.
- I checked and the layover at LHR will be at T2, both arrival and departure.
- LHR layover will be between 1.5 to 2 hours, based on the flight choices I'm allowed
- All connecting flights to Dublin from layover will be with Aer Lingus.

Looks like most people prefer AMS or MUC. Although at this point unlikely, if I can swing a stopover, my preference will be AMS since I've never been there before.

I prefer MUC over LHR but an all-T2 connection should be relatively painless. Just need to decide if you want the longer SIN-LHR segment plus quick EI hop versus SIN-MUC and then the longer time in Aer Lingus' tighter squeeze.

MAN is a hassle. I connected from QR to AA there. Any transfer there requires a bus ride to a security checkpoint and then either another bus to the correct terminal, or if you have a transfer in T2 they hold you after security in a little pen area, and then have to have airport staff escort you through a part of the domestic terminal before you get to a door that drops you in the international part of the airport. I would certainly avoid flying through there with so many other options.

MUC every time. A thoroughly civilised and efficient airport.

2nd choice would be Amsterdam.

CDG and LHR are to be avoided, although T2 at LHR is not as bad as T5.

MAN is not a bad airport, but the flight from SIN goes via MUC anyway.