When flying into London Heathrow, passengers can be fairly confident they’re heading somewhere close to the capital’s heart.In less than 17 miles by car, you could be strolling through Trafalgar Square, watching the iconic red buses roll past or making your way to Buckingham Palace. Traffic permitting, of course.But that’s not the case at every airport across Europe.Some hubs borrow the names of major cities despite being dozens of miles away – and unsuspecting holidaymakers can be left facing long, expensive journeys just to reach where they thought they had landed.Frankfurt-Hahn Airport Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is 77 miles away from Frankfurt despite its nameMillions of tourists flock to Frankfurt each year to take in its impressive architecture and experience its culture and history.But despite its name, Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is actually nowhere near the popular city. The hub is located around 77 miles by car – a one-hour and 30-minute journey – from Frankfurt and is actually situated in Lautzenhausen.One Brit, James Cox, made the mistake of booking flights for his romantic proposal trip to Frankfurt-Hahn instead of the major city. The Londoner only realised once he had touched down in the ‘derelict ghost town’ and had to scramble to find new accommodation. The real deal: Frankfurt International Airport is the closest hub to the tourist spot and is around 20 minutes away from the centre by car.Oslo-Torp Airport Oslo-Torp Airport is a whopping 75-mile car journey from OsloTorp Sandefjord Airport is located around 75 miles by road from Oslo. The hub is served by carriers including Ryanair and Scandinavian Airlines, with the fastest routes from the UK taking one hour and 55 minutes. But getting to the capital of Norway from the airport isn’t an easy feat. It takes one hour and 30 minutes by train and around one hour and 20 minutes by car.One traveller found themselves caught out when they accidentally booked tickets to the hub and shared on Reddit: ‘I searched online how to fly from my local airport to Oslo. It came up with a very cheap pair of flights to what it claimed to be ‘Oslo Airport’. ‘Turns out it was not the airport that I thought and instead is one over 100km away! The airport I have purchased tickets for is TORP Sandefjord Airport (TRF).’The real deal: To avoid the same confusion, book a flight to Oslo Airport Gardermoen instead. The journey only takes around two hours and five minutes from London. Stockholm-Västerås Airport Stockholm-Västerås Airport is 62 miles from the capital of SwedenStockholm is the charming capital city of Sweden and draws in hordes of visitors each year.But tourists looking for a flight to the bustling city need to watch out for its catfish hub.A whopping 62 miles from Stockholm is Stockholm-Västerås Airport, which despite its name, is over an hour’s drive away from the city.The real deal: For holidaymakers seeking a closer hub, head to Stockholm Arlanda Airport instead.Barcelona-Reus Airport Barcelona-Reus Airport is 62 miles away from the cityOften referred to as Barcelona-Reus Airport, it is actually officially named Reus Airport and is 62 miles from the city. Travellers have been caught out before including one holidaymaker who posted in a Barcelona travel tips group on Facebook: ‘Hi can someone help me out please! ‘I have booked tickets to Barcelona REU without realising it’s so far from city and I should have booked BCN.’The real deal: Barcelona-El Prat Airport is only a 20-minute drive from the city centre and a two-hour 10-minute flight from London. Paris-Beauvais Airport Paris-Beauvais Airport is a one-hour and 30-minute car journey to the city centreDespite its name, Paris-Beauvais Airport is a whopping 53 miles from the city of love. Once you touch down, it is a one-hour and 30-minute car journey to the city centre, or one hour and 15 minutes by public transport. One traveller wrote on Reddit how they were ‘kicking’ themselves because they had accidentally booked plane tickets to Paris-Beauvais.The real deal: To avoid making the same mistake book tickets to Paris Orly Airport instead which is much closer to the centre, but note that one of its runways is undergoing refurbishments until the end of 2026 which is changing some schedules. Düsseldorf-Weeze Airport Düsseldorf-Weeze Airport is located 50 miles away from the cityMillions of tourists visit Düsseldorf each year for its characterful old town and mixture of architecture. But don’t get caught out by booking a faraway airport – like Düsseldorf-Weeze for example. Officially named Weeze Airport, it is often called Düsseldorf-Weeze but is 50 miles away from the city.The real deal: For a closer option, book Düsseldorf International Airport instead which is only a 15-minute car journey from the centre.