Ana - Aeroportos de Portugal, Portugal

Sorry about the category, but it actually means Faro airport. Which is run by ANA. I dont know why they put 'Aeropeurtos de Portugal'. But hey!

Well, the airport was visited by the ****family on their 2003 holiday to Portugal. (That is my family by the way but I dont give out my second name on the net!)

~~~~~~~HOW DOES IT LOOK?~~~~~

Horrible. Dated tiles make up pictures of palm trees etc...you know the type. Inside the building is painted a dingy purple and yellow, and the place is not well lit at all.

There were cigarette ends on the floor with various other bits of rubbish and bottles The airport is not well signed and its hard to find your way around.

~~~~~SHOPPING FACILITIES~~~~~~

The usual duty-free type shops are present at Faro, but a Toblorone was about £2 more expensive than in our local Safeway.

Ther was Portugals equivelant to WHSmith, and the odd Odafone store dotted around.

~~~~~~EATING FACILITIES~~~~~~

Only the places that ANA provide, I mean what type of airport doesnt have a Pizza Hut or something? Oh yeah-Faro.

The Cafes were dirty, understaffed and overpriced.

~~~~~STAFF~~~~~

Almost non-existant. When they were there they were rude, unhelpful, could hardly speak a word of English, and can usually be foun smoking their brains out.

~~~~~~~ARRIVALS~~~~~~~

We have been to this airport before, many times, and what has struck me every time is that it, well, has'nt changed in 6 years.

I hate the way you have to get off the plane in the searing heat onto a packed sweaty and hot bus that transports you to the main terminal building.

Showing my passport at passport controll, I noticed that the silly cow did'nt even look at my passport (thank God, it's bloody awful!), she just talked to her friend whilst, Smoking, yes, smoking! Staff wouldnt get away with this kind of behaviour in Manchester or Liverpool let me tell you!

On needing the loo, (I have a phobia of plane toilets), I found them absolutely disgusting. There was wee on the floor, no locks on doors or toilet paper, and the q was so long for the womens, they were using ours, the mens!

Our luggage took about an hour to appear on the belt, and our new classy Matalan suitcases were battered!

~~~~~~~DEPARTURES~~~~~~~

The old departures terminal has been demolished since our last visit, and a completely new one built. But when I say 'new', it looks exactly the same as the rest of the airport. Dark dingy and very grubby.

There were designated smoking ares, but these were so commonly found, they may as well just make it a smokers airport. I hate being near people when they smoke too.

Again, toilets were a disgrace, The cafe had a very long queue, and only two staff members. It was very smokey and dull and the food was very processed and greasy, not to mention expensive.

~~~~~OVERALL~~~~~

So I have moaned about the airport all through the op, so why does he give it two stars I hear you ask?? As it is the grim gateway to a lovely relaxing holiday!

www.ana-aeroportos.pt

thanks for the read! please comment! mike xx