I love to travel, yes. But the long layovers that sometimes come along with travelling, not so much. When you’re so excited to get to your destination, the last thing you want is to spend precious holiday time being bored and twiddling your thumbs in an airport just wishing to board the plane early. So while a long layover is not ideal, I decided some time ago to make the best of that time.
Therefore here are 7 tips to kill time during a long layover.
Watch a movie
The day before departure, take the time to set yourself up with some entertainment. You can download movies straight to your device so that you can watch them offline. You’ll be extra thankful you did while on a long layover and during your flight! You can check uk.chili.com – there is a lot to choose from!
Read
A long layover is the perfect time to pull out a book and get lost in a story. To get you even more excited for your trip, check out a travel book such as World Walk, The Alchemist, or Dark Star Safari.
Workout
Though an airport may not sound like a place where you can get a proper workout in, there are actually many airports that have dedicated workout areas. The San Francisco International Airport, for example, has fee-free yoga rooms in Terminals 2 and 3. You can also simply roll out a yoga mat or do some stretching in a quiet corner of an airport lounge or the general terminal. If you want to work up a sweat, check beforehand if you are at an airport that offers a proper fitness centre and shower facilities.
Go shopping
Although this quite an obvious thing to do, nor is it the best for your expenses, time does fly by while shopping. Depending on where you are, you can also make tax-free purchases. Even just window shopping and browsing through the shops can kill time rather quickly.
Sleep
Adequate sleep is not often something I get while on a trip. So if I can bank some sleep hours at the airport, I am all for it. Some airports are more comfortable than others, as many have designated sleeping sections or chairs created for sleepy layovers. If you want some privacy to rest and take a little snooze, it is worth looking into sleep pods and capsule hotels. They are recently becoming a thing, not only in Japan, but also at London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Charles de Gaulle, and Amsterdam Schipol airports.
Go out of the airport and have a peek at the city you are in
If you are travelling light and you have enough time, go out of the airport and explore the city you are in! Some airports have easy access to the city. So a quick hop on a train or taxi ride away, you can be exploring somewhere you hadn’t even planned on seeing. Just be sure to leave yourself enough time to pass through security again!
Work
If you are going to have to work while on holiday. Or if there are things you will have on your mind during your trip. Take the time during a layover to get things done. Reply to emails, be productive, and set yourself up to be relaxed (not stressed) on your trip and successful for when you return.
The best part is, these are only 7 of things on a list of many. What are some of your favourite things to do to kill time during a long layover?
- Written in conjunction with Mary Johnson
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