Having a layover between flights is a very boring must for a lot of travelers. If you are going on vacation you can not get there fast enough and having to wait at an airport is not fun. If your vacation is over – you want to get back home fast. But you can have a great time while in transit. Here are some ideas of how to pass the time and have fun while waiting for your connecting flight.

Make the best out of your transit!

Have a really nice meal

Sure the prices on food are in general quite high at airports. But if you have a few hours to spare, why not go big and have a nice gourmet meal? At http://www.eater.com/airport-dining-guides you can find different restaurants at airports around the world. That means you can plan your dining experience in advance and kill a couple of hours with some really good food.

Visit an Art Gallery

After your dinner – why not visit an gallery? Amsterdams airport, Schiphol, was the first airport to open an art gallery in 2002. Since then a lot of airports has followed and today there are many galleries that have art exhibitions around the world. Some of them are permanent exhibits and some are temporary. Stroll around and get your “artfix” while waiting at the airport. And best of all – this is one (of few) thing that is free of charge to visit. 

Exersize

Perfect to prevent jetlag and make an hour or two go buy. Why not visit a gym or take a yoga class? A lot of the airports offer workouts while in transit. And those that do not? Well they often have hotells connected to the airport that will allow “non hotel guests” to visit their gym for a fee. If you like to workout, or promised your self to improve your training – this is a perfect time to start! And if you are not a shy person – you can always work out in a corner at the airport, doing yoga poses and get your blood pumping.

Pamper your self at a Spa or get your nails done

After a workout you might want to celebrate with a Spa treatment? You can get your hair done, your nails fixed or may get your legs waxed. Most larger airports offer different Spa treatments that makes the time fly by. If you think a Spa treatment is to much – find massage chairs and get yourself a “minimassage” by the chair – a lot cheaper and really nice. And if you are lucky and have a layover in Helsingfors, Finland, you can even get a sauna treatment while looking at the landing strip.

Go Shopping

Most of the airports have really nice shopping (and often expensive) and you can easily get rid of a couple of hours by strolling around in all the stores. Find your new favorite perfume or try on some exclusive clothes while you wait.

Find the special things at your airport

A lot of the airports are trying to give more great experiences to their travelers. If you are at Hong Kong International Airport you can play golf or visit a 4-D cinema. At Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris you can find playstation and play different games – for free. There are a lot of different special attractions at almost each airport so make sure to find the gems at the airport you are at.

Get married

Miami, Manchester and Sidney are just a few of the airports that offer weddings. And if you do have the time (and the right partner) this will be a memorable layover. And if you are lucky you will get some special treatment for the rest of your stay at the airport, and who does not love champagne and strawberries? Just make sure you love it enough to get married.

Sleep

If all else fails – sleep. If you do not want to sleep uncomfortably at an chair in the departure gate, there are a lot of airports that offer small rooms per the hour. There you have a tv, shower and bed. Or you might check in at an “yotell”, a sleeping capsule that you also rent by the hour. But make sure to catch your flight and get on with your trip!