5 Top Travel Tips that Make Airport Layovers Easy

Traveling from one state to another, or one country to another can often mean whittling away an hour or a few in an airport lounge on a layover. Some flights can be great value, but they may mean spending most of a day stranded in a busy airport or spending a night in a cheap hotel before your next flight.

Keeping yourself entertained, and refreshed, can be a bit of a chore in an airport. The key to staying happy, having some fun, and making the hours fly by is planning. Here are five simple and often free ways to give yourself something to do on a layover, whether it is just for a few hours or overnight.

Plan Your Entertainment

Whether your layover is a few hours in a random airport, or a day or so in a new town, you are going to need some easy-access entertainment. This should not be too much of a problem. With a smartphone or a media device, you have hours of videos and a plethora of games at your fingertips. Don’t waste time choosing, though. Have your entertainment planned ahead of time so you can get straight to it when you need to.

The latest shows on your preferred streaming service should be high on your list. Highlight some favorites before your trip so you have an engaging playlist waiting for you. Sitting in an airport departure lounge watching Netflix can get boring pretty quickly, so have some options lined up for when you are ready to take a break. Slot machine games are a fun way to keep yourself entertained, and you could even win a little money making your layover profitable as well as entertaining. Check out these casino games from Jackpot to find your ideal game. They can help you find a bunch of fun slots to play at the airport or your overnight hotel. With these games in your arsenal, boredom won’t know what hit it.

Make Food Your Layover Language

Wherever you are, there is food available. Your choices may feel a little limited in an airport lounge. If you have the time to search around a little, both on foot and online, you should be able to find some delicious delicacies that will bring you some comfort and calories. Airport eating can actually be pretty good and allows you to try some fast foods you may not have access to at home.

If you have an overnight layover in a new city, you have the opportunity to try out some unique cuisines. Before you get on your first flight, look for reviews on some of the restaurants in the area. Find a place with good reviews that offers you something new, or a place that serves up your favorite food to comfort you on your layover. Never settle for whatever is available at your hotel or nearby. With a little extra searching, you will be able to find something far better than a quick burger and fries. Set yourself up properly for your next day of travel with a special dinner and a hearty breakfast. You need to refuel just like your plane.

Lounge Around

For travelers stuck inside an airport during their layover, make the most of the lounges. Many big airports, especially the hubs that are often used for layovers and transfers, have relaxing lounges filled with facilities and snacks that you can buy access to. These are operated by the major carriers, but even if you are not flying with them you can still enjoy the lounges if you are willing to pay a little extra. Before you fly look online and find out what is available at your layover airport.

You may only need a few dollars to book access to a lounge, or a range of lounges, and they often offer free drinks and snacks. This can help you get your money back if you stock up your carry-on bag with some extras for the next leg of your journey. The lounges usually have free Wi-Fi and USB charging ports so you can have some fun online while you top up your batteries. Most lounge access runs for a week, a month, or a whole year, so you will be able to use the lounges on your return trip too. Bear this in mind when you are looking at the prices, it may be a better deal than you think.

Find Your Inner Peace

Most airports are hives of activity, with your fellow travelers hustling and bustling through the walkways and lounges. This makes it tough to get some quiet time and can be very distracting if you are trying to concentrate on a TV show or when you are playing a game. Every airport has relaxing spaces, quiet areas, or areas for worship. These are the perfect spots to find some peace.

These areas are often under-populated by travelers too. You can visit a worship room for an hour or more and never see another person. Make sure you are respectful to the space and allow others to use it if they want to, but most go unvisited all day. There are often parts of an airport departure lounge that are quiet spaces, where telephone calls and playing music are prohibited. Look for one of these if you want to calmly watch a show or play a game while using your headphones. These spots are often under-populated with travelers too, making the spaces much less distracting.

Retail Therapy

If you have the budget, this can be a great way to spend a few hours in an airport. Even if you do not have much money to spend, you can still get a lot from some retail therapy without having to flash the cash. Most airports are filled with retail outlets, and some of them are selling high-end products. If you want some gifts for your family and friends from your trip, you can get some great deals in an airport lounge.

For some fun freebies to fill up your time, look for a perfume stall or outlet. You can try some free samples of expensive fragrances without having to make a purchase, and it can be a great way to get some gift ideas for the holiday season. If you do have a shopping budget available, look for some fun souvenirs from your trip such as a t-shirt for a local tourist hotspot or a local delicacy you can take to your destination. Just browsing through all the stores can be a good way to chew up sometime between flights. If you have an overnight layover you have even more options. Check out the local main street stores for a memento from your short stay.

Don’t let a layover get you down. With a little bit of planning and preparation, you can make it the highlight of your journey, giving you a welcome break from cramped airplane seating and bland airline food. Set yourself a budget if you can, there is far more on offer in an airport if you have a few bucks to spend. Even without some dollars in your pocket, you can still enjoy an airport layover, just make sure you have plenty of data to use on your cellphone plan and don’t mind talking store workers into a freebie.