What To Do During A Long Layover

What To Do During A Long Layover:

Traveling on a budget often means having to sacrifice convenience for a better deal. Sometimes the cheapest way to go is to take three different legs with two six-hour layovers and there’s no other way around it. If you have such a journey in your future and you’re wondering what to do during a long layover than this post is for you.

What You Might Need:

E-Reader

(Books, books, books!)

Streaming Device

(smartphone, tablet, laptop)

Watch Netflix

These days most airports have free Wi-Fi and if you’ve brought your smartphone, laptop or tablet than all you need is to park yourself near a charging station and continue binge-watching like you would at home.

Read A Book Or Two

Layovers are a great time to catch up on those books you’ve been meaning to read. There’s no job or chores to get in the way so you can find a quiet spot and finally finish that book. But since traveling with actually print books take up too much space and weight, you can just load up your E-Reader.

Take A Nap

If your layover is an overnighter than your first priority is probably getting some sleep. You may balk at the thought but plenty of people do it and plenty of airports are prepared for it and equipped with lounges, rest areas, and even free showers. Or you can just find a quiet spot in a corner and rest.

As a solo female traveler, you have to be aware of your safety and protect your things at all times so you may not feel comfortable sleeping in a public place but at least at an airport you can rest a little easier knowing security is always patrolling and everyone has to go through security checkpoints.

If you want to know what kind of facilities your layover airport has than Sleeping In Airports is a great place to start.

Stuff Yourself

One of my favorite things about airports are all the different kinds of foods and restaurants all sitting in one place. You can eat some sushi or steak or Italian or Greek food. Try some of the local cuisines or look for something familiar. Layovers are the perfect time to indulge.

Go On A Layover Tour

Are you sitting down for this….?

There are airports out there that offer free, I said FREE layover tours for tourists with time on their hands. The tour guides will ferry you about, show you the sights, teach you a bit of history and then bring you right back to the airport in time for your next flight.

I did one such tour when I had an eleven hour layover at Incheon International Aiport in South Korea. I signed up for two of their free transit tours and got to visit Seoul and Incheon. We went out to a restaurant and ate delicious bulgogi, we visited one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city and I got to do a little souvenir shopping.

Even though it was just a little taste, I got to add Korea to my list of countries I visited and I got to do it for free. Check to see if your airport offers layover tours.  They aren’t all free but even if you end up having to pay, it would be worth it to experience a new city as opposed to sitting on a bench for eleven hours.

Countries with FREE Layover Tours

Singapore: Singapore Changi Airport

Seoul, South Korea: Incheon International Airport

Tokyo, Japan: Narita International Airport

Taipei, Taiwan: Taoyuan International Airport

Utah, USA: Salt Lake City International Airport

Istanbul, Turkey: Ataturk International Airport

Doha, Qatar: Doha International Airport

Visit A New Place

Not every airport offers a layover tour but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit the new place you’ve found yourself in. As a long as visa requirements are all in order and you have enough time, you should take the chance to explore.

Maybe you have 12 hours in Newark Liberty International Aiport. Are you going to sit around or will you hop on a bus and get yourself to Manhattan, New York City and spend the day there? I know which one I would choose.

Good Luck

Layovers don’t have to be hours of mind-numbing boredom. Even as a solo traveler there is a lot for you to do with your time while you’re waiting to get to your next destination. I hope I gave you some ideas for what to do on a long layover and if you have any more questions then just let me know.

Happy Travels!