Most of the time crowded Airports, with people travelling for work or pleasure, don't look like the most fun places on earth, I know. That is why you need these amazing airport tips to make sure to know how to spend your extra time in an airport.
Unfortunately, we have to get to the airport at least a couple of hours earlier and sometimes even before.
In some unfortunate times, our flight can be delayed (in that case, check out Compensair or Air Help to see if you can get some money back for the delay), and we get stuck for god knows how many hours waiting to board.
Luckily, our flight is on-time most of the time, but we still have 1 or 2 hours to wait. How often did you get bored waiting to board your flight and keep looking at the clock every 5 minutes? I did.
That is why, the last time I was in an airport, I tried to find some entertaining things to do to save myself from boredom.
Tips: As soon as you book your next adventure, buy good travel insurance in case you need to “unfortunately” delay, extend, or cancel your trip. I recommend VisitorsCoverage for trips up to 1 month in length and SafetyWing for longer trips. A great insurance company to cover everything about your travel.
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Read 28 Tips to Make the Most of Your Time in an Airport Below Enjoy!
1. Watch other planes coming and going:
Wasn't our favorite things to do when we were kids? It was for me.
I was lucky enough to start flying when I was four years old, and I remember that I loved it. It is relaxing and enjoyable to see how well planes land (most of the time).
2. Charge your phone for free and update your social media:
There are free USB plugs in every airport, so use them, and while you are charging your phone, post a picture of you and your friends at the airport on your profile.
3. Enjoy the airport lounge:
I have always thought airport lounges are crazy expensive, but only because I have never checked the prices.
In some airports, prices are not so bad, so I advise you to check them out if your flight has been delayed and you have more than 3 hours to wait and some spare money to spend/invest.
4. Grab a coffee:
Airports always make me sleepy, so drinking a coffee is an excellent way to keep yourself awake (unless you are with some travel mates, and they will wake you up when it is time to board the plane).
You can walk inside all the coffee shops (if there are more than one), and look around, at what they offer and prices, etc., it will take you some time, but at least time will fly faster than staying sitting and looking at the floor.
Check Out:
5. Refresh all the destination language sentences you learned for your travel:
I always advise learning some basic sentences before a trip on Duolingo.
They will help you communicate with locals, ask for directions and suggestions, or maybe communicate with someone you fancy at the bar you will go to tomorrow night.
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6. Check your travel itinerary with your travel mates or alone:
You can download so many apps to plan your travel that you have no idea. I advise checking them up and downloading what you think could help you plan during your holiday.
7. Do some additional research for your travel:
Researches are never enough, so do some more. You might find something very cool to do when you arrive at your destination.
Check out My Destinations here. Maybe you are going to a place I have visited already.
Check Out:
8. have a walk around the duty-free shop:
I always avoid buying duty-free food, but I found out that sometimes, you can find some excellent deals if you check well enough.
It is only up to you to spot them. You have free time anyway, at least you can use it to find some bargains to eat on the plane!
Maxi Toblerone, anyone?
9. Read a novel or check out the new ones:
I always travel with my e-reader, so full of novels I have no idea when I will read them all.
I read while waiting to board, on a plane, in my room right before going to sleep, and while relaxing on a beach (I can spend a whole day on the beach reading, seriously).
Check out what e-reader has to offer.
Otherwise, Audiobooks are a perfect solution for people who prefer to listen to a story instead of reading it.
Check out the Audiobooks here.
Another thing to spend some time that I love is checking out the books at the duty-free shop.
They always have the most famous at the moment and most of the time at a reduced price so you can spend some time there, reading some pages and in case you get hooked, you can buy them.
10. Listen to that podcast you want to listen from at least one month:
Do you have a podcast that you keep saying, "I have to listen to it as soon as I have some free time", but you always end up doing something else?
Well, this might be the perfect time to listen to it. There is free wifi at the airport, so enjoy it!
11. Make some phone calls:
Making some phone calls will make the time pass faster, but please go to a quiet place to avoid shouting in the middle of the resting area.
You have some spare time and free wifi, so call your family and friends. It will keep you busy and well-entertained.
12. Check what other people do:
In this case, my inspiration comes from one of my best friends. She loves spying on real-life people more than watching a soap opera. She always knows everything. I told her she should be a private detective or a concierge.
Book Your Cheap Flight Today
If you have already decided where to go on holiday, you should look for the perfect flight deal.
I always research the best flight website Skyscanner.
And remember, If you find a flight at a reasonable price, don't wait for it to go up; book it today!
13. Play some cards or travel games with your travel mate:
I have a few games I carry while traveling, and they ended up being an excellent idea to kill some free time at the airport or on a plane.
If you don't have any, look at some of the best travel games to carry here.
14. Look for someone famous or someone you know:
I saw the Milan Football Team once at my city airport. Unfortunately, they were rushing to get on a private jet, so I could not take pictures with them.
Other times, I met ex-schoolmates or other people I knew waiting to catch my same flight, so give it a go.
Have a look around.
15. Go to the restroom before they call your flight:
I don't know you, but I hate plane toilets, so I always try to use the airport one.
They have cleaners often cleaning them, so they are undoubtedly cleaner than the airplane ones.
16. Spend the rest of your foreign money:
Spending the rest of my foreign money is something I always do at the airport.
I try not to have too much money before leaving the country I have visited, but I always end up with something, so an excellent way to spend them is to buy something at the airport.
I took a lovely, colorful turtle from Barbados airport with me.
17. Check out your social media:
Checking out your social media is something we always do when we are bored.
So while you are checking out some funny videos of cats acting silly or any other videos that will pop up on your screen, keep in mind that there are many Facebook groups or Instagram accounts where you can find very helpful tips and info about the place you are going to visit.
Check them out and add more places to explore at your holiday destination.
18. Watch a movie:
We all have Netflix or Amazon Prime nowadays, so while waiting to board, why don't you catch up with your favorite series?
Also, don't forget that with both Netflix and Amazon Prime, you can download some movies in your app and watch them while on a plane.
19. Clean your wallet:
When was the last time you completely emptied your wallet to eliminate old receipts, dust, and whatever you put in there?
With all your free time at the airport, maybe you could use it to clean it finally. Find a quiet place with a seat next to you so you can use it as a table to place all your items.
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20. Play a game on your phone:
We all have a couple of games we downloaded on our phones but that we have never played. Am I the only one? I don't think so.
Maybe your spare time is the right time to check them out.
21. Edit some of your pictures:
It can be on your phone or your laptop; editing some pictures can also be a great way to kill time until you can finally board your plane to your holiday destination.
If you want some extra and fantastic Lightroom presets, check these out! They are absolutely amazing and also crazy cheap.
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22. Do your make-up at the duty-free shop:
Looking for new lipgloss or foundation? At the airport, you can easily find some great discounts. Just ask the ladies at the make-up stand you like if there is any make-up you can try and have fun.
Maybe you'll find something perfect for your face at an incredible price.
23. Refill your reusable water bottle:
Nowadays, every airport has a water filter where you can easily refill your reusable bottle for free. Just empty it before entering the airport and refill it as soon as you enter it.
Why should you pay 2 euros for 500 ml of filtered water in a bottle when you can get it for free? Remember that most bottled water we buy at the supermarket is filtered tap water.
Airport Tip: Most of the time, these water fountains are located near the restrooms.
24. Check out your emails:
How often do you not have time to check out or read some of the thousands of emails you receive weekly?
Maybe this is the right moment to check them out and delete what you don't need.
Book Your Accommodation Today
Book your accommodation as soon as possible if you have already decided on your travel dates.
Prices change overnight, and accommodations in tourist places are the first to get fully booked.
I always start researching the best accommodation when I decide on my destination. Check out the best website: Booking and Agoda.
Book your favorite accommodation before someone else does.
25. Try some hand creams from the beauty shops:
You will surely need some good hand cream after washing your hands ten times between the airport, plane, and all the other transport you will catch to get to your destination.
So why don't you check out some good hand creams at the beauty shop? I always check out the Rituals shop at London Stansted Airport whenever my flight leaves. I love it, all their products smell so good!
26. Write in your journal:
If you like to keep a journal, the time you have to spend at the airport could be the perfect time to write down how you feel, what you expect from your holiday, what you wish to do etc.
Maybe write down a list of all the things you want to do during your vacation to then check it out on your return to see how many of them you managed to do.
27. Clean up your phone:
How many times do we end up downloading some apps thinking, "Oh my god, this is exactly what I was looking for," to then completely forget about it and end up using it maybe once a year? Anyone?
It happens to me all the time. So check out your phone and delete all those unnecessary apps you downloaded who knows how long time ago.
28. Go shopping:
Airports are so full of shops that we can spend hours just looking around (it obviously depends on the airport's size). So check it out, and you might find great discounts.
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