Things to do during a Layover

Things to do during a Layover 

Charge your devices

Perhaps your phone or your camera has a low battery after you used to take pictures, browse through social media, look up things to do on your trip, etc. Use your free time to charge all your devices. Airports have charging areas and sockets all over so you can use them. Make sure you have the right charger, or you can always get an adaptor that works in all countries, that way you won’t have to stress about getting a new charger.

Freshen up

Use the airport toilets to wash your face, brush your teeth, comb your hair, apply or retouch your make-up, and change your outfit. Usually, I fly in a very comfy casual outfit, and I don’t put on any makeup, I do it in between my flights so when I get to my destination, I will be ready to go explore or meet someone straight away.

Tip: Ensure you have wet wipes or a soap bar to wash your face, since they are not liquids you can easily carry them in your hand luggage.

Sleep

If your layover is during the night, then get some sleep! Find a spot put your bag or better yet get a pillow and put it under your head to give you some support and make you comfier and sleep. If you have a long layover and if you are allowed to leave the airport you can always book a hotel/ hostel and have a relaxing night.

 Listen to music, read a book, watch a movie

Download movies and make a playlist beforehand so you can watch them or listen to music on your layover. Alternatively, bring a book with you so you can catch up on your reading.

  Get some work done

Do you have to submit one last report before you can fully enjoy your holiday? Then use the time you have to do it. So many people get work done in buses, underground so why not do it at airports? You can also study are do your assignments.

 Meet other travellers

There are high chances that you are not the only one stuck at an airport for a few hours, so you can try to socialize with other fellow travellers. Sometimes they are travelling solo and would mind having someone to talk to and share some tips and asks for advice and recommendations.

  Shopping

I believe most or maybe all airports have shops, some more than others, so you can do some shopping. Apart from food and drinks, some items like technological stuff and perfumes for example cheaper at airports. You just have to look for duty-free shops and see the discounts the other stores have.

Make your review your itinerary

I think all the airports in the world have free internet, it might be available for only a few hours but you can use it to do more research and look up places that you want to visit, and how to get to those places. You can look for restaurants, bars, hotels, and main attractions.

What I like to do is go through all my reservations and ensure I have everything in order, I also update my family and friends about my location and if everything is fine with me.

 Play games

You can play games if you are alone or with company. You can play card games, I spy, my favourite one is charades and Rummikub. You can just download apps on your phone of all sorts of games and entertain yourself. Time flies when you are having fun.

Phone a friend or your family

 If you have been travelling for a long period of time, it’s good to call a friend or a family member to let them know where you are, if all is fine with you. You can also just call them to speak about your experiences and what are your plans.

Explore the city

 So here is a tip to visit more than 1 country or city at once- book long layovers! I do this quite often; I check the flight for the destination I want and see if there are flights with long layovers available in a different location. Try to get layovers during the day so you can make the most of your time in that location.

For instance, on the return from my trip to Spain, I decided to book a flight from Granada to London with a layover of 8 hours in Madrid. I manage to do a free walking tour, have lunch with some people I met on the tour and buy extra souvenirs.

As you can see layovers are not so bad after all, there are plenty of things to occupy your time with and make up the most of your layover.

I hope these tips help you to optimise your time, and not be afraid to book flights that are not direct to your destination and include layovers.

Do you have any other tips for things to do during a layover? Leave a comment below!

 Thank you for reading.

If you want more tips related to travel you might want to check some of my other posts by clicking here.

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