Stopping Boredom at Airports
Traveling is always such a great adventure even if sometimes the accommodation sucks or things don’t go as planned. However, aimlessly waiting at airports waiting for your next flight always is boring and annoying, regardless the occasion. Luckily, those with experience have figured lots of ways to kill time while at airports to make this experience at least a bit less frustrating and time-wasting. Therefore, I’m sharing with you some of my favorite ways to have fun while waiting for the boarding to start.
Read a Book
A good book can help you deal with all kinds of problems, especially boredom. Even though sometimes it’s not the best idea to carry a huge book around with you, believe me, you won’t regret doing so when the minutes start feeling as hours. I must say that I’ve read tons of books while waiting for connecting or delayed flights; actually, I sometimes even read on the plane too.
Reading a nice book, regardless whether it’s a real one or an e-book, lets you dive deep into a story that often makes time fly. When traveling, I usually go for smaller crime mysteries between 150 and 400 pages as I prefer finishing the book on the trip, rather than being stuck in the middle when I get back. However, you can try different approaches and see what works for you the most.
Watch a TV Show or Movie
For this one, you have to be previously prepared. Before setting off on your trip, just fill your tablet or smartphone with a couple of good movies or even TV show episodes. As we’re all aware how hours go by when you’re watching something captivating, you’ll be surprised when the time for your flight has arrived. I personally prefer TV shows rather than movies as they’re shorter; that way you rarely will have to pause a movie, plus you’ll be able to catch up with all those episodes you didn’t have the time to watch.
Play a Game
Well, playing Mass Effect or Diablo 3 may not be quite the option if you’re stuck at an airport and not having your laptop with you. However, you can always kill a couple of hours playing a game online or on your smartphone. The options are endless really; there are room escape games, murder mysteries waiting to be solved or casual games such as Candy Crush or Word Cookies.
Killing time at the airports while traveling.Take Online Quizzes
There’s no person that doesn’t like taking quizzes. After all, we all want to discover something new about us, even if it’s something silly like “Which Travel Destination are You?.” Quizzes are always a fun and engaging way to kill time regardless whether you are at an airport or pretty much anywhere else.
Eat Something Fun
Even though airports usually offer international cuisine, so every person can find something they like, often you can find some local specialties too. For example, when I was waiting for my flight from Palermo, Italy to Skopje, Macedonia I decided to enjoy a nice lunch and grab a lasagna. It was delicious, the restaurant was charming, and, most importantly, I killed an hour without even noticing it.
Do Some Shopping
I’d say that airports aren’t the best place for going shopping. The prices there are often higher, and the choice is often poor; this may, however, vary from one airport to another depending on its size. Nonetheless, I love shopping and sometimes I’m willing to pay more for a shirt or a bottle of wine when I have so much free time before my flight. Shopping often relaxes me and therefore I usually check out all the airport shops and stores, even if it’s just window shopping.
Explore the City
A delayed flight or connections with too many hours in between flights are often a great opportunity to explore a new city. Naturally, you must first check out local laws and see whether you are allowed to leave the airport grounds or not (maybe you need a visa or there are certain restrictions). However, if the laws, weather and free time allow it – you certainly should book a city tour and enjoy your time exploring rather than being stuck in an airport building.
