30 useful things to kill time when waiting at airports
The last 2 years I’ve spent never-ending hours waiting at the airports for my connecting flights. I have to say, sometimes it gets so boring I just find myself blankly staring at nothing. I check the watch every 2 seconds hoping 2 more hours just have passed but it seems to be stuck. What a paradox of life?!
When you want time to pass slowly so you can enjoy, no, it flies. But at the airport? Got the feeling you have the whole time in the world.
As an experienced boredom killer, I decided not to waste my time as time is money, and do something useful (or at least something that can seem useful right there).
Here are 30 things I do to kill time when waiting at airports:
1. If the airport is close to a small town and you have more than 3 – 4 hours till the next flight, I suggest you to take a map from tourist centre and take a bus/train/walk to the town. This is how I visited Charleroi, Bologna, Treviso for example. Sometimes 2 hours there can be enough to see the centre and the main historic monuments. I call this 2 in 1 as not only you get to your final destination by plane, but explore a bit from other town, too.
2. If 1 is not possible, then any of points 2 – 26: take a walk along the airport. All the airports I’ve had to wait at , I know by heart now, shops, toilets, gates, basically where everything is located. The info can be very useful when you fly to the airport next time, you will know how much time you need to get from A to B, how to get there the quickest, or what you can buy/do there.
3. It’s one of few situations when I’d say DO NOT MULTI-TASK. Enjoy just one thing at a time.
4. Meet up with a friend. I am lucky when it comes to this, as I know many cabin crew in many European airports so it’s a great possibility to have a chat with them. They can always come to the airport to meet me up, as they usually live very close.
5. Get a hot choko/cappuccino/coffee/tea/fresh orange juice and sit down for a bit to finish it.
6. Eat something – if you didn’t bring anything with you, take your time to choose from all the variety they offer, don’t just pick the first sandwich you see.
7. Slowly go to toilet. Do your hair there and clean the teeth. Yes, people can look weird at you, but it’s part of the hygiene, isn’t it?
8. Text or call your family and friends.
9. Internet would be the best time killer probably. There’s always a lot to do. Careful not to miss your flight :D
10. You can study something.
11. Draw.
12. Check the pictures on your camera and delete the ones you don’t like or are out of focus.
13. Delete not important text messages or numbers of people you will never use again. I can’t be bothered to deal with this when at home, but waiting at the airport and having not much to do, forced me even to do this.
14. Watch a movie if possible.
15. Listen to your favourite music – grab your mp3, notebook, iPhone or any mobile phone with music, it will make your time to pass faster and put you in a better mood.
16. Check out the new DVDs and CDs, games, movies, new albums if there is a shop with these stuff.
17. Get something to read, a magazine, a book, a leaflet, anything.
18. If a book shop available, read travel guides or travel magazines, check out the maps and photos, get some new ideas about your future trips. You can kill even an hour or so doing this.
19. Think about how you could change your life to be better, start eating healthy, do more exercise, get some motivation, self-esteem, what could you do to make a difference in life etc.
20. Go shopping, try on a dress, a pair of shoes, a T-shirt.
21. Smell the new perfumes plus all the old ones, so you know straight away which one to get once you run out. If you need a quick birthday present, it’s a great opportunity to buy a perfume there, especially at the UK airports, which apart from being duty free, have many discounts, too. Worth the buy.
22. Girls, do your manicure, try a face/hand cream. At least once you get a very expensive one you deserve but would never spend so much money on it.
23. Girls again, do your make-up. I tend to do it at the airport cosmetic shops/perfumeries very often. First, it saves me time at home, kills time at the airport and saves my eye-shadows and mascara for worse times.
24. Do Kegel exercise to get a better sexual life. No one has to know what you are doing :)
25. Observe the airplanes taking off and landing. Although I’ve seen thousands of them, I still love it!
26. Watch other people, I bet you can find someone around you who will make you laugh just observing what they do.
27. Talk to people looking the same bored and who knows, maybe you make some good friends.
28. Go to toilet again.
29. Make a list of the things you have to do in the following days.
30.Write a travel blog or if you have one already, think about the new posts.
What do you do when stuck at the airport? Any tips worth sharing?
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler via Facebook
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Jeevan Kalyan you should :D Joshua Nicholls right, always the same conversation!
Joshua Nicholls via Facebook
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Yeah always have to spend some time on the obligatory “Where are you heading?” conversations!
Jeevan Kalyan via Facebook
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I’ll come over and talk to you if I ever see you at an airport!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler via Facebook
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thanks for your tips, guys :) I do talk to attractive people too, but men :D
Jeevan Kalyan via Facebook
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Talking to people is the best way to kill time…even better if they happen to be attractive women!
Drew Mac via Facebook
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All depends on how much time you are at the airport, but I like to simply stroll around, if a nearby city, village or something around to perk my curiosity at :-) Meet fellow travellers and chat! My Ipad kills plenty of time as well. Do some reading and Meditate! :-)
hugo
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I like checking stores I´ve found lots of interesting thing in the airport stores, like last minute souvenirs or some cool electronic things
Joshua Nicholls via Facebook
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Oh really!? wow… Good for you :)
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler via Facebook
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yeah, if you drink … but I don’t :P
Joshua Nicholls via Facebook
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Find the bar and drink!
les
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love this blog! I am going to twitter you and book mark you.
Keep writing and posting great images!!!
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Wow :) I enjoy ur photos, too!
tax calculator
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Keep posting stuff like this i really like it
crazy sexy fun traveler
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:) I definitely will if u will keep on reading ;)
Rob - SHABL
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Letting your mind go blank works. I just accept my fate and sit there, also do ample people watching.
crazy sexy fun traveler
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what about changing ur fate? :D
joshywashington
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Kegel works for dudes too, just sayin. ;)
crazy sexy fun traveler
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haha can’t say but hope so ;)