Top 5 airports for layovers

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Traveling by plane is definitely making life easier for many tourists who roam the globe in a matter of days, but that doesn’t mean that flying doesn’t have its disadvantages sometimes. Apart from bad food and cramped seats, there’s something else than earned the title of traveler’s nightmare: layovers.

Having to spend hours on end in a crowded airport, waiting for your next flight, while all you can do is think of how great your trip will be once you finally get to your destination is not exactly fun. But here are some airports where layovers are downright bearable – top 5 airports for layovers.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the Netherlands

It’s not in every airport that you get to admire paintings by Dutch artists, and even less airports that have their own art museum attached. If you are an art enthusiast, you might just as well consider Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as a destination in its own right.

The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol Airport houses some works of art by Van Gogh, and the admission is free. In 2010, a library with over 1200 books on history and culture opened at the airport – probably as an attempt to educate tourists about the country’s history and culture.

Singapore Changi Airport

If you look at all the things you can do at Changi Airport during your layover, you might think that you are in a shopping mall/spa rather than an airport. There’s free internet access everywhere, you can rent a cubicle to sleep, watch free movies, shop, relax in flower gardens with koi ponds, or go to the spa.Near Terminal 1, there’s a Balinese-themed swimming pool and a whirlpool where you can splash around for a small fee.

Munich Airport Center, Germany

Munich Airport is the second busiest in the country after Frankfurt, but when it comes to looks, it definitely takes the cake. It is worth visiting the airport just to admire its architecture, and enjoy its amenities.

Terminal 2 is an architectural masterpiece of wrought iron and glass, and although you are completely isolated from the runway, the coming and going planes seem dangerously close. Around Christmas, there’s a Christmas Market outside the terminals, complete with a sketing rink, mulled wine and bratwurst.

Vancouver Airport, Canada

Vancouver Airport is likely the only airport in the world with a 114,000-litre tank housing 850 species of marine life, including some rare species like quillback and vermillion rockfish, fish-eating anemones, and mottled sea stars.

You can easily while away a few hours staring at the sea creatures, and when you get bored you can head to the Japanese restaurant and enjoy your sushi in a traditional tatami room.

Heathrow, London

London has already earned the fame of being a shopper’s paradise, but it’s not just the city that has some great places for shopping addicts, but the airport as well. The security checks at Heathrow are a tad complicated and boring, but once you get past, you can explore the countless gist shops and brand shops, and then head for a relaxing spa session.

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