10+ BEST AIRPORTS TO SPEND A LONG LAYOVER

by ALEX SCOLA on JUNE 6, 2014

BEYOND THE AIRPORT BAR, there are few constants aimed at alleviating the burden
that is spending time in the airport. Some airports have free wifi, while others (especially
internationally) have glass boxes you can smoke a cigarette in. Either way, Im always
grateful for whatever amenities I can get to help me forget, if only for a minute, that Im
still waiting to sit on a plane for a few hours. Yet, there are some airports that put even the
most outfitted resorts to shame. Ones with amenities so epic Id almost look forward to that
layover.

10. Taiwan Taoyuan International

At Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the library is literally at your fingertips. As the
worlds first e-book airport library, TTIA offers rentable iPads and e-readers, each loaded
with over 400 books and thousands of magazines and newspapers. Fortunately, these
publications are available in both English and Chinese, so as long as you can read one of
those languages youre set for any length of layover.

9. SFO
The beginning of 2012 put SFO on the map as the first airport in the world to have its own
mirrored yoga room, an effort to make the entire experience less stressful and more
enjoyable (as quoted from Airport Director John L. Martin). Given the amount of traffic an
airport sees, its very likely that by now this shiny new room is no longer the clean beacon
of health and restfulness it once was, but yoga still seems like a stellar way to shake off the
airport security stress (and, if youre like me, the heebie-jeebies that invariably result from
passing through the backscatter dude-sees-me-nude machine).

8. Vancouver International
I may be a bit materialistic, but a huge part of vacation and adventure for me is collecting
souvenirs little pieces of this-and-that with an entire memory tied to them (since Im
notoriously too slow on the camera draw). At the Vancouver Airport Fairmont, they have a
special service for those who come to partake in the renowned fishing Canada has to offer.
Their fish valet allows you to store your catches in a 575ft freezer while you enjoy
cocktails, and will package them up specifically to survive the flight home.

7. Munich Airport
Munich Airport has two things that make it fairly unique against the backdrop of todays
modern airport. First and foremost, its got a seasonal indoor ice-skating rink, so (if youre
like me) you can garner endless entertainment from watching people (fail to) conquer
natures frozen majesty. While doing that, you can also enjoy the onsite beer garden
courtesy of Airbrau, the onsite brewery. Nothing goes better with killing time than alcohol
and ice sports.
6. JFK
Possibly the hottest thing since in-flight wifi, JetBlues Terminal 5 has been home to the
Live at T5 series since 2009. Since it started, Live at T5 has been a regular popup concert
series, featuring artists such as Taylor Swift, James Blunt, Robyn, Jason Derulo, and
Raphael Saadiq. To attend a show (which until recently took place exclusively gate-side),
you actually have to have a boarding pass for a JetBlue flight.

5. Zurich Airport
Airports almost always have that super sterile brushed-metal and polished-granite look.
Everything is angles and beams and beacons of humanitys conquering of gravity. At Zurich
Airport, however, you can get back to nature on their massive conservation reserve between
terminals. A full range of recreation equipment, from bicycles and inline skates to Nordic
walking poles, is available to rent for use on the reserve.

4. Londons Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, and Amsterdams Schiphol Airport

These airports are the homes of the (until recently) exclusively airport-bound hotel chain
Yotel, at which you can catch a quick respite from the airport chaos by booking a room for
the day through one of the handy-dandy check-in kiosks. $52 buys you a small but
comfortable futuristic private pod room with a bed, desk, and shower. After a long flight,
Id pay 50 bucks just to shower, so the rest is gravy. Fun fact: Schiphol Airport is also the
first airport in the world with its own museum, featuring a collection of Dutch art and
historical artifacts.

3. Hong Kong International

You know youre in for a treat when the entertainment tab on the airports main page is
subdivided into terminals, each better than the last. Terminal 1 is all about shopping, from
high-end and designer products to duty-free goods and every variety of cuisine you can
imagine. Terminal 2 is home to the Aviation Discovery Center (including flight simulators
and some Star Trek-sounding thing called SkyDeck), the Dream Come True Education
Park featuring [education] by role playing in related uniforms (yknow, for the kids), an
IMAX theater, and the Sky City Nine Eagles golf course. Its a nine-hole golf course, right
next to the terminal.

2. Incheon International
Always a hot contender for the best airport in the world, and winner in 2012, Incheon
makes its name for a variety of factors, including cleanliness and efficiency. Obviously
thats for a different article instead lets talk about its kickass amenities. So that all
passengers can take advantage of the ubiquitous free wifi, Incheon offers free computers for
patrons to use. In an effort to attend to any possible eventuality that could arise during
travel, they also have a full-service medical center, dentist, post office, and dry cleaner, and
a host of free showers. For the leisure inclined, theres also a golf course, casino (located
immediately adjacent to the airport), two movie theaters, an ice rink, the Korean culture
museum, and a spa and sauna.

1. Singapore Changi Airport

This is the be-all and end-all of airports. I cant believe this place actually exists. Its got
everything youve ever seen at an airport, plus a hikeable nature trail, butterfly gardens,
swimming pool, arcade, and movie theater. Oh, and the tallest indoor slide in Singapore
(the 40ft behemoth at Terminal 3). Take a minute and let that sink in: You have two-and-a-
half hours to kill on a layover between who-knows and who-cares. Do you see a movie, or
do you just spend a little too much on a couple beers and ride the big-ass slide a few times?
Honestly, Id hope for a lengthy layover if I were getting routed through Changi, so Id
have enough time to do everything before resting on the plane.