Don't rush to panic if you have a long wait at the airport. If your layover is at one of the airports we're talking about today, be prepared that you won't want to leave. These airports have become true attractions in their cities.
Singapore
Changi Airport has been repeatedly recognized as the world's best airport by Skytrax, including in the “Best Leisure Amenities” category. Here you can visit a botanical garden, a pond with rare fish species, and an open-air sunflower garden on the airport's rooftop. Transit passengers are offered a free two-hour city tour. A huge bonus is an excellent swimming pool and jacuzzi with views of the runway.
Munich
Munich Franz Josef Strauss Airport is one of the largest in Germany. Here you'll find surfing in a specially equipped pool and an indoor ice rink. Next to the pool is a mini-beach with sun loungers where you can sunbathe. Don't want to just lie around? Sign up for surfing lessons on an artificial wave – boards, wetsuits, and instructor services are completely free! After the lesson, you can relax on the Skywalk observation deck, where you can admire planes taking off and landing.
Amsterdam
Schiphol hosts a branch of the Dutch National Museum – the Rijksmuseum. The “Dutch Boulevard” constantly features exhibitions of paintings and other works of art. There is also a permanent exhibition, including ten paintings by Dutch artists. Admission to the museum and library (which houses books in 29 languages) is free, and you can spend money or, conversely, earn it at the local casino. To bet on red or black, you must present your passport and boarding pass.
Helsinki
Make yourself at home, traveler: for 48 euros for 3 hours, settle into an apartment right in Vantaa Airport. The Almost@home lounge offers a computer and library, a TV with sofas, bedrooms, and a kitchen. The refrigerator always has fresh food from which you can prepare a meal.
Seoul
Even if you're a budget traveler, at Incheon Airport you'll feel like a millionaire. A golf club, spa center, cinema, Korean culture museum, concert hall where national melodies are played – we don't even know if you'll have time to visit all the venues during your layover. Don't forget the most important thing – to visit the open observation deck for the runway.
Tokyo
Tokyo's Narita Airport offers free showers, numerous spas, hairdressers, a laundry, a hotel – and all this not only for people but also for their pets, for whom there is even a veterinary clinic.
San Francisco
San Francisco Airport features an impressive civil aviation museum. The halls here are decorated in the style of the 1930s, and miniature models of aircraft from different years and numerous exhibits from aviation history are awe-inspiring. Here you can also find examples of passenger seats – from vintage to modern, flight uniforms, and other artifacts from the world of sky and flights. Admission to the museum is free. The airport also has a library and regular exhibitions of contemporary art.
