Whether you call it a 'layover' or 'transit period', it can be an extremely annoying experience to wait between flights. In most cases, you are restricted to a certain area of the airport, further limiting what you can do before you take off again.
When travelling from Melbourne Airport, layovers are common especially towards European destinations such as London, Paris and Madrid. As such, you'll need to be ready to entertain yourself for a couple of hours.
In this article, we'll discuss five creative ways to starve off boredom when transiting through any airport around the world.
1) Explore the food options
After enduring questionable food on the plane, there is a high chance that you'll start to feel a little peckish while waiting to board for the next leg. Now we know what you are thinking, there's only fast food restaurants in most airports. However, if you look a little closer, you might just find eateries that offer gourmet cuisines whether local classics or international favourites.
At New York's JFK Airport, transit passengers can dine at La Vie, a classic French restaurant that serves dishes such as sauteed prawns Provencal and sole meuniere. Enjoy a substantial and tasty meal, and watch the hours tick down to take off!
2) Talk to strangers
Every person in transit has something in common – they all have an end destination and a story to tell. Whether they are by the gate, at that fancy restaurant or simply relaxing, give them some of your time and they may give you some time back.
While you are unlikely to see these people again, you may learn some interesting pieces of information about your end destination or even extend your network in some capacity. Who knows, the other people in the transit gate might be just as bored as you!
3) Go (window) shopping
In almost every transit area across the globe, there will be a multitude of high-end stores that you wouldn't really consider looking at normally. However, now you have a little time on your hands and can pretend that you are actually interested in buying that expensive designer handbag or perfume.
Perhaps you could collect a few free samples or simply try to find the most expensive item in the store. It is always interesting seeing how the other half live and this is your chance to explore these stores in more detail.
4) People watch
If talking to strangers doesn't work for you, maybe getting a comfortable seat and doing some people watching is more your pace. As mentioned above, everyone in the transit area is going somewhere and while you are wasting time, it can be fun to observe humankind. You may see parents and their children watching the planes taking off together or a man sprinting to get to his flight.
Humans are interesting and as you have time to sit and wonder, society is our greatest entertainment.
5) Sleep
It can be a long journey from Melbourne to Europe and some of us aren't the best at sleeping on planes. As such, a long layover is an opportunity to try to stack some Zs before your flight. Some airports will have transit hotels where you can sleep, have something to eat and grab a shower, but a row of chairs might be your only option.
In this case, use a sweatshirt as a blanket and a bag as a cushion and find a quiet corner away from the hustle and bustle – just remember to set an alarm to avoid oversleeping!
Travelling can be a stressful time for many people. Let the team at Pacific Airport Parking make it a little easier by leaving your vehicle with us as you venture away from Melbourne Airport.
