Turning the Lemons of Long Airport Layovers into the Lemonade of Discovery

finding pleasure in those long airport layovers

Dreading long airport layovers? I have the antidote—instead of wondering if there are comfortable benches to sleep on in-between flights, or if there is a decent restaurant in the terminal you’re stuck in, go for an adventure!

The sense of exploration doesn’t need to be packed away in your luggage when you fly home. Long layovers in transit airport stops provide an opportunity to discover the surrounding area.

On a flight returning to San Francisco from the Republic of Georgia, we were relegated to a 9-hour layover in the Munich International Airport. There is always the option of an airport hotel—either in the airport or close by—but I did not want to pay beaucoup bucks to fall into a groggy half-sleep and then endure a mad dash back through Security and Passport Control to catch the connecting flight.

Since our flight departure was not until 5 PM, what about a jaunt into Munich to tour the city, go to a museum, drink a beer, walk in the sunlight? Lufthansa provides an Express Bus to downtown every 15 minutes for $20 each way. But it takes a least 45 minutes and rush hour can double that time.

I did an Internet search on towns near the airport and discovered several interesting options. The uber Bavarian town of Freising fit the bill. Just a 15-minute, $2 public bus ride from right outside the terminal where we landed and were departing from.

Here is what Wikipedia has to offer about Freising:

“The city is located north of Munich at the Isar river, near the Munich International Airport. Anyone taking off or landing at Munich airport can see the city to the north with its two hills, the cathedral hill with the bishop’s castle and the Freising cathedral, and Weihenstephan Hill with the oldest working brewery in the world. It’s also the first recorded place of a European tornado.”

Sounded intriguing and really close to the airport so we left our carry on bags in the paid storage ($1/hour), changed money, and waited no more than 10 minutes for the bus. It was a sunny morning. The bus trundled away from the hubbub of the airport and cruised along a country road past cow-specked fields and wooded copses.

Some friendly folk pointed us in the direction of the town plaza. A short walk took us to the bustling downtown. The main street was for pedestrians, cobblestoned, and lined with classic Bavarian architecture as Freising is one of the oldest settlements in Bavaria. We had time to sip giant lattes in the sun at a café, walk a few miles through a fall-colored forested park, savor several classic bratwursts with stoneground mustard on pretzel bread, and sit in the plaza drinking golden beer facing the bone-warming sun. An absolutely lovely day in Germany thanks to our long layover.

On our way back to the bus station, a life-size gleaming metal statute of a bear with a grin on his face decorated the sidewalk. I decided to leave a thank you gift in Freising so I took off my black leather hat purchased in the Republic of Georgia and placed it jauntily on the bear’s head. He looked quite stylish!

So why not turn the lemons of long layovers into the lemonade of discovery?

Layover tips:

* Schedule layovers to work for you. Airlines usually give you a choice of connecting flights. Many times the longer layover flights are cheaper.
* Is the layover during the day so you can sightsee?
Google the airport map (every airport has one) and see where and if you can leave your luggage at the airport. Also check the rates.
Research interesting smaller towns close to the airport in order to avoid rush hour traffic if your times overlap commute hours. Perhaps there is a metro or train which are not as challenging time-wise for schedules as freeways.
Also research modes of public transport available from the airport to the main city and also outlaying towns. Taxis or Uber are always an option but they can be pricy.
For really long layovers, find a hotel in town and make it a mini side trip.
Make sure to pack the items needed for your layover
in an accessible place: umbrella, sunscreen, guidebook, walking shoes, bathing suit.

Do you have any tips to share? I’d love to hear how you make your layovers pleasurable.