Are you stuck at the airport? Wondering what to do with your time?

Transit can be one of the most boring parts of the whole travel experience, and it’s often tough when we’re bored out of our minds to come up with ways to stay entertained.

Whether you find your flight is cancelled, delayed, missed your connection, or simply got to the airport too early, here are 10 very simple ways you can pass the time … in a socially distanced way!

10 Socially Distanced Airport Activities

Reading

It’s a little old school, but there are amazing benefits of reading while traveling, and this is a very portable passtime. 

These days you don’t have to weigh down your luggage with heavy paperbacks either, whether you’re reading on your phone, iPad, kindle, or other device, this can be a great way to turn moments of inactivity into active ones for your brain.

You’ll find that keeping your brain active through reading means you keep your energy levels high during periods of downtime, and it can be a great opportunity to read up about your next destination.

Whether you’re reading the local news, a novel set in that country, a travel guide, or magazine, our top tip here is that not all airports have stable / available WiFi, so make sure you download some reading in advance, or you can alsways pick up something from the airport newsagent.

This is a great way to pass the time in a socially distanced way – if you do happen to bring paperbacks with you, you can always swap them out for a new title once you’re done, as some hotels have library corners with book exchange.

Listening to Music

With such long hours at the airport, there might even be time to listen to that album from start to finish, and really, when have you ever had the luxury to do this in your day to day life?!

If you don’t already have a playlist before you head to the airport, you can also check out a digital radio station that offer unique tracks, or log into the airport WiFi to pull up apps like Spotify.

And the nice thing, re staying socially distanced, is that people are highly unlikely to approach you with earphones in!

It’s worthwhile investing in noise cancelling headphones or earbuds, though make sure you don’t become so engrossed in the tracks that you miss any important notifications which are announced over the airport speakers (been there, done that, missed my flight!!)

Play Live Casino Games

If you’re a casino tourist heading over to Vegas or Macau to gamble, you can also use the downtime to log in for live casino games. 

A live casino game is a game shown via a live streaming video link, in real time from a casino table. You’ll need your WiFi, whether you’re logged into the airport network, or from your own hotspot, and you can bet on your computers and chat with the dealer live.

You can visit slotslv if you want to play some of the best online live casino games; because this activity involves sensitive data like credit card numbers, make sure that you’re using a VPN to connect so that your internet activity is secure.

Playing Mobile Games

You don’t have to enjoy casino games to pass the time in airports, you can download any number of apps to play games on your phone, and there’s something for everyone from Angry Birds to Ballz.

Load up your device with games before you go; sometimes something as silly as a phone game can turn into hours of entertainment, and before you know it you’re ready to board the plane!

Click here for a list of 20 addictive mobile games to download. Keep in mind that gaming does drain your phone battery, so have a charger handy, and strategically position yourself close to a powerpoint / charging station.

Charging stations in airports are often in short supply, which means that if it’s a busy airport, this can be a place where many people congregate. Consider taking power banks with you as a more socially distanced option.

People Watching

Some of the worlds busiest airports (Atlanta, Dubai, Tokyo), see up to 300,000 people pass through them every day, and that’s a huge opportunity for some pretty diverse and eclectic people watching!

Planning Your Destination

It’s always good to know as much as possible about the place you’re going to visit before actually getting there, so why not use the downtime in the airport to plan for your destination. 

If you’re stuck at the airport at the end of your trip, use the time to go through your photos instead, reminiscing about the trip, and thinking back on the destination to re-live it!

Meditating

Airports are a stressful place to be, and as such many now have meditation rooms set up for exactly this!

But you don’t have to have a meditation room at hand to meditate at the airport, simply pull up a chair (or a piece of floor), pull out your headphones, and start breathing!

Watch Netflix

Binge worthy TV shows are a great way to pass the time at airports, so why not catch up on some Netflix? 

You can watch Netflix originals or just catch up on one of your old-school favorites. Either way, it’s a good time killer. 

It’s always best to have offline downloads, so you don’t need internet. To watch TV shows and movies offline at any time, download them from the Netflix app.

Social Media

Whether you’re instagramming your airport burgers, or just catching up on your feeds, downtime in airports can be a great time to immerse yourself in social media. 

Most social media platforms now have video messaging too – Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram etc, so you can use this time for some virtual face-to-face and connecting with friends and family who it’s been a while since you’ve spoken to.

Megan is an Australian Journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind Waking Up Wild; an online magazine dedicated to opening your eyes to the wonders of the wild & natural world.

Having visited 100+ countries across all seven continents, Megan’s travels focus on cultural immersion, authentic discovery and incredible journeys. She has a strong passion for ecotourism, and aims to promote responsible travel experiences.