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These airports want you to enjoy your visit – whether you’re arriving or departing. There’s even annual airport awards to encourage them.
So read on to discover the best airports for transits, stopovers, or just for arriving a little bit earlier.
1. Changi International Airport, Singapore
Airport & Terminal Architecture Singapore Changi International Airport
A rooftop bar, butterfly garden, free cinema, waterfall, giant slide – the list of attractions at Singapore Airport makes it the envy of the aviation world.
More than 50 million passengers pass through the airport every year, and Terminal 3 is consistently voted one of the best in the world by travellers.
Airport & Terminal Architecture Terminal 3 Green Wall & Baggage Belt – Singapore Changi International Airport
Food wise, you can select hawker-style food from the courts or try some fine dining.
Maybe get close to more than 1,000 butterflies, from 40 species, in their lush habitat in Terminal 3 – another world first.
Nature & Gardens Terminal 3 Transit – World’s first Butterfly Garden in an airport
Kids can take part in feeding time at the Koi pond in Terminal 3 or watch a family-friendly film in the free cinema.
And their comfy snooze lounges mean you can catch a bit of shut-eye ahead of a long haul flight.
Nature & Gardens Terminal 3 Transit – Koi Pond
Terminal 4 is scheduled to open in 2017, and promises more shops, public spaces and a heritage zone to explore.
2. Icheon International Airport, Seoul, South Korea
Incheon International Airport. Image by revlwlkl, via Flickr Creative Commons
Around 50 million passengers pass through South Korea’s biggest airport each year, and generally sits near the top of the Airport of the Year list.
They have gardens, ice skating, golf and a cinema, and free showers. You can also learn more about the country in the Korean Cultural Street and Culture Experience.
They put on live cultural performances every day of the year and you can see the “Royal Family” walk through the terminal in traditional costumes four times a day (they’ll even pose for photos).
Incheon International Airport. Image by DAIHYUN JI. via Flickr Creative Commons
There are seven different styles of gardens in the airport, home to around 200 prickly cacti plants, and five water gardens welcoming you through the door and into the terminal.
Look out the window at the Flying to the Future sculpture, which is lit up by solar-powered lights at night.
3. Zurich Airport, Switzerland
Aerial view of Zurich. Copyright Flughafen Zurich AG
Opened in 1953, this is the largest international airport in Switzerland, serving around 25m passengers each year.
This is the only airport in the world where you can go and watch the pilots at work in their cockpits, via a special walkway from the observation deck.
Zuschauerterrasse (Observation Deck) at Zurich Airport. Copyright Flughafen Zurich AG
Kids can also play in the miniature airport or take the SWISS Kid’s Tour – there are also special lounges filled with toys and computer games to keep them entertained.
You can even hire sports equipment – bikes, skates and alpine poles – to go and explore the leafy area outside the airport.
Copyright Flughafen Zurich AG
All that, plus two large shopping centres with lots of shops, restaurants and cafes.
In the public Airport Centre you can buy food, clothes, accessories, have an haircut or do a gym workout. Once through security, the Airside Centre has the premium boutiques and shops to spend your money in.
They’ve also got a transit hotel, where you can hire your own room for the night or a few hours, and even a hostel-style dormitory if you just want to catch a quick nap and have a shower.
Inside Zurich airport. Copyright Flughafen Zurich AG
Feeling hungry? There’s 6o restaurants, bars and takeaways to choose from.
4. Vancouver Airport, British Columbia, Canada
Image via Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver has been namedthe best airport in North America for seven years in a row.
The outdoor mountain backdrop is nature at its best, but once inside, international visitors are greeted by the Pacific Passage, which has a sandy beach, giant canoe and Thunderbird sculpture.
They’ve also got a 114,000 litre aquarium in departures housing 850 indigenous sea animals, and a Green Wall living tapestry outside the airport station.
Raptor Programme. Image via Vancouver International Airport
The airport also has its own wildlife team – 16 wildlife biologists, trained border collies and raptors (and their trainers of course). They use non-lethal methods to disperse hazardous wildlife in the skies and encourage them to move to safer habitats.
Aquarium in the International Departure lounge. Image via Vancouver International Airport
DID YOU KNOW? You’ll find the world’s largest collection of Northwest Coast Native art at the airport. They’ve got their own curator and you’ll see large examples like The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe (Int terminal) and the totem pole, Celebration of Flight (Departures) throughout the building.
Designer Outlet Centre. Image via Vancouver International Airport
5. Heathrow Airport, London, Great Britain
Heathrow from above. Image by Heathrow Airports Limited
It’s Europe’s busiest airport (and the busiest in the world until 2015) in terms of passenger traffic, which hit 75 million in 2015. You can head to 185 destinations in 84 countries from West London.
So with 200,000 people passing through each day, they’ve upped their game when it comes to in-airport entertainment – with champagne bars, Michelin-star level fine dining and a five-star spa on offer – particularly in the award-winning Terminal 5.
For premium services book into one of Heathrow’s lounges, they have everything from massages to yoga classes – and offer complimentary drinks and food.
Image by Heathrow Airports Limited
DID YOU KNOW? The five most popular destinations from Heathrow are (in order) New York, Dubai, Dublin, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.
Shopping services include “reserve & collect” and “collect on return” – handy if you see something you like in Harrods, Prada, Louis Vuitton or Chanel, but don’t want to take it with you.
Fortnum & Mason Image by Heathrow Airports Limited
You can even buy a special hamper to take on your flight from Fortnum & Mason should you not fancy the airline food.
The Beatles arrive at Heathrow Image by Heathrow Airports Limited
DID YOU KNOW? The Beatles were mobbed when they arrived at Heathrow (then London Airport) in 1964 to fly to America. More than 3,000 screaming fans turned up at the terminal when the Fab Four took Pan Am Flight 101 to New York – the first time the airport had experienced anything like it
The View Heathrow Observation Deck is accessible to passengers at Terminal 4, and is 250m from the Southern Runway – you can also spot the retired British Airways’ Concorde from here – see more viewpoints here.
Wildflowers. Image by Heathrow Airports Limited
Also, fun facts: the ancient village of Heath Row was demolished in the 1940s to build an RAF base in World War II, and the airport is still surrounded by rich flora.
6. Central Japan International Airport – Centair, Nagoya, Japan
(c) Centair Central Japan International Airport Co.,Ltd
Centrair gives you easy access to destinations like Kyoto and Mt Fuji (both around two hours away) in the middle of Japan.
If you’re a plane spotter, you’ll be in your element. The 300m long Sky Deck is right next to the runway so you’ll be able to get some great pictures of flights coming in and taking off. On a good day you can also see the boats on the bay.
There’s also Japan’s first “Bathhouse with a view” to relax in, if you prefer.
Skydeck @ Centair Central Japan International Airport Co.,Ltd
The food options are extensive – try out the Nagoya-meshi (local specialties).
Miso Cutlets (Pork), Hitsumabushi (broiled eels) and Miso-Nikomi Udon (broth) are three of the recommended regional dishes to taste here.
Skytown @ Central Japan International Airport Co
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7. Munich Airport, Germany
Size wise, Munich Airport isn’t the biggest in Germany, but its features give it serious air points.
Possibly the most famous attraction is the Airbräu, the airport’s own microbrewery which opened in 1999.
You can try Bavarian beer and food or take a tour. The tree-lined, open-air beer garden is open May to October.
Aerial view of Munich Airport
DID YOU KNOW? Look above when you enter the outdoor Munich Airport Center (MAC) in Terminal 2. The tent-like roof was designed by architect Helmut Jahn to become the Bavarian flag when the blue sky in the transparent part of the structure contrasts with the white tent panels.
You can watch live events on the screens or sports tournaments, get a spa treatment, visit the barber or have your shoes shined while you have a trim. Perhaps try and catch forty winks in the “Napcabs” in Terminal 2 – they have a bed, TV, ambient lighting and a work desk if you want some peace and quiet.
Finally, Munich Airport’s Winter Market has hundreds of real fir trees (including a giant 15 meter Christmas tree). Rent some skates before or after your flight and take a turn round their ice-skating rink or visit the 40+ stalls.
8. Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong
Image courtesy of Hong Kong International Airport
More than 65 million people traveled to 190 locations, including 50 destinations in China alone, in 2015 – making this award-winning airport one of the top ten busiest in the world.
It has more than 300 shops to visit, and eating options range from street-food style kiosks to fine dim sum dining.
Image courtesy of Hong Kong International Airport
Depending on time you can play either a nine hole or 18 hole round at the GreenLive Air golf simulator, or watch a film on the giant screen (the largest in Hong Kong) at the IMAX Theatre@Airport.
Image courtesy of Hong Kong International Airport
If you’re making a longer stopover, we’ve got a helpful guide of things to do in Hong Kong, to get you started.
9. Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Image from Schiphol International Airport
The fifth busiest airport in Europe, Schiphol opened with one terminal in 1967. Nearly 50 years later, there’s still just one terminal, but the experience is ultra-modern.
The Panorama Terrace has views of the planes flying in and out, or climb into the Fokker 100, with the plane’s interior transformed into an interactive aviation experience.
If you’re a transfer passenger, you can still find local cuisine, flowers and art in their Holland Boulevard.
It was also the first airport in the world to have a dedicated museum. The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol has borrowed some Dutch Old Master paintings to display to visitors.
Image from Schiphol International Airport
After passport control, adults can try their luck in the casino or visit the XpresSpa for a pre-flight pamper.
New Hilton hotel. Image from Schiphol International Airport
The innovative new Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has a striking cubed design and 42m glass-roofed atrium. It’s got 433 rooms is connected to the terminal by a covered walkway.
10. Brisbane International Airport, Australia
Image courtesy of Brisbane International Airport
More than 22 million passengers pass through Brisbane airport each year. Many using it as a gateway to Australia’s Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Whitsundays, as well as getting them closer to Cairns and Darwin in the north and north east.
After starting out life as a strip on a Queensland farm, surrounded by swamps, the airport underwent a $350m upgrade in 2012 and major improvements continue to be made.
New International Terminal. Image courtesy of Brisbane International Airport
The International Terminal has been transformed by Queensland artists and a refurbishment using locally sourced materials and plants. Now you can relax and wait for your flight surrounded by palm trees on a village green.
DID YOU KNOW? It’s Australia’s biggest airport by size, taking up 2700 hectares. It’s also the site of the landing of the first solo flight from Great Britain, with Bert Hinkler touching down at Eagle Farm in 1928.
If you’re passing through in transit, there’s plenty to do, including catching the free bus to the Skygate, a market with further dining and shopping options – as well as a 18-hole, mini-golf course to play on.
Image courtesy of Brisbane International Airport
And finally, 10 facts about airports that didn’t make the list
Plane landing in Zurich – Copyright Flughafen Zurich AG
What’s your favourite airport?
We’d love to know your tips for the perfect airport layover – which airports go above and beyond for you?
Let us know by leaving a comment below.
And if this feature has left you with itchy feet – here’s our latest flight deals to get you started on your next adventure.
Source: lastminute.com