Cities Worth Visiting For Their Airports [Infographic]

Matthew Gates http://notetoservices.com 3m 760 #airports

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

While Visiting These Cities, Check Out Their Airports

There are many times where you may get a layover flight, and if it the delay is for many hours, there are times where you may want to head out of the airport for a chance to see and experience the city where the airport resides. There are other times, however, where your layover is just a few hours which does not give you enough time to really head out of the airport, as getting back would not give you enough time for check-in and the flight, so you may be confined to the airport for those few hours.

During this time, like most people, you may just hop on your laptop and finish up a paper you had for your job or for school. You may pull out your favorite gadget and mess around with it, or you may just keep yourself busy with a game on your phone. There may still be enough time when you are done, for you to go exploring, and visit the airport you are at. There are plenty of things to do at many airports.

Some airports are small and some are massive enough to have so many activities and places to explore, especially for shopping and eating or picking up souvenirs. Sometimes, the city is great, but the airport itself provides a wonderful experience.

This infographic explores the cities you should visit that have some of the best airports in the world. Infographic courtesy of Neomam Studios.

Click to open / Right-click for save options

Text-Friendly Version

CITIES WORTH VISITING JUST FOR THEIR AIPORTS

WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING FLYING AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE, NOT ALL AIRPORTS ARE CREATED EQUAL.

DESTINATIONS IN THEMSELVES, YOU MIGHT WANT TO RECONSIDER YOUR NEXT TRIP JUST SO YOU CAN VISIT THESE AIRPORTS.

SINGAPORE CHANGI AIRPORT • SINGAPORE

AWARDS

World’s Best Airport, and Best Airport for Leisure Amenities, 2014 – SKYTRAX World Airport Awards

Winner Mixed Use Buildings, MIPIM Asia Awards 2008

Best Airport in the World – Ultratravel Magazine (2007-2014)

ARCHITECTURE T3

GHD Woodhead Built 2008

57.3m passengers

FACILITIES T3

130 retail and catering outlets

ALL TERMINALS
350 retail outlets
120 catering outlets

Nature trails, butterfly gardens, hairdressers, gym and swimming pools

ATTRACTIONS

Internal gardens
Swimming pool

MUNICH AIRPORT • GERMANY

AWARDS

Best Airport in Europe, 2014 – SKYTRAX World Airport Awards

ARCHITECTURE

T2
Koch & Partner
Built 2003

38.7m passengers

FACILITIES

89 retail outlets

47 catering outlets

Cinema,flight museum, mini-golf course, brewery and beer hall

ATTRACTIONS

Annual Christmas Markets

Ice Rink

Live bands between terminals

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT • HONG KONG

AWARDS

Best Airport for Dining and Best Airport for Baggage Delivery 2014 – SKYTRAX World Airport Awards

ARCHITECTURE

Foster & Partners
Built 1998

59.9m passengers

FACILITIES

280+ retail outlets

80 catering outlets

Aviation Discovery Centre, Dream Come True Education Park, UA IMAX Theatre at Airport, golf course, art and culture exhibitions

ATTRACTIONS

IMAX 3D Cinema

Tea Making Workshop

INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SEOUL • SOUTH KOREA

AWARDS

World’s Best Airport Serving 40-50 Million Passengers 2014 – SKYTRAX World Airport Awards

Best Airport
Asia Pacific
2013 – ASQ Awards

ARCHITECTURE

Fentress Architects
Built 2001

Over 41m passengers

FACILITIES

28 retail outlets

77 catering outlets

Golf course, casino, ice skating, spa, and sauna

ATTRACTIONS

Daily Cultural Performances
Korean Culture Museum
Ornamental Gardens
Observation Deck

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT • UAE

AWARDS

Airport of the Year, 2014 – Air Transport News Awards

Best Airport Middle East, 2014 – Business Traveller Awards

ARCHITECTURE

Aéroports International de Paris (ADP) & Dar Al-Handasah
Built 2008

66m passengers

FACILITIES

68 retail outlets
80+ catering outlets
24/7 gym, spas, and sauna, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, 5 star hotel

ATTRACTIONS

Zen Gardens

World Class Restaurants

AMSTERDAM SCHIPHOL • AMSTERDAM

AWARDS

Best Airport in Western Europe 2014 – SKYTRAX World Airport Awards

Best Airport in Europe, 2013 – SKYTRAX World Airport Awards

ARCHITECTURE

Benthem and Crouwel
Built 1995

52.6m passengers

FACILITIES

73+ retail outlets
59+ catering outlets

Sauna and spa, casino, meditation centre, art museum

ATTRACTIONS

Airport Library

Art Museum

ZURICH AIRPORT • SWITZERLAND

AWARDS

World’s Best Airport Serving 20-30 Million Passengers 2014 – SKYTRAX World Airport Awards

ARCHITECTURE

Grimshaw
Built 2004

24.9m passengers

FACILITIES

114 retail outlets
52 catering outlets

Sports equipment hire, behind-the-scenes tours

ATTRACTIONS

Rent a bike
Rent Inline Skates
Rent Nordic Walking Poles

CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT • MUMBAI, INDIA

AWARDS

American Architecture Award 2012 Chicago Athenaeum

ARCHITECTURE

SOM (Skidmore, Owings and Merrill)
Built 2014

Estimated 40m passengers when complete

FACILITIES

87+ retail outlets

58 catering outlets

Spas, art walls and exhibitions, cultural theatres

ATTRACTIONS

Spa in every terminal

WHO SAYS AIRPORTS HAVE TO BE BORING? THESE AIRPORTS RAISE THE BAR IN TERMS OF ATTRACTIONS AND MAKE AIR TRAVEL A UNIQUE AND ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE – A HOLIDAY IN ITSELF.

Cheapflights^™.co.uk

Photo source: https://burst.shopify.com/photos/buildings-downtown-manhattan-nyc

(