What to Do When You Have a Layover in San Francisco National Airport?

Are you stranded on San Francisco National Airport between your two flights? If SFO were your starting point, you could’ve easily booked a MGM’s  luxurious town car to take you all the way your terminal and make the whole process much easier (live and learn, right?), but alas…

Now that you’ve found yourself within the confines of the seventh-busiest airport in the USA, and are left with time to spare before boarding on the next plane, here are few ideas on how to kill time without being bored out of your mind.

WARNING: It goes without saying that you should go and explore The Golden City if you have more than 4 hours to spare. Be aware, though: you need around 30 minutes (if not more) to get to the fun parts of the city. These are suggestions for those rainy days when you don’t feel like exploring (we know those are rare in California, but hey, you never know!) or for those cases when it’s simply not prudent to leave the airport.

If you’re carrying a heavy bag or one too many bags for that matter, leave them at the Airport Travel Agency, and let’s see what SFO has got in store for its little adventurers!

Freshen Up

After spending a long time in a plane, a shower sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? What if we told you that you don’t have to wait to get home or to your hotel to freshen up? No, sir! At Shower International Terminal you have the option to clean up. Furthermore, XpresSpa facilities are scattered around the airport, so don’t miss your chance to board your next flight feeling great. Treat yourself to a massage, manicure or pedicure before you depart; hopefully, you’ll manage to squeeze at least one treatment in.

Enjoy the Art

Walls of the second busiest airport in California are decorated with a plethora of art exhibits all year round. You can find plenty of paintings, sculptures, mosaics and environmental works to admire. Check out their site and interactive map to find out which pieces you find most interesting.

Down Time

Berman Reflection Room, Christian Science Reading Room, and even Yoga Room have their doors open for the passengers in search of little peace and quiet between the connecting flights. Feel free to charge your batteries (yeah, watch out for your phone/tablet/computer battery life as well, but for that, you might try to visit some other area). These precious places of stillness are yours to use 24/7, and best of all- they’re free of charge!

Aviation Museum & Library

If you want to get an insight into aviation history and learn about the development of the commercial aircraft industry and its effect on today’s everyday life, stop by this place! This adaptation of the airport’s 1930s passenger lobby filled with research services and educational programs is open daily from 10 am-4:30 pm. If you love model airplanes, you’ll have a blast.

There you have it, guys!

WORD OF CAUTION: In case you have an hour or two-long layover *please* don’t tempt the faith with these suggestions, no matter how much fun they sound! You surely don’t want to be late for your flight because you got caught up in art exhibitions or dozed off in meditation room! It’s a big airport, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so go, find your gate as soon as possible. Worry not, free Wi-Fi is available at all terminals, so you can spend time catching up on your emails, looking up the freshest YouTube videos or maybe figuring out which places to visit when you find yourself in San Francisco with a bit more time on your hands!

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