* * Click HERE for 2016 * *
_______________________________________________________________
Read below for 2014:
Today, Sleeping in Airports announced the results of their
2014 Worst Airports in the World.
Here, we do our best to weigh in on some options to help you survive a layover at these dismal airports. Be warned, the options can be limited... please feel free to add suggestions in the comments below!
Tip: keep in mind that you may need a transit visa to leave some of the airports listed - or tips assume that you've done your homework on that front.
 |
View of Islamabad from
Daman-e-Koh
|
1. Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Pakistan (ISB)
Survey lowlights:
• Uncontrolled crowds
• Pervasive corruption
• Taxi touts
Layover ideas:
• Lok Virsa Museum features 25+ large galleries
•
Golra Railway Museum has locomotives and rolling stock
• Daman-e-Koh offers hiking, food, music and great city views
Layover resources:
•
Islamabad Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Islamabad Airport transportation guide
•
Arriving in Islamabad - a taxi tour story
2. Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia (JED)
Survey lowlights:
• Rude immigration officers and long queues
• Limited services
• Limited, uncomfortable metal seating, not sleeper-friendly
Layover ideas:
• Souq al-Alawi is located in al-Balad (the old town)
• Naseef House museum has great evening views from the top floor
• Atallah Happy Land Park has rides, skating, bowling, theatres, dining, shopping
Layover resources:
•
Jeddah Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Jeddah Airport transportation guide
•
How to Obtain a Saudi Arabian Transit Visa
•
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - I Am Bound Here
3. Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal (KTM)
Survey lowlights:
• Disgusting washrooms (bring your own soap)
• No air-conditioning
• Not sleeper friendly
Layover ideas:
•
Cultural Walking Tour with Nepalese Cooking Lesson
•
Kathmandu Evening Tour by Rickshaw
• Do anything that will allow you to pee elsewhere!
Layover resources:
•
Kathmandu Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Kathmandu Airport transportation guide
•
Layover Ideas & Stuff to do in Kathmandu
•
A Night in Kathmandu - National Geographic
•
Kathmandu Layover
4. Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Philippines (MNL)
Survey lowlights:
• Overcrowding
• Lengthy queues (fly airlines that use Terminal 3, vs Terminal 1)
• Not enough seating
Layover ideas:
•
Overnight Layover Tour with Hotel and Transfers
•
Manila Old and New Sightseeing Tour
•
4 Hour Makati City & Museum Tour
Layover resources:
•
Manila Aquino Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Manila Aquino Airport transportation guide
•
Layover Ideas & Stuff to do in Manila
•
17 Hour Layover: Overnight in Manila Airport
•
How to have a great stopover in Manila
5. Tashkent International Airport, Uzbekistan (TAS)
Survey lowlights:
• Horrific queuing
• Suspect immigration processes
• Sleeping discouraged
Layover ideas:
• Chorsu (Eski Juva) is the oldest bazaar in Central Asia
• Tellya Sheikh Mosque is home to the world's oldest Koran
• Tashkent TV Tower offers great views of the city
•
Tashkent things to do
Layover resources:
•
Tashkent Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Tashkent Airport transportation guide
•
Tashkent Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Tourist Visa to Uzbekistan
6. Paris Beauvais-Tille International Airport, France (BVA)
Survey lowlights:
• Poor transportation options to distant airport
• Cramped, rundown, treats people like cargo
• Closes at night (no sleeping!)
Layover ideas:
• Visit Beauvais Cathedral to see the Gothic architecture
•
Beauvais things to do
• Head into Paris and take an
Eiffel Tower,
Louvre or
Hop On, Hop Off Bus tour
• Take
@AirportSleeper's advice and fly into
CDG or
ORY instead!
Layover resources:
•
Paris Beauvais Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Paris Beauvais Airport transportation guide
•
Layover Ideas & Stuff to do in Paris
•
Beauvais-Paris - more than just a stopover, it's a destination
7. Frankfurt Hahn International Airport, Germany (HHN)
Survey lowlights:
• The 2 hour bus ride to distant airport
• Bleak and bare-boned
• Uncomfortable metallic seats, floor sleeping
Layover ideas:
• Use the
advanced bag drop-off and storage lockers to get out of the airport
•
Go golfing or go-karting nearby
•
10 Things to do near Frankfurt-Hahn
• Take a
Hop On, Hop Off Bus,
cruise or
guided city tour in Frankfurt
Layover resources:
•
Frankfurt Hahn Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Frankfurt Hahn Airport transportation guide
•
Layover Ideas & Stuff to do in Frankfurt
8. Milan Bergamo Orio al Serio International Airport, Italy (BGY)
Survey lowlights:
• Crowded with sleepers, constantly woken up by cleaners
• Lack of WiFi and electrical outlets
• Short-tempered security staff
Layover ideas:
• Take the funicular up to Città Alta, the medieval old town
• Explore the Città Bassa (lower town)
•
Bergamo Main Sights
Layover resources:
•
Milan Bergamo Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Milan Bergamo Airport transportation guide
•
Layover Ideas & Stuff to do in Milan
9. Berlin Tegel International Airport, Germany (TXL)
Survey lowlights:
• Limited seating, little personal space
• Crowded restaurants
• Especially crummy since it's not even a low-cost carrier airport
Layover ideas:
•
Private Berlin City Layover Tour with Airport Transport
•
Third Reich Sites Half-Day Walking Tour
•
Hop On, Hop Off Bus Tour
• Take
@AirportSleeper's advice and fly into
SXF instead
Layover resources:
•
Berlin Tegel Airport Sleeping Guide
•
Berlin Tegel Airport transportation guide
•
Layover Ideas & Stuff to do in Berlin
•
Berlin Layover from Tegel Airport
10. New York City LaGuardia International Airport, USA (LGA)
Survey lowlights:
• Security lines, unhelpful staff, services shut down (even when crowded)
• Counterintuitive layout (like the bar on the wrong side of security!)
• Lousy seating, not conducive to sleeping
Layover ideas:
•
Visit the historic LaGuardia Marine Air Terminal
•
Plan ahead to see a show
• See the Manhattan skyline from the
Empire State Building
•
New York Hop On, Hop Off Bus Tour
Layover resources:
•
New York LaGuardia Airport Sleeping Guide
•
New York LaGuardia Airport transportation guide
•
Layover Ideas & Stuff to do in New York
For more, check out the juicy sublists of 2014 Worst Airports for Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central & South America, Europe, Middle East, North America and South America.
Too bad there weren't enough votes to produce a Worst Airports in the South Pacific list (there is a Best Airports in the South Pacific list). If you travel this region, be sure to add your 2 cents in the
2015 Best and Worst Airports Survey.
Related resources:
