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• Air Travel

When my husband and I traveled from New York to Bali for our honeymoon, our flight itinerary called for two layovers -- one in Frankfurt and one in Singapore. A flight I was on the previous year had been routed through Frankfurt and I knew what my layover there had in store for me: absolutely nothing. Nothing to do, nothing to see, nothing to eat.

With no knowledge about the airport in Singapore, I assumed it would be more of the same. But as it turned out, there wasn't enough time to see, do and eat all the things I wanted to at Singapore's Changi Airport. Bus tours of the city? Napping pods? A free movie theater? A swimming pool? It almost made me wish our layover in Singapore were longer.

Almost.

It sure did get me thinking though. In a perfect world, we would all fly direct to our destinations. And this is certainly getting easier and easier, even when traveling overseas. But when that isn't possible, as with my upcoming flight to Naples, Italy, we often have the power to plan our routes in order to make our layovers as painless as possible -- or, at the very least, know what's in store for us at the interim airport.

We asked our readers for their suggestions, but there are many airports out there and we want to hear more from you -- tell us which airport is the best place in the world to spend a layover.

All the Comforts of Home

** "We just got stuck in Copenhagen forever, and it was pretty nice with some really good restaurants and some decent shopping. There are also nap rooms and showers, and we even did five minutes in the tanning booth as a lark."
~ mattkorey

** "I enjoy Honolulu for the showers (equipped with curling irons, blow-dryers, and toiletries) and nap rooms." ~ transworldtraveler

** "I had an 18-hour layover at Amsterdam Schiphol. I had already done some research and knew about the small hotel inside the airport. It's off to one side of the airport, on the third floor. They said they were full for the night. Forewarned, I asked to be put on the waiting list. One hour later I had a room, because someone else canceled. The rooms are quiet, clean and comfortable. (Yes, the WC is in the room. It has a shower, as well as the necessary.) I had a good sleep and the next day, on the long trek back to my terminal, I had an excellent breakfast and did way too much shopping. Dragging myself out of the candy shop was very hard. It was full of chocolate." ~ InfaSis

** "I have always liked Melbourne, Australia as a place for a long layover. Good shopping, free showers, nice people." ~ Angharad

** "I am very fond of San Francisco International. The airport feels much like the city. Don't miss the clam chowder in a traditional San Francisco sourdough bread bowl. When I lived there, we used to laugh at the tourists who bought loafs to take home. Now that I live thousands of miles away, I have become one of them. You can't get that taste anywhere else in the world." ~ Neo

** "The airports in New Zealand are nice, just like the country. Domestically, I like the Charlotte airport -- they have big windows with rocking chairs and palm trees. Nice to look at and even better to sit a while!" ~ mschrisann

** "I have always found that Vancouver International Airport is one of the prettiest I have been to, with a real eye towards bringing a sense of the outdoor beauty of the Vancouver area to the airport. Lots of natural light through the large sections of glass windows, plus the use of natural materials in the terminal make it a peaceful setting." ~ GregW

** "If you like a nice place to hang out, the Santa Barbara airport is small, friendly, has a nice gift shop, and a lovely little coffee shop where you can sit on the balcony, sip your favorite beverage, and be lucky enough to have incomparable views." ~ Sadler-Wells

Art Enthusiast

** "Hmm, haven't had too many memorable layovers, but I guess my nicest one was at Chicago, IL O'Hare. The food and services were pretty standard, but I liked the different art exhibits they had throughout the different terminals -- I remember some really cool murals that sort of captured the spirit of Chicago." ~ Soliteyah

** "Although our layover was only an hour, we enjoyed the large spacious central atrium and live piano music at the airport in Portland." ~ Big Bird

** "Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is a great place. There is an art gallery and a casino, plus a train straight into the heart of Amsterdam. I had a six-hour layover there, and was able to get out of the airport and see a little of Amsterdam." ~ GregW

For Shopoholics

** "The best layover I have ever had at any airport is Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The duty-free shopping is to die for with plenty of good places to eat and a major hotel inside the international transit area. Even though it is in the Middle East, Dubai, UAE is a safe place and safe for Americans. Dubai is a great place to visit in and of itself and the airport makes it so much the better." ~ AirWolfFL

** "If you love to shop, the best airport I've experienced for a layover is Munich. Paris's, de Gaulle is also good for shopping." ~ Sadler-Wells

** "I don't mind spending time browsing/shopping or having a snack in Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport while waiting to board my flight." ~ Host Bonjour

** "I was amazed at the shopping opportunities at Pittsburgh's airport. It's like your plane landed at the Mall of the Americas!" ~ GregW