Travel has always been stressful. Now more than ever, we are incentivized to get in to space, away from others. So, what’s the travel ‘hack’ to finding those quiet zones at the airport without endless walking? The idea of peace and quiet can sometimes seem completely unreachable when you are sitting in the middle of a busy terminal waiting for your next flight. Your health and wellbeing should never be compromised while traveling. At Sanctifly we are big fans of finding quiet spaces to spend our airport downtime and we asked our team of travel writers and collaborators to share their top tips for ‘Finding Sanctuary’ at the airport. Here are some of the best tips they had to offer. If you have any further ideas, please share them with us at maeve@sanctifly.club.
1. Chapel / Meditation Room
Most airports will have a Chapel or Multi-Faith Prayer Room available to travelers. They are not just for religious purposes, they are open and inviting spaces where travelers are invited to relax, reflect, and meditate. These are often under-used areas of the airport and offer passengers a great opportunity for peace and quiet. Even if the space is busy, visitors are often encouraged to be quiet and not to disturb other travelers during their time in the chapel/prayer room. Just be aware that some of these rooms do function as a religious space and so may hold services from time to time.
Some airports even have a dedicated meditation space, designed specifically for passengers to relax and meditate during their airport downtime. Here are five of the best airport meditation rooms that we have found:
1. Heathrow
LHR has a dedicated ‘Rest and Relaxation Room’ located near Gate 24 in Terminal 2. The space offers comfortable seating and a calm and inviting atmosphere where visitors are encouraged to be quiet and peaceful during their airport downtime.
2. Philadelphia
The Quiet Room at PHL is a beautiful, calming space designed for passengers to enjoy solitude and prayer. The space is divided into 2 sections, separated by frosted glass so visitors can enjoy some privacy while meditating. The Quiet Room is located in the hallway that connects Gate D and Gate E.
3. Helsinki
The Aukio Meditation Space is a unique space at Helsinki Vantaa Airport. The curved 360° LED screen, soundscape and interactive wall projections take visitors on a journey through Finland’s nature and its four seasons.
Aukio is located in the Non-Schengen area, near Gate 40.
4. Frankfurt
The Quiet Room at Frankfurt Airport is a dedicated mediation space where passengers can sit and relax before their flight. The flowing design and the calming lighting create the perfect atmosphere for stress relief and meditation. The Quiet Room at FRA is located on Concourse Z, in Terminal 1, near Gate Z11.
The Sanctifly app features all chapels, multi-faith prayer rooms and meditation spaces at major airports all over the world. Go to the home screen on the Sanctifly app and click the ‘Sanctuary’ tile to find out more about your options for space, quiet and meditation at the airport.
Prayer rooms can sometimes be located outside of airport security, so keep that in mind as you plan your airport downtime.
2. Yoga space
Another great option for finding some quiet space and sanctuary at the airport is in a dedicated yoga space. This is not an option at too many airports, however as health and wellness become a more important priority for travelers, airports are taking note and introducing more fitness and wellness facilities into the terminals. Check out this article on the best free yoga rooms at airports for more info on where to find some space to stretch and meditate.
3. Empty Gates
One of the best resources for finding some extra space away from the crowds at the airport is to go to an empty gate and take advantage of the space. Most terminals will have unused gates, usually located away from the restaurant and shopping areas of the terminal. You can quickly scan the flight information screens and make a note of any gates that are not currently in use. Make sure to take note of a couple of options as you may get to the gate and realize it is about to become in use. Another important tip to remember is not to venture too far from your gate. When we are in a relaxing and peaceful space, it can become all too easy to lose track of time. Make sure you know how long it will take you to get back to your gate and leave with plenty of time, so you don’t find yourself running through the airport, late to catch your flight.
The best advantage of spending your airport downtime at an empty gate is that you get some space to move around and stretch without worrying about disturbing your fellow passengers. At Sanctifly we have created a series of travel friendly workouts and stretch routines that are designed specifically for travelers. You can find them under the ‘Fitness’ tile on the Sanctifly home screen.
4. Dedicated workspaces
Dedicated workspaces can also be a potential option for quiet space at the airport. These are areas of the airport terminal with dedicated desks and charging points, designed to facilitate travelers that need to get some work done during their airport downtime. However, depending on where the workspace is situated (and who is using it at the time), it may not be the quietest option. If the workspace is away from the main part of the terminal (i.e. the food court and shopping area) and nobody using the space is on a conference call, workspaces can be quiet and peaceful.
Some airports take this concept even further with the introduction of work pods. Jabbrrbox provides individual work booths that are quiet and comfortable and equipped with Wi-Fi, video conferencing capabilities and mobile booking to access. There are Jabbrrbox Booths available to book at LGA, JFK, PIT and CVG and can be booked in 30 minutes increments. These offer a great opportunity for some quiet time at the airport.
5. Lounges
Lounges are another potential option for quiet space at the airport. Whether or not the lounge is quiet and peaceful will depend on how many people are using the space. Ask at reception how many people are using the space before entering the lounge and you can judge whether or not you want to enter.
Some lounges will have additional facilities where you can get some space. For example, many lounges offer shower facilities, private resting rooms, and dedicating workspaces that you can take advantage of.
Sanctifly has over 260 lounge partners. Premium members can use passes to access lounges at airports all over the world. You can find all our lounge partners under the ‘Lounge’ tile on the home screen.
“The airline lounges are my favorite airport sanctuary. These lounges are especially valuable during disrupted trips. They so often reduced my stress by having pleasant and professional staff at hand to help repair my damaged itineraries.” –Scott Gillespie, tClara
Those are some options available to passengers in the transit area of the airport. There are also options for quiet space before security if that suits your travel schedule.
6. Go to the lobby
The best option for quiet space available before security in nearly every international airport is an airport hotel lobby. In most airports a hotel will either be connected to the terminal or offer a free shuttle bus to and from the airport. As with many of the space options that are not specifically designed to facilitate quiet time, this option will depend on how busy the hotel lobby is. Airport hotels tend to market towards business travelers rather than families and so there is a good chance that the clientele in the lobby are in the same mindset as you and are looking for a quiet space to work or relax during a hectic business trip. This makes airport lobby’s a great option for finding quiet space at the airport.
7. Get a room
For travelers that are willing to pay a little extra, Day Room options at Hotels have become increasingly more available and affordable. Transit hotels and airport capsule hotels offer the best chance for rest, relaxation and quiet. The hotels will offer pay-by-the-hour rates, so no matter how much time you have before your flight, you can still book a room. Even if you are not tired and don’t want to sleep, having your own space to relax or read or meditate, away from the busyness of the terminal is definitely worth it! We feature a couple of recommended Day Room options at each airport in the Sanctifly App.
8. Get out
If you do have a layover, delay or downtime of longer than 3 hours, don’t spend it in the airport terminal. Visit a nearby park to get some space and sanctuary. Spending time in nature, away from the noise and busyness of the airport is incredibly beneficial for your mental health and will help to relieve travel stress. At Sanctifly we want to help frequent travelers to make the healthiest choices for your travel downtime. We have curated and selected the best parks that are within 5 miles of every major international airport, including details on how to get there. You can find details on these parks under the ‘Run/Walk’ tile on the Sanctifly app home screen.
Building a meditation practice is not just for traveling, introducing meditation into your everyday routine can be extremely beneficial. It will also make meditation while on the road much easier! Check out this handy, detailed guide to creating a meditation space at home. You wont regret it!
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