Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Reading In Airports

Locations in this article:  Amsterdam, Netherlands San Francisco, CA

Delays, cancellations and layovers can make some travelers wish they had brought some better reading material.

Short of paying too much at the airport bookstore, what are your options?

Last summer, Amsterdam’s Schiphol took an unusual step and opened the first permanent airport library.

We’re talking as many as 1,200 books translated into more than 20 language, plus they have iPads to explore the library’s collection of literature and history.

They’ve also got download stations to let travelers store that information on an iPhone or other portable device.

And this year, Taiwan’s Taoyuan International has opened its own airport library with iPads and e-readers available for rent, plus more than 2,000 books, newspapers, and magazines.

Of course, airport libraries aren’t exactly commonplace in the U.S.

But the Christian Science Reading Room at the San Francisco Airport provides travelers a quiet place to study and read.

And if it’s peace and quiet you’re after, look for an airport meditation room or chapel.

Most are interfaith so anyone is welcome to come in to get away from the stress of the airport environment.

Learn more in the Airlines & Airports section.

And check out the rest of our Daily Travel Tips here.