Travel + Leisure online airport guide to restaurants, shops and bars

It’s a common dilemma when passing through an airport: What should I eat? Where’s the bar? Are there any good gift stores, because I forgot to get my kids/spouse/mother something on my trip. If you’re racing through the airport with 20 minutes before boarding or stuck on a layover for four hours — Travel + Leisure’s Airport Navigator has the answers to those questions and more for 20 different airports around the globe. It’s not just a list of fast-food options or bookstores that are easy to find — the guide lets you know if it’s a swanky restaurant like El Madrono in Madrid Barajas International Airport (MAD), or the much admired Tiffany & Co. jewelry store in Hong Kong (HKG).

Unfortunately, there aren’t any airports covered within the U.S., but the editors are not done adding to the list (the guide launched this past Aug. 22).

20 Airport Navigator sites covered so far: EUROPE — Schipol (AMS in Amsterdam), Munich International (MUC in Germany), Atatürk (IST in Istanbul, Turkey), Charles de Gaulle (XDT in Paris), Heathrow (LHR in London), Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino (FCO in Rome), Barajas International (MAD in Madrid); ASIA:  Capital International (PEK in Beijing), Changi Airport (SIN in Singapore), Hong Kong International (HKG), Narita International (NRT in Tokyo); US + Canada: Toronto Pearson International (YYZ), Vancouver International (YVR); LATIN AMERICA: Ministro Pistirini International (Ezeiza) (EZE in Buenos Aires), Guarulhos International (GRU in Sao Paulo, Brazil), Mexico City International (MEX); AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST:  Cairo International (CAI), OR Tambo International (JNB), Dubai International (DXB); AUSTRALIA: Sydney Airport (SYD)

Tip: I particularly liked the Relax section of the guide to see if there were airport spas like I found in Hong Kong, London and Madrid.

What’s missing: Where’s the map? It’s a great to find out where to go, but there were no visual clues telling the traveler where to find the hotspot. That can be a tease for travelers who only have an hour layover and spend 10 minutes hunting down a directory. The directions you do get are in a sidebar on the individual description page for the shop, restaurant or activity listing. But you’ll miss them if you’re just scanning the main page for the airport.

— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Screenshot of Travel + Leisure Airport Navigator: Credit: www.travelandleisure.com ]

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This entry was posted on Monday, November 2, 2009 at 3:18 pm by Jen Leo and is filed under Airline travel, News, Tips & Advice, Travel Insider. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.