Flights inevitably get delayed, and passengers often miss connecting flights. This means that you may end up spending a lot of time in Gatwick Airport. If you’ll be there for longer than a few hours there are plenty of Gatwick airport hotels, but there are also a few things you can do to help the time go faster:

Here are 5 things to do in Gatwick Airport:

1) Grab a lounge pass

You can pick up lounge passes online for around 20 pounds, and they can be well worth the money spent. Ditch the crowds in favour of wifi and complimentary alcoholic drinks and snacks, free newspapers, and an excellent view of the runway.

2) Head to Horley or Brighton

This means leaving the airport, but if you have a few hours, why not? Horley is only a 3 minute train ride from Gatwick, and you’ll be able to enjoy a delicious English pub meal, and wander through the town.

If you’re facing a huge delay, and don’t want to find an airport hotel, head to Brighton, which is 40 minutes by train from Gatwick, and you’ll be able to soak up the sun in this enchanting seaside town. Take some cash since there are tons of shops to explore.

3) Connect to the Wifi

We all know that wifi makes the time go faster, so hunt down some wifi and a quiet place to plug in and you’ll be happy as Larry. You’ll find free wifi in the terminal for 45 minutes, and Boingo will offer you different plans after your time expires. However if you head to McDonalds in the South Terminal you’ll find unlimited free wifi. There are also a number of internet kiosks throughout the terminals.

4) Take a nap

For those who don’t mind grabbing a couple of hours sleep in an airport, Gatwick is one of the best airports for this. You’ll find fully flat cushioned benches near power points, along with free wifi-all the comforts of home. Just be sure to snag a bench or armchair early, since these get full pretty fast. You’ll have no problem with security, and there will be plenty of other people sleeping as well. Bring a jacket as the airport can be a bit cold at night.

5) Do some shopping or eating

Nothing passes the time like eating your favourite foods, or finding the perfect outfit. Gatwick has a huge variety of shops and restaurants, and many of the food options are open 24 hour.

Do some shopping in Harods, Mango, Victoria’s Secret, World of Dutyfree, Boots, Zara, or Ted Baker, before chowing down in McDonalds, Starbucks, the Red Lion, Jamie’s Italian, Garfunkel’s, Armadillo, Cafe Rouge, or Costa. With so many options, time will fly.

Travel Tip:

If you miss your flight, or experience other trouble while traveling, it’s important to have holiday insurance with Holiday Extras. Grab a quote so you can rest easy if you miss your next flight.