You're stuck at [airport]. What to do? Where to go? Where to stay?

In My Humble Opinion
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I recently spent a day, involuntarily, in New York City as a result of a weather delay that caused me to miss my connection at JFK and left me stranded until the next evening. After a miserable night in the airport, I decided to make the best of my situation and take a subway into Manhattan the following morning, where I did the tourist thing until I had to come back to catch my plane. It took some research, but I got it figured out.

So I was thinking. With the vast number of cities represented here at the Dope, perhaps we can compile a list of things to do, where to go, places to stay, and how to get there for a number of airports around the world. When listing items, I recommend considering that said stranded traveler has probably spent his or her vacation budget and is going to be looking for cost efficiency when it comes to transportation, lodging, and other expenses. But, the unexpected detour should not be completely devoid of fun either. Live a little.

I’ll start.

Stranded at: JFK

Do: Visit midtown Manhattan. Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and Central Park are easy to get to and within a relatively short jaunt from JFK on the E line. Take the E line further down to get to the World Trade Center and check out the memorial and freedom tower.

How to get there: Take the AirTrain to the Jamaica Station then the E train to Midtown. Get off at 5th Ave/53rd St to get to Rockefeller Center, Times Square and Central Park. Of course, you can get a subway map at the airport and find your way to other places too. When you get off the AirTrain at Jamaica Station is where you purchase a subway card with trip fares. Put at least $16 on it ($5 Airtrain + $2.50 subway ride each way + $1 for the card). When you come back, make sure you get off the E train at Sutphin Boulevard, not Jamaica Center. As a point of reference, it took me about an hour to get from the airport to midtown Manhattan and about 1.5 hours total to get back from midtown and through security.

Where to stay: Hell if I know. I tried to sleep noisy airport with hard floors and uncomfortable floors. Next time I’ll just pony up a zillion bucks for a goddamn room.

Stranded at: Phoenix Sky Harbor

What to do: Either enjoy the cultural and sports activities, restaurants, bars, and art galleries in downtown Phoenix, or go hang out at Mill Ave in Tempe with its shops, bars, restaurants, and town lake. Mill Ave is more of a college hangout, but there are plenty of things for grownups to do there too.

How to get there: Take the Skytrain from terminal 4 to the 44th St. and Washington light rail station. If you wish to go to downtown Phoenix, take the westbound train. If downtown Tempe, eastbound. If your flight lands at terminals 2 or 3, you’ll need to take an airport shuttle to get to the Skytrain at terminal 4, perhaps to the light rail station itself (they’re making lots of changes; hard to keep up).

Where to stay: Since I’ve never had to get a hotel room in either spot I don’t know what to recommend, but both downtowns have a number of hotels within walking distance of the light rail.

I have some more I can add but I’ll let y’all have at it for now. Add some cities or feel free to add more information to what I’ve already written.

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You might like this website: http://www.sleepinginairports.net/

I have Priority Pass, which gives me access to a number of business class lounges around the world. There is an app that locates the closest one to you. It’s worth it if you travel a lot.

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Awesome link, madmonk28. Thanks for sharing! Damn, I sure could’ve used it this last trip!

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I got stuck for the day at Vancouver (YVR). I took the train down to Gastown, saw some landmarks that I remembered from when I visited one time when I was 9 years old, then took the train back up the airport and slept (well, as best one can in a noisy airport) across some chairs at the gate for my next flight. It was actually a pleasant day.

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My usual strategy. Find airport bar: drink.

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SFO is right on BART, so getting into the city would be very easy - quite appropriate due to the mess last weekend. Logan is also just a free bus ride from the T, and another free bus takes you into the city.
Washington National is on the Metro, so you can zip in for the Smithsonian.

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Dulles: You can waste a few hours at the Air and Space Musuem Annex next door. You could walk into Chantilly and wander around, but there’s not really much there to see. There are several hotels.

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Amsterdam airport has a casino. Not just slots like Vegas.

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The Sully Plantation Historic Site is next door to Dulles too if you are interested in the Antebellum South. If you’re willing to rent a car, you could drive to the Bull Run battlefield, Clara Barton’s headquarters @ St. Mary’s Church in Fairfax Station, and several other Civil War sites in the area.

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One tequila

Two tequila

Three tequila

Floor

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IAD: Take Metrorail into downtown DC, see the White House, Congress, Ford’s Theater, the Japanese cherry trees (especially if you’re there during the blossom season).

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I think you mean National, the Metro doesn’t go to IAD yet.

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Vegas: the airport is right near the strip. Get on a bus or limo and tour the town.

San Diego: even closer to the downtown. Hop a taxi and go to the zoo or the USS Midway

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SYD: Catch a train to Circular Quay, then a ferry to Taronga Zoo.

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Seattle-Tacoma: 5 bucks will get you round trip to the downtown area on light rail.

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Schiphol may just be my favorite airport in the world. The few times I’ve been through and had time, I’d just pop into Amsterdam and walk around, but apparently there’s a lot more to do there.. Honestly, I didn’t even know they had a casino.

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BWI (Baltimore): the light rail can take you a short walk (a few blocks) from the Inner Harbor. Not sure what Harbor Place is like nowadays, but you have the National Aquarium and other tourist things to do.

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Atlanta: Hop on MARTA to:
[ul]
[li]Five Points (longer walk/no transfer) or Dome (transfer /shorter walk) station - CNN Center, World of Coke, Centennial Park[/li][li]Lenox Station - go shopping[/li][li]King Memorial - explore Oakland Cemetary[/li][li]Decatur Station - nice little downtown area, good restaurants[/li][li]Arts Center - High Museum[/li][li]Midtown Station - Piedmont Park, Margaret Mitchell House[/li][/ul]

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Yep.

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Thanks everyone. I’ll do another one:

Stranded at: San Diego

What to do: Take the green trolley lines to Old Town, Seaport Village, or the Gaslamp Quarter. Old Town is way touristy, with all its (mostly Mexican) restaurants and shops. Gaslamp has tons of places to go: shops, restaurants, bars (lots of live music places), etc.

How to get there: Hop the 992 bus and get off at North Harbor Dr. and Hawthorne. Hop the green trolley from there. Alternatively if you stay at a hotel see if they have shuttle service.

Where to stay: I’ve always found Old Town to be more cost friendly, while still close to a main transit station. The Best Western up there has always been surprisingly inexpensive for what all it includes. The Western Inn is really cheap but definitely spartan (though I figure that’s OK if you’re stuck and just want somewhere to crash).