A travel nightmare question. Ten hours at the airport means shops and snacks, but a long wait. Five hours in traffic means half the time, but stuck in your seat. Which delay would you rather survive?
The case for “Wait 10 hours at an airport”
- You can walk around and stretch.
- Shops, restaurants and Wi-Fi.
- You could read a whole book.
The case for “Sit in a traffic jam for 5 hours”
- It is half the time.
- You can play music and car games.
- Snacks and the people you love are right there.
Who picks which side
People who like walking around, shopping and people-watching choose the airport. People who prefer a shorter wait, or who travel with family and snacks in the car, choose the traffic jam. Frequent flyers usually have strong opinions and funny stories.
Our take
Airport. You can walk, eat, shop and charge your phone. Five hours stuck in a car seat is much harder, even with good music.
Keep the debate going
Follow-up: what would you do to pass the time?
Make it harder
- The airport has no shops open.
- The traffic jam has no radio or phone.
- You are with your least favorite person.
In one line: Terminal or tailbacks. Find more like it in our travel would you rather questions.
Frequently asked questions
Which wait is easier with kids?
Many parents say the airport, because kids can walk around. Others say the car, because everything they need is already packed.
How do you pass the time?
Popular answers are books, games, music, podcasts and snacks. Ask your group for their best travel survival tip.
