Activities Outside the Roanoke, Virginia Airport During a Long Layover

Traveling by airplane can be an adventure. However, when you have a long layover, it can sometimes make your trip a challenge. If you have a long layover while you are at the Roanoke Regional Airport in Virginia, what could you do to bide your time? How would you be able to leave the airport? What nearby attractions, restaurants and the like are near enough to the airport that you could go visit them and still be back at the airport in time to catch your flight?

The Roanoke Regional Airport is only three minutes from Valley View Mall and a variety of restaurants. The Olive Garden, Chick-Fil-A, Abuelo's, Carrabas, Texas Steakhouse, Smoky Bones, TGI Friday's and Red Robin are all located in close proximity to the airport. Valley View Mall has numerous stores at which a traveler could shop: these include Barnes and Noble, Sears, Belk, J.C. Penney, Old Navy, Gap, Eddie Bauer, Build-A-Bear, Macy's and many others. To get to the mall and the restaurants, you could almost walk or utilize the Smart Bus which is part of Roanoke's Valley Metro line or receive shuttle service from the Roanoke Airport Transportation Service. If you prefer to travel by limousine, Cartier Limousine is also available.

Crossroads Mall and Towne Square Strip Mall are also only three minutes from the Roanoke airport. These contain such stores as Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Michael's, Marshall's, Shoe Carnival, Once Upon A Child, Plato's Closet, Office Max, Ross, Books-A-Million, K-Mart, Rugged Wearhouse, Jo Ann's Fabrics, and Sam's Wholesale Club. If you are in need of any groceries or prescriptions, Kroger is right next to the malls. If you are in the mood for fruit or a home-cooked meal, Edible Arrangements and Pete's Restaurant are located in Towne Square. If you are a member of Gold's Gym and feel the need to get a workout, a branch of Gold's Gym can be found in the malls' vicinity. These two malls and the accompanying restaurants and facilities could be reached by walking from the airport or by taking the bus or the transportation provided by the airport.

If you feel like going to see historic downtown Roanoke while you are waiting to catch your next flight, you could call a taxi from Liberty Cab Company or Yellow Cab Company and ride less than 10 minutes to downtown. The Taubman Museum of Art, the Transportation Museum, the O. Winston Link Museum, Hotel Roanoke, the Farmer's Market, the now closed Patrick Henry Hotel, the main branch of the Roanoke library, Center in the Square, and a multitude of unique shops and multicultural restaurants await your enjoyment. Once you are in downtown Roanoke, almost everything is within walking distance. For your trip back to the airport from downtown, you can either return by taxi or by bus.

Sources:

http://www.roanokeairport.com/services/services.html

http://www.roanokeats.com/

http://www.smartwaybus.com/