Have you ever had a long layover between connecting flights and
wondered to yourself what a great opportunity this would be to go and
explore a new city or maybe visit some friends and family who are living there.
But you don't actually know if you even can or should leave the airport during your layover.
Well, in this video I'm going to share with you everything you need
to know about leaving the airport during a layover, I am also going to be answering
your most frequently asked questions on this topic as well as leave you with some tips.
So buckle up your seat belts, let's go
Dream Vacations start here
So, to answer the question yes, you can generally leave the airport
during a layover but I want to give you three reasons why sometimes you
either can't or shouldn't leave the airport during a layover.
The first reason is an obvious one and that is that your layover is too short.
If your layover is less than five hours and you are boarding an international flight,
I recommend that you just stay at the airport during your layover.
The reason being is that you are going to have to go through customs and immigration when exiting
the airport and you'll have to go through security again once you return back to the airport.
This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours.
Because the wait times are so unpredictable it's best to just
stay at the airport to avoid the possibility of missing your flight.
The second reason is that you don't have the correct paperwork.
Depending on where you are from and where your layover is happening,
you may need a visa to exit the airport even for a few hours.
You will need to make sure you're eligible for
a Visa and get one in advance if you are able to or upon arrival.
The third reason is that some countries still have Covid restrictions for visitors.
Even though the pandemic is under control in most countries, some countries will require
way to either be vaccinated and or take a Covid test if you choose to exit the airport.
Because of that you always want to check with the airport to see whether you can exit the
airport during a layover a day before your flight and really before you start planning your trip.
If you can clear these three reasons and they aren't a factor for you let's now
talk about leaving the airport during a layover.
First, if you want to leave the airport during a domestic flight layover then there's no
restriction to do so since you are in the same country and no additional paperwork is needed.
If you checked luggage the airline is automatically going to transfer
your luggage to the next flight for you.
So you won't have to worry about hauling your luggage around unless you booked
your flights as two separate flights in which case you are going to have
to go and retrieve your luggage and recheck it in with the new airline.
Once you have done that then you are free to leave the airport.
I would also make sure you carry everything you need in your carry-on like your ID, passport,
camera, wallet, things you are going to need with you while you are out exploring the city.
If you want to leave the airport during a layover on an international flight
here are some tips to help you plan a successful trip during your layover.
First, as I mentioned earlier, we want to know what is required to be able to leave the airport.
Is a Visa required, are there Covid restrictions that would prevent you from leaving the airport?
Some countries have specific visas for passengers
with long layovers which you can get at the airport.
However, it's not always a good idea to leave the airport just because you can.
You will need to do some research because you will be limited on time.
If you don't know how to get to the city, how long that takes, or what places to visit there,
you will most likely end up wasting your time trying to find something fun to do.
Another tip I have for you is to grab some snacks to go to save time.
Instead of ordering at a restaurant which can be time consuming,
grab some filling snacks like your granola bar, a wrap,
or even a smoothie to help keep you full of energy during your trip outside the airport.
And believe it or not some airports even have
guided tours of the city that are specifically for layovers.
To find out if the airport you are at provides these tours be
sure to stop at the airport's information desk.
I do know for sure that airports at Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, and Seoul provides city guided tours.
If you have decided that leaving the airport is not going to be a good option
for you then here are some options that you can do inside the airport.
Number one, you can book access to an airport lounge.
Airport lounges can be awesome and really help you pass the time.
There is going to be more comfortable seating than
what you can find elsewhere inside the airport as well as better wi-fi.
You may also be able to find beds and showers as well in some lounges.
If you are flying internationally, sometimes access to the lounge is
included in the price of the ticket otherwise, you may be able to buy a day pass or if you
have enough frequent flyer points you can use those to gain access as well.
Tip number two, go and look for value deals in duty-free shops.
Duty free shops are a great place to find quality chocolates, perfumes,
and items you might not find in the city for a relatively lower price.
Tip number three, grab a coffee, some food,
and find a calm place to read a book or watch something on Netflix.
Time flies when you are comfortable so find a spot where you can relax,
read a book or stream a movie until it's time to get on your next flight.
Tip number four, go dining in Airport restaurants.
Airports have really improved the amount of food choices you can choose from,
so if you have the time why not treat yourself to a good meal while you wait.
And tip number five, some airports have interesting things that you can
do that you wouldn't think would be at an airport.
For example, the San Francisco Airport offers yoga class classes and several airlines have
movie theaters and spas inside the airports which are great options to help you pass the time.
So, I am now going to jump into answering some frequently asked
questions that I get about leaving the airport during a layover.
Question number one.
How long should my layover be if I want to leave the airport?
If it were me I would like my layover to be at least six hours or longer if I'm
considering leaving the airport during an international connecting flight.
Just because you do have to go through customs
and then go through security again which can eat up a lot of your time.
For a domestic layover it really depends on the
city and how easy it is to get to and from the city from the airport.
For example, if I had a layover in Chicago,
to get to downtown Chicago by train it would take an hour each way from O'Hare airport so
considering that I'd want a five or six hour layover to make it worth my time.
Question number two.
Can you get checked luggage during a layover?
Yes, you can claim your checked luggage from the airline. I would just make sure
you arrive back at the airport to recheck your luggage at least 90 minutes before your flight.
Question number three.
What happens if I miss the second leg of my flight?
If you were to miss your connecting flight either due to a flight delay, or the security lines were
too long or really any other reason, the airline will rebook you on their next available flight.
The good news is you won't have to pay any additional fees when this happens.
Question number four.
What countries are good for connecting flights?
I would say Germany, Turkey and even the United Arab Emirates.
These countries tend to have the highest tourists in the world and spending a
layover trip in any of these countries would definitely be a memorable experience because
these countries know how to host tourists and will have plenty of activities for you to do.
Question number five.
Which cities are good for long layovers?
I would say the major cities of the countries I just mentioned.
So, Dubai, Istanbul, Copenhagen, and Frankfurt are all good choices but I
think in general any city can be a good layover if it doesn't require
much or any paperwork to enter and it has an easy way to get to and from the airport.
Question number six what is the difference between a layover, a stopover, and a connecting flight?
This is actually a really good question.
A layover is any time you spend at the airport waiting for your connecting flight.
A layover can last from 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
A stopover is similar to a layover except for the
gap between each flight lasts more than 24 hours and can go up to a couple of days.
A connecting flight is a term used to describe a flight that
is split into two or more flights to reach your final destination.
So a connecting flight can include a layover or a stopover depending on how long your connection is.
Hey if you found this video helpful make sure to check out a couple of
my other videos that I think will be helpful to you as well.
Thank you so much for watching this one and I can't wait to catch you in a future video