making the most out of your LONG LAYOVER by leaving?

Don’t you hate having a long layover at an airport? Sure, you can explore the airport, eat, relax at the lounge, or do other activities to consume time. Well, did you know during your long layover at the airport, you can leave the airport and explore the country of your transit?

That is right, for no additional charge you can visit another country.

In most cases, the airfare price will be cheaper if the layover time is longer.

For example, let us look at the below Singapore Airline Flight from Singapore to New York, with a layover at Frankfurt, Germany, which I was looking at recently for my trip back home.

As you can see from the above itinerary, Route 1 has a layover of 1hr50min with a price in Premium Economy Class for $4818.70 SGD and Business Class for $9097.70 SGD.

On the other hand, Route 2 has a layover of 14hr55min. As a result, the price in Premium Economy Class is $3985.90 SGD, and Business Class for $6680.90 SGD

Comparing the two results, Route 2 has a long layover but considerably cheaper prices. Needless to say, I choose Route 2 since I could visit a country I never visited and I could save on airfare.

Of course, if you are in a hurry or just want to get to your destination faster then you should take the shorter layover.

I have enjoyed each one of these trips as I was able to visit famous attractions, catch up with old friends, experience local culture, and eat local food (cheaper than airport prices)

Prior to leaving the airport:

• Please do your research regarding your country’s visa eligibility as each country have different requirements. In some cases, you need to obtain it in advance. I use the following sites to check
  https://visalist.io/
  https://www.passportindex.org/travel-visa-checker/
• Exchange to the local currency. I always keep some cash as not all stores accept credit cards. If you still have remaining currency after your trip you can exchange it again, donate it, or do what I do just save it as I might visit again. If you want a better rate then you should exchange the currency outside the airport.
• If you are going to use your credit card, notify your provider about using the card abroad or give permission to use your card abroad. The last thing you want is to have your card denied by the cashier. Please be aware of your credit card currency conversion fees, as this can add up. Some credit cards don’t charge this fee, which I would recommend using.
• If you have any questions or are unsure of anything there is always an information desk at arrival halls.
• See if there are any COVID regulations still in place. You might need to show the status of your vaccination or some countries requires a recent PCR test result.

Planning will be key to carrying out a successful layover trip, so allow enough time to get back to the airport, grab your luggage, and go through security and customs. Each airport and country is different but in general, if you have at least a 6-hour layover you would have enough time to transit, do some sightseeing, and go through immigration. On the other hand, you can arrange a tour guide in advance so all the traveling planning is done for you. Some airlines even offer tours for a long layover. When I flew with Qatar Airways and was transiting to Doha, Qatar they offered a Doha City Tour. Ultimately, you can refer to google for layover trips from other travelers and tweak the itinerary to your liking.

Wifi/Mobile Data

You can borrow wifi router/SIM card, pay data with your cell phone company, or don’t use it at all

Personally, I am the adventurous type and I like to save on costs so I just don’t purchase anything. I plan ahead where I want to visit on google maps and add it to “Starred places”. The reason for this is that google maps will still track your current location even if offline. Therefore, I know if  I am going in the right direction or how close I am to my destination. The only caveat is you just can search for anything new or search for directions. Google maps also offer the option for your to download and save a map. Click here for directions.

These days there are a bunch of places that offer free wifi, so use that to your advantage if I need to look up anything.

Luggage

Regarding your carry-on luggage, you can store it in a baggage storage area at the airport for a fee. The last thing you want to experience is carrying a bulky suitcase for hours or worse losing your luggage. You should not have to worry about these negative aspects and focus on having fun on your trip. If the place of destination doesn’t have a baggage storage area you can consider checking it in for your next flight.

Conclusion

Overall, is it worth going through all the hassle to leave the airport? YES! I often purposely book long layovers so that I can visit another country that I otherwise may not have been able or would have to book a separate journey. Also, doing so made my journey even more fun and memorable.

During the peak of COVID, this would be impossible, but now most countries are relaxing their measure so this strategy is possible again.

I always dislike the fact when friends said they visited a certain country but they were at the airport. In my opinion, that does not count as visiting that country. It should only count as visiting when you leave the airport and get that passport stamp at immigration right?

Hope you found this article and look at layover as an advantage.