Well-planned stop-overs are the secret to seeing the world on a budget
If you have been asking yourself what the hell am I talking about when I say ” Stop-Over ” – hopefully this will give you the answers to your questions.
Stop-Overs are when you are Flying from A to Z but have to stop in M to get to your final destination. This can either be an inconvenience to the average business traveler or a fantastic opportunity to explore new places cheaply for the world traveler.
These stops can be split into different categories
The layover
A layover is a stop between flights, also called a connection. It can be anything from an hour to four on domestic flights and less than 24 hours on international flights. Generally, layovers of less than an hour between flights are a good idea unless you want to be that passenger running like a wild woman from one side of the terminal to the other.
Layovers can be a good excuse to check out different duty frees or eat at some of the great airport restaurants
The stopover
This is when you take advantage of a long layover and get out of the airport to explore! I wouldn’t recommend doing this if you have a less than 12 hour stop – especially if the airport is far away from the place you want to visit. These “out of airport” experiences need to be planned ahead – checking what you need to be allowed to leave the airport: if you need visas and of course triple checking if you can do it in time. There are cities, like Singapore that have free tours for those with long layovers.
10 FREE LAYOVER TOURS WHILE YOU ARE WAITING
The multi-city ticket stop-over
These are my favorite kinds of stopovers. The ones that take me to my final destination but via “interesting” routes. These are multiple tickets with different airlines that will take you to your destination but with the chance to explore other countries on the way and if planned well, at the same cost as a direct flight.
These “stopovers” are for those who have time to travel, who love adventure, and who like flying!
Why fly directly to Bangkok when you can spend a week in Cochin in Southern India and then explore the amazing Andaman Islands before heading to Thailand? and spend less than a direct flight!
