Top 3 Reasons You Should Book a Long Layover
Wait a minute, did you say book a longer layover? Yes, yes I did. There are some good reasons to book a long layover, especially while traveling abroad.
I know it might sound crazy at first, but hear me out. I do think that an hour our two layover is a good way to go when traveling across the US, or across a few countries in Europe.
I’ve booked many domestic flights that required a layover, and it feels like there is a such a delicate balance to maintain. Book enough time for the layover in case of delays, so you have time to eat and use the restroom, etc, but don’t book too long so you can get to your destination as quick as possible.
Who else feels like they have played this game?
Maybe you don’t have to, especially when flying abroad. My tips below could apply to a longer layover of a few hours, or a full overnight layover.
Check out an Airport Lounge
When I first planned a trip abroad, I figured I needed to keep playing the game.
Plan just enough time to get through customs and eat, to then get on the next flight. We have always had at least one layover, usually two because those are the affordable flights.
Then we had our first long layover in London. We flew overnight from Austin to London and had a 7 hour layover ahead of us. However, I had two passes to the United Club, and man was it amazing. The club had showers, free food and drinks, wifi, and more. We loved the chance to refresh and relax before we had to get on another flight. Some lounges even have napping areas so you can really rest.
There are so many great airport lounges to check out across the world, and at all different access levels. From business and first class lounges, to one time payment lounges for anyone. Travel credit cards are usually how you can gain access for “free.” My United Chase Explorer card is what gave us access in London.
Takeaway: A longer layover at an airport lounge can be a relaxing option to freshen up, rest, and grab some much needed food and drinks (that don’t cost an arm and a leg).
Stay Overnight in a New City
An extra vacation within your vacation? That sounds amazing!
I’m all for extra experiences, and if you can wrap an extra experience into a vacation you already plan to book, why not? Try searching for flexible dates around your time frame, by a few days. This is less common on short local flights, however, you see long layovers pop up more when you look at longer International flights.
An extra 18 hours in a destination would give you enough time to grab a hotel room, explore for a little, eat somewhere new and then sleep. I mean, you could even stay up all night in said city, the choice is yours my friend.
24 hours or more would truly give you a taste of another city. Take into account time to go through customs, transportation to get to the city center, as well as time to check into your room for the night.
Takeaway: If you have to pay for flights anyway, why not choose the option to stay overnight in a new city, or an old city you love? In order to have time to explore, make sure you have at least 18 hours. Maybe booking a night or two on a layover will be the best experience of your trip!
Maybe you'll even have time to book a tour during your overnight stay! Get Your Guide offers tours all over the world.
Cut Down on Jet Lag
Who wants to take a vacation just to end up even more tired!?
A great way to combat jet lag on long International flights, is to split them up on separate days. This works especially well on the return trip since you’ll likely be hopping time zones to get back towards your home destination. Which ties in perfectly with my tips above.
If you don’t have time to squeeze in an extra destination to explore on your overnight layover, there are plenty of airports that have hotels in the terminal. You can book a full night, or even rooms by the hour to get some shut eye.
Some don’t even require you to leave security so you can literally stay over night, wake up and walk to your gate. Nice.
A few of the other important pieces to help cut down on jet lag are to eat healthy foods and drink lots of water. That’s a hard thing to do on an 8+ hour flight, however in comes the airport lounge suggestion again.
Fresh food is typically available, and it will give you time to down some water before you have to fly again. A win-win! Just make sure you don’t consume too much alcohol at the lounge, which would basically negate all that water drinking (I mean you do you).
Takeway: Cut down on jet lag with a long over by getting lots of rest, hydration, and healthy foods. Check out Yotel and BLOCHotels for airport accommodations, and Lounge Pass for day passes to hundreds of lounges worldwide. Check TripAdvisor for hotel reviews too!
Book That Flight!
All this talk of layovers, exploring new cities and lounges makes me excited! I hope these top 3 reasons you should book a long layover help you in planning your next flight. Let me know if you booked a long layover and enjoyed the benefits of doing so!
If you want to tackle planning your time on vacation next, check out my post – How to Plan an Amazing Vacation Itinerary Anywhere!
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