Stopovers are a great way to discover an extra city/country without having to add additional flights! Think of it as a way to sample an extra city or country on your way to your final destination. It’s almost like a try-before-you-buy experience. I suggest a minimum layover (stopover) of 12 hours or more.

It is fairly easy to add a short stopover in another city/country on the way to your final destination. To find the best stopovers, you’ll have to shop multi-stop or multi-city flight searches. This is a feature that many direct flight searches already have, but you might not normally use this as most trips are just destination to destination.

Most airlines fly between destinations through one or several hub cities, following a “hub and spokes” model. For example, New York (JFK) is a hub for American Airlines and Delta Airlines, while Paris is the hub for Air France.

Start shopping using sites like Momondo, Google Flights, Skyscanner, etc. to see less expensive flights with multi stops. Then search that airline’s website instead of using a third party. So now you’ve added a stopover, but how will you plan your added day of travel? Here are our top stress-free ways to making the most of your added travel day.

#1 Research Your Stopover City

I usually start a private Pinterest Board and pin attractions I want to see, restaurants I want to eat at, tips about the city, transportation, etc. You can also start by researching online and writing it down. Then decide which things are most important and make a list.

#2. Pinbox & Google Maps

Use your Pinterest list and begin pinning each spot you want to see to sites like Google Maps or the app, Pinbox. This helps collect the destinations you want to go to within proximity of the city. The example below is of Boston. You can see the collection of pins in certain areas. Once this is done, you’ll be able to see how close everything is from each other and it will help you decide how to make the most of your time. I then color-code each are of interest and create an itinerary depending on how much time I have. Having an idea of the distance and travel time between attractions is an important step in planning a stopover.

#3. Hop-on Hop-Off Bus Tours

Most large cities offer a hop on hop off bus tour. This is a great way to see popular landmarks and attractions in a short amount of time. If you have a full day, check out half-day tour companies. Lastly, look at hiring a private driver. Depending on the driver/company, you can learn a lot about the city’s culture, history, food, landmarks, etc.

#4. Prepare In advance

Download your itinerary and offline maps. This way you’ll have access even if you don’t have wifi, especially if you are in a foreign country. If you are using public transportation, research on how to buy tickets and know where the ticket office is. 

#5. Packing Your Carry-On Luggage

Try to pack everything you need for your stopover into your carry-on. This will save you time digging through large suitcases for the things you need so you can head out and adventure! And in the event you are just passing through a city on a 12-hour layover, your larger checked-in luggage will still be at the airport.

And remember a Stopover is a try-before-you-buy experience. If you loved your stopover, you can come back and enjoy the attractions you might have missed. 

Happy travels…

XO,

Tiffany