Layovers do not have to suck.

There’s no need to wait around the airport nibbling on a fifteen-dollar cardboard sandwich. Do layovers the right way, and you can use them to get even more out of your vacation. You could visit an extra city, see extra sights.

These days, I actually go out of my way to find a layover so I can squeeze in a little more vacation. It’s almost like a free flight to a different city. And this appeals to my inner cheapskate and travel junkie.  

Here are a few ways to make the most out of your layover.

Take a Tour From the Airport

If your layover is at least a few hours long, you might be able to leave the airport and take a tour of your connecting city. Some tour groups, especially in international cities, will pick up and drop off at the airport. Here are a few cities that offer this:

• Amsterdam’s Transit City Tour: Got 5 hours? They’ll pick you up, show you the heart of the city and then drop you off at your terminal.
• Family in New York: These folks will custom design a layover tour for you to and from nearby airports. Check out their website, then check out their reviews.
• London Layover Tours: They depart from Gatwick or Heathrow, and they’ll take you back to either one.
• Beijing Airport Tours: You’ve got a variety of options for sightseeing. Tours last 8 hours or 14 hours.

Find Free International Stopovers

Some airlines offer free (or cheap) stopovers in their origin countries. Basically, these are layovers that last between 24 and 48 hours, giving you plenty of time to enjoy a connecting city. Generally, all you have to do is select a “stopover” option when you book your flight. Hopper lists a few of these airlines and cities:

• Japan Airlines (Osaka and Tokyo)
• Thai Airways (Bangkok)
• Air China (Beijing or Shanghai)

For detailed instructions on how to take advantage of these stopovers, you can check out Hopper’s full post.

Google Flight Search

A clever Google Flight search can help you take advantage of long layovers, too. Search for your flight, and then it’s all about utilizing the right filters. You can search for flights with up to 2 flights, and the “More” filter will let you pick specific cities for layovers. See screenshot below.

From there, sort by duration or stops, and you can easily see which flights are likely to have the longest layovers, depending on how long the overall flight is.

Many times, these flights are also significantly cheaper than nonstop flights, since they’re so long, but they’re not officially stopovers.

Take Advantage of Public Transportation

Some cities have excellent transportation systems to and from the airport. If you have a few hours, you can take a quick and cheap subway ride to the heart of the city, then come back in time for the next leg of your flight. If you have a layover, research how easy it is to just take public transportation, then create a DIY city tour. Frommer’s is a great resource on how to enjoy different cities in a day. Check out their list, pick a few options in the same area, then have a ball.

Relax at a Fancy Hotel

Don’t feel like rushing around the city? One option I came across that sounded tempting: checking in at a fancy hotel nearby. This might be nice if you have an overnight layover and you just want to relax. Or, you could buy a day pass and just enjoy the hotel’s amenities before your next flight. Either way, AirFareWatchdog has some luxurious options in their list of the 15 best airport hotels.

Photo by Jonathan Cohen.