Can I leave the airport during a layover?
You have a lot to consider when booking a flight with a layover. Direct flights are always best, but sometimes money or distance means you’ll end up with a layover. And sometimes that layover is a long one. It might be long enough that you ask yourself, can I leave the airport during a layover?
The quick answer is it depends.
Whether you can leave the airport during your layover or not depends on a lot of factors, and there’s no one size fits all answer. Consider the following points in order to make the best decision about leaving the airport.
How long is your layover?
This is probably the most important factor in your decision because if your layover is too short, the rest doesn’t matter.
You might look at the time your first flight lands and the time your next flight takes off and think you have plenty of time. But look a little closer.
Subtract out the time it will take for the plane to taxi to the gate and for you to get off the plane and through the airport. (Maybe 30 minutes or so.)
Subtract out the time you need ahead of your second flight. (1-2 hours depending on the airport and if it’s a domestic or international flight.)
Then subtract the time you need to get to and from the city or wherever it is you want to go during your layover. (Varies greatly but could be as little as 30 minutes or as much as 2 hours depending on where you are, mode of transportation, and traffic conditions.)
How much time do you have left? Is it enough time for a meal and a walking tour? Is it just enough to grab an ice cream and turn around again? Or are you in negative numbers now?
>>Read: Amsterdam Layover Guide: How to Spend a Long Layover in Amsterdam
Is your layover in another country?
If you’re flying from one end of the US to the other and you have a layover in the middle, there’s no immigration procedures to worry about. If you leave the airport on your layover, you’ll have to go through security to get to your second flight, but that should be the only long line you have to deal with.
But if your layover is in another country, you will have to go through customs and immigration if you want to leave the airport. You’ll definitely have to go through customs and immigration if your layover is in the same country (or visa zone like the Schengen Zone) as your final destination, although this is true whether you’re leaving the airport on your layover or not.
This adds extra time to the first item on this list. Immigration procedures can take as little as 10 minutes or several hours depending on the lines and where you are. Take this time into account when deciding if you can leave the airport on your layover.
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Do you need a visa for your layover?
Many countries that require visas do not require them if you’re simply transiting through the airport. You bypass customs and immigration, so you never get stamped into the country, but you can’t leave the airport during your layover. (Always check visa requirements for your nationality, even for layovers.)
If you want to leave the airport in one of these places, you’ll have to get a visa. Some countries require you to get one ahead of time, while others do visa on arrival.
Aside from the time it takes to go through customs and immigration, you also have to consider the cost of the visa and the application process, if it’s one you have to apply for ahead of time.
A $20 visa on arrival might not be a big deal, but $150 or a visa that requires lengthy forms (which probably means it’s also an expensive one) is probably not worth it when you will only have a few hours on your layover to explore the city.
What time of day is your layover?
If your layover is from early morning until late afternoon or sometime that night, you have lots of daylight hours to explore. But not all layovers are this nice. Often your first flight will land in the middle of the night and the next flight will take off early in the morning.
In most cases, this is not the ideal time to leave the airport during a layover and check out the city. Potential safety issues aside, there probably won’t be much open depending on the city.
On the other hand, if it’s a city with good night life and a good club scene (and you’re into that) it could be a fun way to pass a few hours. Just be sure to research the area so you know where it’s safe, and make sure you have transport options at that time of night. And maybe don’t drink so much that you’re late getting back to the airport.
What should you do if you leave the airport on a layover?
What you decide to do during your layover depends on where you are, how much time you have, and what your interests are.
I once spent a long layover in London walking around a lot, going to the British Museum, briefly seeing a few sights like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey, and having lunch.
My husband once spent a long layover in Hong Kong taking boat rides on the junks and meeting friends for dim sum. I know a couple who had a long layover in New York City and decided to take a tour.
I recently had a long layover in Amsterdam and took a food tour. Check out my Amsterdam layover guide for more info about how to get through the airport and into the city.
Some cities even have free tours for people on layovers. Your layover needs to be a certain length and at the right time of day, but a free tour sounds like a great option if your timing works out. Here are a few examples:
>>Check out more layover perks you never knew about.
Since tours are a great way to see a lot of the city in a short period of time, that can be a good option. Plus being with a guide means you won’t waste time getting lost. Try a walking tour that brings you to some of the city’s highlights, or try a food tour to eat your way through the culture for a few hours. I recommend searching Viator for a tour for your long layover adventure.
What to do with your luggage on a long layover
If you’re leaving the airport during a long layover, you probably don’t want to lug your bags around with you the whole time. So what’s the solution?
First, verify with the airline whether they are going to transfer your checked bags from one flight to the next. In most cases, they will still transfer your luggage.
But occasionally when the layover is really long, the airline won’t be able to tag it to your final destination. Usually this happens when the second flight leaves more than 24 hours after the first flight, but no matter what, you should confirm how the airline is handling your checked bags.
For your carry-on luggage or any checked bags the airline can’t transfer to your next flight, you’ll need someplace to store them. Some airports have luggage lockers, but some have eliminated them for security reasons. Train stations are another place to try, depending on the city.
Another great option is to book a luggage storage solution through Stasher. They have connections with hotels and other stores where you can drop off your luggage and pick it up again later. Locations are worldwide, so chances are there’s a location where you’re going.
Stasher’s prices are also lower than most luggage lockers or left luggage services. For example, in European locations, they charge 5 euros, and in US locations, they charge $6. You must book and pay online.
If you’re trying to decide if you can leave the airport during a layover, ask yourself the questions above. Spending a long layover in the airport can be tedious. Leaving the airport to explore the city, or even just getting some sleep at a hotel, can be a much better alternative if you have enough time and visa requirements aren’t much hassle.
You might also enjoy:
- Carry-on Luggage Size Chart with over 170 Airlines
- How Do Layovers Work?
- Is Your Layover Long Enough?
- 8 Things to do If You Think Your Layover is Too Short
- Ask These 5 Questions to Maximize a Long Layover
k
September 29, 2020 @ 6:58 pm
I have a question now during the pandemic. I might fly via Lisbon, Portugal and m y layover is 17.40 hours. Someone said I can’t leave the airport unless I have a negative covid test.
I really don’t know IF I can sit in the airport for that long.
Does anyone know?
thanks
Ali Garland
October 1, 2020 @ 5:20 pm
I can’t really say for sure since there are so many variables. Most EU countries currently have strict rules if you’re coming from the US or another country considered high risk, and people coming from those countries can’t even come unless they have a valid reason (not tourism). And yes, some countries are requiring a negative covid test within a certain time frame. This link looks like a good place to start: https://www.visitportugal.com/en/node/421175
Yisell
February 3, 2020 @ 12:10 am
Hi,
I travelling from Dubai to Cuba and I have a transit in Amsterdam for 6h30.
Is the first time I’m travelling alone and I’m a bit stress.
Because of my schengen visa(to get the stamp) I have to get out and in of the airport during my transit.
I don’t want to go in the city (to much stress)
My question is:
it is easy to get out and in of the airport?
It is safe outside at 7 am?
Some advice what to do during 6h30?
Possible to seat and have a coffee outside the airport?
How long to check in again for the second flight to Cuba?
Thanks in advance for your answer!
Ali Garland
February 3, 2020 @ 4:45 pm
Hi Yisell! I’m not sure I understand how the transit visa works exactly, but if you are REQUIRED to get your passport stamped in Amsterdam (which sounds strange to me, but again, I don’t know how your visa works) you can still do that without leaving the airport. You would just have to go through immigration to get stamped in and then go find the exiting passport control line to get stamped back out. If you’re not interested in leaving the airport, I would recommend simply staying inside the airport. It’s a fantastic airport with lots of food options, quiet areas to relax, shops, etc. It’s one of my favorite airports in the world! I don’t know what’s immediately next to the airport, so I can’t give any tips on that, but you’ll find plenty of options in the airport itself, both inside the international transit area and once you get stamped into the Schengen.
Is your Amsterdam to Cuba flight on a separate itinerary from the Dubai to Amsterdam flight? If they’re booked together on one itinerary, you won’t really have to check in again since you’ll already have both boarding passes. But if you booked them separately, I’d recommend checking in for the Cuba flight 2-3 hours ahead of the flight time.
In case you change your mind and decide to go into the city, I wrote a whole post about how to get through the airport to the train and into the city. You can read my Amsterdam layover guide here. But you really wouldn’t have tons of time, so it might not be worth the hassle.
Jemma
January 29, 2020 @ 3:55 pm
We have a 10hr layover in Vancouver going back to London from Hawaii. We have our ETA’s can we leave the airport have a little explore around before coming back?
I believe our luggage will be transferred as we are with the same air carrier.
Also what is there to do if we can leave never been to Canada before.
Thanks,
Ali Garland
January 29, 2020 @ 5:02 pm
Hi Jemma! I can’t think of any reasons why you wouldn’t be able to leave the airport during your layover in Vancouver. The ETA gives you permission to be in Canada, so you just have to go through immigration and customs, and then exiting passport control and security at the end of your layover. Leave yourself plenty of time for that at the end. I’ve only been to Vancouver for a conference years ago, and I didn’t have time to explore the city, so I don’t have any personal recommendations for things to do. Someone reviewed a food tour in Vancouver on my site that you can read about here. And I found a few blog posts from other bloggers that look helpful, you can check them out here, here, and here.
Sam
January 25, 2020 @ 12:05 pm
Hi,
I have a 10.5hr layover in Beijing on the way to New Zealand in the afternoon,can I leave the airport for a while but obviously making adequate time to get back to re-check back in and would I have to go through customs etc again?
Thanks
Sam
Ali Garland
January 27, 2020 @ 3:20 pm
Hi Sam! China has a 72 hour visa free policy for transit passengers from certain countries, so that could be what you need, assuming your first flight is from somewhere outside of China. There’s more info here: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-72hour/. You would have to go through customs and immigration to be able to leave the airport, and then you’d have to go through exiting passport control at the end of your layover to get back to your next flight. Plus security. I hope this helps!
Effie Dias
January 7, 2020 @ 7:40 pm
I am flying from uk to Kerala and I have layover for 14 hours 30mins in Bangalore. Do you advice on what to do at the airport or any hotels closure to the airport ? Is it difficult to go out and stay and come back to the airport
Ali Garland
January 13, 2020 @ 11:29 am
Hi Effie! I haven’t been to India, so I’m not sure how much help I’ll be on this one. If you do a google search for Bangalore airport hotels, you should find some lists of hotels that are nearby or some airports have airports attached. You’ll go through immigration and customs in Bangalore since it’s your entry point into India, so you could leave the airport and go explore the city for a few hours if you want. Just make sure you leave plenty of time to get back for your next flight, especially since there could be traffic issues.
Charlie
January 4, 2020 @ 1:51 am
Hi I am a Canadian citizen and have a 6 hours 20 minutes layover in Frankfurt. Landing at 6:10 am and next flight at 12:30 pm. So any tips about where and what to explore in Frankfurt.
Ali Garland
January 13, 2020 @ 10:50 am
Hi Charlie! I haven’t spent a lot of time in Frankfurt, but the old town is kind of cute. The Main Tower has an observation deck where you can get views of the city from above. If you’re interested in museums, you could spend some time in one. Keep in mind you won’t actually have 6 hours 20 minutes since you have to account for transport to and from the city, getting through security again and getting to the airport ahead of your next flight, and extra time if either of your flights are to/from outside the Schengen area since you’ll have to deal with immigration. If your flight leaving Frankfurt is going to a country outside the Schengen zone, definitely leave plenty of time because the line for exiting passport control can be quite long sometimes.
Taylor
December 27, 2019 @ 1:02 pm
Hello! I am flying from Toronto to Thailand and have an 11 hour layover in Hong Kong. Do you have any advice on what to do at this airport for that long? Ex. hotel? Is it difficult to leave airport and stay at a hotel? Thanks!
Ali Garland
December 28, 2019 @ 11:28 am
Hi Taylor! That sounds like fun! It’s actually pretty easy to get into Hong Kong from the airport. The MTR (metro/subway) runs from the airport to the Kowloon area and Hong Kong island. Here’s a map of the MTR: http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/system_map.html. The airport is at the left side of the map on the dark green line. So you would just need to do some research about what you want to do and figure out the closest MTR station and if you need to switch lines. I found the MTR to be really easy to use and the signs are in English. Of course, if your layover is overnight and you just want to sleep, you probably don’t want to go far for a hotel. There are some within/attached to the airport, so depending on where you are, you might not even have to go through immigration and customs. Check this out: https://www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/hong-kong-airport-guide.htm#hotels. If you do decide to leave the airport, be sure to keep track of how long it takes you to get from the airport into town, and then give yourself a little more than that to get back to the airport. Plus remember you’ll have to go through exiting passport control and security when you get back to the airport, so you should still aim for being back at the airport 2-3 hours before your flight.
AMRIT
November 19, 2019 @ 4:37 pm
Hi
Iam Indian citizen, going to canada, if I want a long lay over in london , or ,hongkong, or Tokyo, can I go out of airport in these cities,
What I have to do so I can go out of airport in these cities
Regards
Ali Garland
November 19, 2019 @ 5:24 pm
Hi! You’ll need to look at the embassy websites for the UK, Hong Kong, and Japan, and see they require visas for Indian citizens, and if they do, see what the requirements are. If you find one that works for you, you’ll need to go through immigration and customs when you land at the layover airport, and then at the end of your layover when you get back to the airport, you’ll have to go through exiting passport control and security. Make sure you leave plenty of time for that, plus plenty of time for transport. I’d also look at how far/close each city’s airport is from the city itself. Sometimes the airport is quite far from the city, and that just eats away at your time to explore during your layover.
Ajay
November 19, 2019 @ 4:33 am
Hey hi, I am travelling from India to Toronto, So my layower is at Frankfurt airport for 16 hours, Can you suggest me how can I pass my time at the airport.
Ali Garland
November 19, 2019 @ 5:12 pm
Hi Ajay! If you can’t leave the airport, there are restaurants, shopping, lounges, including ones that have showers so you can get freshened up for a small fee, and using the wifi is always an option. There’s also a hotel within the transit zone, which you would have access to since you are landing on a flight from outside the Schengen Zone and leaving again on a flight to a non-Schengen country. It’s called MY CLOUD Hotel and you can only get to it if you’re in the transit zone and do NOT go through immigration. Might be a good option to get some sleep if you don’t want to nap in the airport itself.
If you are able to leave the airport (check the German embassy website to see if you need a visa depending on your citizenship) then go explore the city for a few hours. It’s easily connected to the airport by public transport.
Janey
November 5, 2019 @ 12:46 am
Hey
I am an Indian citizen
I am travelling from Kozhikode(India ) to London but i have a 18 hrs layover in Mumbai(India )
Am i allowed to exit the airport and then re-enter ?
Ali Garland
November 5, 2019 @ 11:15 am
Hi Janey! I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t be able to leave the airport in Mumbai…that is a long layover! I recommend asking the airline if they will transfer your luggage or if you need to pick it up in Mumbai since it’s such a long layover. And make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport before your Mumbai to London flight, especially since you’ll have to go through exiting passport control and security.
suzi
October 12, 2019 @ 10:41 pm
Hello i flying to st Vincent & Grenadines but have a 11 hour stop over in Toronto land at 22.00 and fly out at 8.45 am i wanted to know if i can leave airport and stay at hotel to sleep dont want to sit at airport but i think i need to get an ETA for there do you think it would be worth doing.
Ali Garland
October 14, 2019 @ 11:35 am
Hi Suzi! I don’t know where you’re flying from or what your citizenship is, but I think you need a visa or ETA even if you’re not staying in Canada. The Toronto Airport has a good connections page on their website here and you can put in your airline, where you’re flying from, and where you’re flying to, and it’ll give you instructions for your layover. I guessed you were coming from the US and randomly picked Air Canada, and one of the steps it gives is to go through border control, even though you’re flying to St Vincent. So please look into that ASAP in case you do need a visa of some type. And if this was me, I’d want to find a hotel for that layover too. It sounds like way too long to be hanging out in an airport terminal. The airport website lists a few hotels nearby if that’s helpful: https://www.torontopearson.com/en/while-you-are-here/hotels
Faiz
October 3, 2019 @ 2:44 pm
I am planning to go istanbul but I’m getting cheaper flight from Mumbai to London via istanbul compare to Mumbai to istanbul flight in same airline.
Can I book Mumbai to London flight and cancelled the onward flight on reaching istanbul.
Please advice me.
Thanks
Ali Garland
October 4, 2019 @ 10:54 am
Hi Faiz! It depends. Are you looking at round trip flights because you’re flying back to Mumbai at the end of your trip? Then definitely no. If you book Mumbai to Istanbul to London and don’t show up for the Istanbul to London flight, the airline will cancel any other flight you have remaining on your itinerary. If you’re only booking one way Mumbai to Istanbul to London, then in theory you could take the first flight but not the second, BUT this only works if you’re traveling with only carry on luggage, and different airlines deal with this kind of thing differently. If it’s an airline you fly with a lot and you have a frequent flyer account with them, I’ve heard of airlines “punishing” the passenger/customer in some way, although there are definitely cases where absolutely nothing happens and it’s all fine. But if you’re booking round trip, definitely don’t do it.
Chris
October 1, 2019 @ 5:05 pm
As a US citizen with an American passport, do I need to apply for an E-VISA to visit Turkey? I’ll be there for 10 days.
Thank you!
Ali Garland
October 3, 2019 @ 11:43 am
Hi Chris, I really can’t answer visa questions, so you should check the Turkish embassy website for requirements. Also, this site looks like a good place to start looking for info.
Isabella
October 12, 2019 @ 10:06 pm
Hello I was just in Istanbul it’s a 30
Dollar visa you get at the airport
Upon arrival
Ali Garland
October 14, 2019 @ 11:24 am
Good to know, thanks for sharing!
Chris
September 30, 2019 @ 1:54 pm
This is helpful, thanks so much!
Chris
September 29, 2019 @ 2:08 pm
Hello. I have an 11 hour layover at CDG Paris on my way to Istanbul, I’m a US citizen. Would I have enough time for a visit into Paris? If so, do you recommend Rer train, bus or taxi? Also, I’ll either store my backpack at the airport, I read they offer that service, but maybe it makes more sense to check the bag with the airline, just not sure if I’d have to claim it in Paris and re-check it before going to Turkey. Thank you.
Ali Garland
September 30, 2019 @ 12:44 pm
Hi Chris! I think 11 hours is plenty of time to leave the airport during your layover and see a little bit of Paris. Keep in mind that you’ll have to go through immigration to get stamped in (I’m assuming you’re coming from the US) and then at the end of your layover, you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out again, plus security, so just leave yourself time for that. I’d probably take the train. It’s pretty easy to figure out and trains won’t get stuck in traffic the way a bus or taxi could. In general, checked luggage will be transferred from one flight to the next, but I always like to verify when I have a long layover like this, so just ask the airline to be sure. So then you’d just have to manage your carry on luggage during your layover. If you’re looking for things to do in Paris, I have a Paris itinerary here with loads of sights and activities to choose from. Depending on the timing of your layover, a tour might be a great way to maximize your time. Enjoy!
Hugo
September 22, 2019 @ 10:57 am
Hi. I’m flying from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam and I have a 4 hours layover at Dubai. Then, I will flying again from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur and will have another 4 hours layover at Manchester airport.
Can I leave both airports for some visit or explore the place and do I need a visa to do so ?
Looking forward to hear from you the soonest.
Thank you !
Ali Garland
September 24, 2019 @ 11:21 am
Hi Hugo! I can’t answer visa questions, so you would need to look up the embassy websites for the UK and the United Arab Emirates to see what their visa requirements are for your citizenship. Also, 4 hours isn’t really all that long. If you do decide you want to leave either of those airports, you’ll have to go through immigration and customs to get stamped into the country, which could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on the lines when you arrive. Then you have to account for the amount of time it takes to get into the city and back again at the end of your layover. Then you will need to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out of the country, which again could take a few minutes or an hour or two depending on lines. And you’ll need to go through security again. So if you want to use the typical recommendation of getting to the airport 2 hours ahead of your flight, and if it takes 45 minutes (as an example) to get off the plane and through immigration, that only leaves you with an hour and 15 minutes to get into the city and back to the airport and do whatever it is you want to do in the city. According to Google Maps, it takes about 30 minutes to drive from the Manchester Airport to the Manchester city center, so one hour round trip, leaving you with maybe 15 minutes in the city. From the Dubai Airport to the city center is about 20 minutes, so 40 minutes round trip, leaving you with maybe a half hour. Personally I don’t think either of those are worth the stress of potentially missing the connecting flight, but you have to make that decision.
Sonika
September 17, 2019 @ 9:34 am
Hey hi,
I’m flying to Croatia from India. On the way I have a 10hr layover in Rome. Would you have any idea how to proceed with the visa for it? As in do you think I’d need a transit visa for Italy for me to step outside the airport and explore a bit?!?
Ali Garland
September 18, 2019 @ 10:13 am
Hi Sonika! I can’t really answer visa questions, so you should check the Schengen website (start here) for visa info for your nationality. If they do require visas for your nationality, you will need one to leave the airport, even just for a few hours. But if you don’t need a visa, you can leave the airport and check out the city, just make sure you leave plenty of time to get back to the airport, through exiting passport control, and through security before your next flight. There’s an easy airport train that goes between the Rome airport (FCO) and the Rome Termini train station, and then you can get the metro from Termini to some sights within a few stops. If you’re looking for things to do, check out my Rome post here, my Italy post here, which also has lots of info about Rome, and a review of two amazing food tours in Rome that I’ve taken.
Brian
September 15, 2019 @ 6:14 am
Hi,
I’m flying from Hong Kong to Sapporo (CTS) thru’ Thai Airways with a layover of 9 hours in BKK, do you think I can leave to the airport without any charge to have a peek in the city?
Hong Kong have visa exemption with Thailand as I know.
Thanks.
Brian
Ali Garland
September 16, 2019 @ 1:46 pm
Hi Brian! I’m not a visa expert, so you should check the website for the Thai embassy to verify the visa rules based on what passport you hold. The airport wouldn’t charge you to leave during your layover, but if you need a visa and there’s a fee involved, you’d have to pay for that. So if you don’t need a visa, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t leave the airport for a bit during your layover. Just remember, if you leave the airport during your layover, you’ll have to go through customs and immigration to get stamped into the country, and you’ll have to go through exiting passport control on your way back to get stamped out of the country. So you’ll need to leave plenty of time for that, plus the time it takes to get into the city and back again. There’s some info here about transport options, just be aware that they haven’t updated this in a few years: https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/bangkok.php#BKK. I’ve only flown through Bangkok, never actually been outside the airport, but I’ve heard traffic can be crazy, so give yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport so you don’t miss your flight.
Ong Chwee Hoon
September 12, 2019 @ 12:49 pm
Hi,
I’m flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Christchurch New Zealand, transit in Sydney airport for 12 hours. I will not leave the airport. Please advise whether I need a transit visa.
Thank you.
Regards,
Ong CH
Ali Garland
September 13, 2019 @ 10:58 am
Hi, I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t say for sure. But check out this website, choose transit, and read the info it gives you: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder/visit
Ahmed
September 9, 2019 @ 3:32 pm
I v a layover flight.
I m departing from islamabad to Birmingham. But i have layover in london for 4 hours. Cant i just leave the airport in london and make my own way to birmingham. Note i wont have any luggage apart from hand bag
Ali Garland
September 11, 2019 @ 10:44 am
Hi Ahmed! The problem with that is that the airline will mark you as a no show for the London to Birmingham flight and then cancel the rest of your itinerary. So if you have a return flight from Birmingham to London to Islamabad, that will get canceled.
Crystal
August 29, 2019 @ 3:27 am
I have a flight from the US with a 10 hour layover in London Heathrow overnight and I was hoping to get a hotel and get a few hours sleep with the kids. We land 10:45p and our flight to Athens leaves London at 8:45a. I feel like even 4-5 hours of sleep would be great especially for the kids. Do you think this would be a reasonable plan?
Ali Garland
August 29, 2019 @ 12:14 pm
Hi Crystal! Yeah, that’s a rough layover, especially with kids! I agree, I think getting some sleep at a hotel would be a good idea. I’d suggest looking for a hotel really close to the airport or even in the airport. Look here: https://www.heathrow.com/plan-and-book-your-trip/heathrow-hotels. Sometimes there are hotels in the airport that don’t even require you to go through immigration to get to them, but I don’t know for sure what the options are at Heathrow. Remember that if you do have to go through immigration, you’ll have to also do exiting passport control before your flight to Athens, so leave time for that. And wherever you end up, make sure you set multiple alarms for yourself so you get up early enough to get to your flight!
Rachael
August 23, 2019 @ 7:35 pm
I have an 8 hour morning/afternoon layover in London Gatwick (coming from Madrid and heading to New York). Based on your experience and assuming the customs lines aren’t too bad, is that a long enough layover to see some of the token spots?
Ali Garland
August 24, 2019 @ 12:17 pm
Hi Rachael! I once did a 10 hour layover in London, so 8 hours isn’t so much shorter. You just want to make sure you leave yourself enough time at the end to get back to the airport, get through exiting passport control, and get through security before getting to your next gate. Since the UK is not in the Schengen Zone, you’ll have to go through passport control once you arrive before you can leave the airport and again at the end of your layover when you get back to the airport. Also, check out the Gatwick Express train, I think that’s what it’s called, really easy way to get to and from Gatwick.
MIke
August 23, 2019 @ 6:24 pm
My wife and I have a 6 hour, 40 minute layover in Dublin, coming from Chicago (American Airlines) and going to Helsinki (Finnair). We are US citizens. Do we have time to go into Dublin and have a pint at a pub?
Ali Garland
August 24, 2019 @ 12:07 pm
Hi Mike! Ireland is not in the Schengen Zone, but Finland is, so if you decide to leave the airport in Dublin, you’ll have to go through passport control/immigration and get stamped into the country. Then when you come back for your flight to Helsinki, you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out. It’s not a big deal, but it’s more time you’ll lose from your layover. Then you have to factor in the transport time into the city and back again. Here are some transport options for Dublin: https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/dublin.php.
There’s no way to know exactly how long each of these will take, but let’s say it takes you an hour to get off the plane, through immigration, and through the airport. Then let’s estimate 30 minutes each way for getting in and out of the city. Then you’ll probably want to be back at the airport 2 hours ahead of your flight to deal with exiting passport control and security. So now your 6 hour 40 minute layover is down to 2 hours 40 minutes. If all you want to do is have a pint at a pub, that’s probably plenty of time. Just make sure you leave plenty of time to get back to the airport for your next flight. You never know when there might be traffic issues or long lines at passport control or something, and you don’t want to miss your connection because of this. Better to be back at the airport a lot earlier than necessary than to miss your flight.
Also, it’s probably worth researching which specific pub you want to go to ahead of time so you know where you’re headed and so you can be sure the pub is open. Have fun!
Charlene
August 20, 2019 @ 9:03 am
I am trying to figure out if it’s ok to leave the Amsterdam airport and not make my connection. It’s less expensive to fly to Dublin and get off in Amsterdam at the connection than it is to fly to “Amsterdam”… I wonder if because it’s international if it’s a big deal to miss a flight.
I know people do this type of thing when flying from Toronto to Vancouver (they get a flight to Seattle because the airport taxes are less then leave the airport in Vancouver).
Ali Garland
August 20, 2019 @ 11:37 am
Hi Charlene! Airlines don’t like when you do that, so if you’re going to do it, I’d recommend not doing it often and probably not with an airline you fly with a lot. Do some research on the airline itself and see what experience other people have had with similar situations. I’ve heard of some airlines trying to punish the passenger in some way, but then some don’t do anything.
The other BIG thing to keep in mind is that any remaining flights on your itinerary will be cancelled if you don’t make the Amsterdam to Dublin flight. So if you’re ticket is booked from Toronto to Amsterdam to Dublin and then Dublin to Amsterdam to Toronto, and you only take the Toronto to Amsterdam flight, the return flights will be cancelled. If you only want to go one way, and the flight you’re not showing up for is the last one on your itinerary, it’s no big deal. But if you need to get back to Toronto (or wherever you’re coming from) you would have a big problem.
Also, you can’t do this if you have checked luggage. Your luggage will be tagged to your final destination. The airline will notice you’re not there and they’ll take your luggage off the plane, but it gets complicated and could take awhile before you can actually get your luggage.
I hope that helps!
Jane
August 9, 2019 @ 9:04 pm
I am a Canadian citizen. My flight Toronto to Tell Aviv and I have 4 hours
layover. How I can spent my time in Airport or city trips from Airport?
Ali Garland
August 10, 2019 @ 10:53 am
Hi Jane! I’m not sure where your layover is, but 4 hours is rarely enough time to leave the airport on a layover. Most airports have plenty of food and shopping, or you could simply sit somewhere and read. If you’re interested in a quieter place, lounges are a good option, check out PriorityPass if you travel a lot. Look up the website of the airport where your layover is, and usually they have some info about what there is to do in the airport, plus info about what kinds of shops and restaurants are there. I hope this helps!
Sumer
August 7, 2019 @ 4:59 am
Can i meet my friend who is coming from india …he get his study permit at vancouver airport and then he has flight for calgary after 5 hours stay can i meet him at airport
Ali Garland
August 7, 2019 @ 4:18 pm
Hi Sumer! Your friend will have to go through customs and immigration in Vancouver no matter what, so if you want to meet him at the airport while he’s on his layover, that should be fine. He’ll need to leave the secured area and meet you somewhere before the security checkpoint, so you might want to see what restaurants or cafes are in the non-secured part of the airport. Then he just needs to go back through security to get to his next flight.
Sanjeev
July 22, 2019 @ 12:05 pm
I am Indian citizen travelling from New Delhi to Toronto with 10 hours layover at Warsaw. Can I get transit visa on arrival at Warsaw airport itself to go out of airport during layover time to explore city
Ali Garland
July 22, 2019 @ 2:06 pm
Hi Sanjeev! I can’t answer visa questions, so you’ll need to check to see if the Schengen Zone countries require a visa for Indian citizens. Here’s a good site to start with: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/.
Pavneet
July 22, 2019 @ 7:38 am
I am Indian citizen travelling from New Delhi to Vancouver and have 11 hours layover at Narita airport. Can I get transit visa on arrival for sightseeing?
Ali Garland
July 22, 2019 @ 11:01 am
Hi Pavneet! I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t answer your visa questions. You should check with the Japan embassy website to see if you need a visa. I think 11 hours is plenty of time, just remember you don’t really have 11 hours once you subtract time to go through customs and immigration, time to get into the city, time to get back to the airport, and time to go through exiting passport control – it can take an hour or longer to get from the airport into the city, depending on where exactly you’re going in Tokyo. I’d definitely recommend going through the link in the post and looking at the Tokyo layover tours on offer.
ABHISHEK
July 12, 2019 @ 12:33 pm
Hiii, I have a valid schenegen visa which i have taken from Lithuanian embassy in India. I want to ask Can i get out of the airport during layovers at Amsterdam( 10 hrs 10mins ) & Paris (21 hrs 30 mins)??? I have taken the flight from New Delhi to Vilnius via Amsterdam & Paris. I will be reaching Vilnius next day. Can i get out of the airport without going to Vilnius first??
Ali Garland
July 15, 2019 @ 12:12 pm
I’m not a visa expert, but a Schengen visa gives you access to the whole zone. You will have to go through customs and immigration when you land in Amsterdam (I think you land in Amsterdam before Paris?) since the Netherlands is your first Schengen country. So at that point, you’ll be stamped in, so you should be fine to leave the airport there and in Paris. Your Amsterdam to Paris and Paris to Vilnius flights will be similar to domestic flights within a country because you won’t have to deal with passport control.
By the way, I recently wrote a post about a long layover in Amsterdam here, including how to get into the city. I hope it’s helpful!
Juan
July 11, 2019 @ 6:08 am
Hi, I have a 7 hour layover in Wuhan, China. I am a US citizen, do you think I can leave the airport? or will I need a visa just for this amount of time?. I am traveling with 4 other friends and we were thinking that maybe we could step out the airport and go nearby the airport and check back in on time to catch our next flight. Our final destination is Thailand. Thank you!
Ali Garland
July 11, 2019 @ 12:10 pm
Hi Juan! I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t say for sure. China has a visa-free program (both a 24 hour one and a 72 hour one) for short stays/transits, but when I read the info, I’m unclear if you’d be allowed to leave the airport in your situation. There’s some info here: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-72hour/. But then I also read through a Trip Advisor thread where most people seem to say a layover of your length is too short for the airport personnel to allow you to leave. Though there are a handful of people saying they were able to say they wanted to step outside to smoke, and that got them permission. Anyway, check out the Trip Advisor thread here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294212-i2147-k11554261-So_Confused_24_hour_visa_free_transit-Beijing.html. You might want to dig through the info on the China Travel Guide link (the first site I linked to) and see if that clears things up for you or if they have a contact where you can ask questions.
Mike
August 12, 2019 @ 7:05 am
My wife and I had a 8hrs layover at Being airport and I wanted to visit my grandfather. We got transit visas. Another time, I arrived at Nanjing and would depart from Shanghai in 2 days. I applied for a 144hrs visa free permit for Jiangsu/Shanghai/Zhejiang zone at airport, but got a transit visa instead. No issues at all.
Ali Garland
August 15, 2019 @ 11:30 am
Thanks for sharing your experience, Mike!
Nikos
July 1, 2019 @ 1:41 pm
Hi there – we are a Greek and UK citizen travelling to US. On our way back we are stopping in Vancouver for best part of a full day. Could you tell me if we need a visitor visa (at a fee) or whether there’s a free day-visit visa that we should be looking to get? Thanks in advance.
Ali Garland
July 2, 2019 @ 4:36 pm
Hi Nikos! I am not a visa expert, but it looks like you both might need an electronic visa, which looks to be pretty inexpensive. I recommend checking with iVisa for info about visas, should be easy to apply since it’s an electronic thing.
Diane Sher
July 8, 2019 @ 6:08 am
Hi Ali,
My flight from the US will arrive around 3pm at Terminal 5 with a 4 hours layover and will leave for Oslo at 7pm—also from Terminal 5.
My friend from London plans to see me during layover, possibly for just an hour. Is there an area at Terminal 5 where we can chat and maybe have a quick bite?
Thanks
Ali Garland
July 8, 2019 @ 12:05 pm
Hi Diane! I don’t know what airport your layover is at, but your friend can’t come into the terminal without a ticket. You would have to go through customs and immigration and then find someplace outside of the secured area to meet them. My suggestion is to look up whatever airport you’ll be at and see what restaurants and cafes are located in the non-secure area.
Diane
July 8, 2019 @ 6:03 pm
Sorry… It’s Heathrow…
Ali Garland
July 10, 2019 @ 11:46 am
Yeah, I suggest looking up the Heathrow airport and looking at the maps to see what’s available in the non-secured area because your friend won’t be able to get through security without a ticket. Then you just need to leave yourself enough time at the end of your layover to get back through security and exiting passport control.
Anthony
June 30, 2019 @ 3:03 pm
I’m CANADIAN and have an 8 hour layover at JFK on my return flight from London, can I leave the airport?
Ali Garland
July 1, 2019 @ 11:52 am
Hi Anthony! As a Canadian, I don’t think you need any sort of visa or anything to enter the US, though I’m not a visa expert. But assuming you don’t need anything, there’s no problem with leaving the airport during your layover at JFK. You’ll have to go through customs and immigration no matter what, so if you want to go into NYC for a few hours, that is fine. You’ll also have to claim and recheck your luggage, so check with your airline to see if they’ll take your checked bag that far ahead of your next flight, otherwise you’ll need to find a luggage locker or something like that…check out the “What to do with your luggage on a long layover” section towards the end of the post. And make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and through security for your next flight.
Ris
June 25, 2019 @ 2:00 pm
Hi, I am an India citizen. I have got visitor Visa for Canada and for Australia.
I’m traveling to Canada for a month and from Canada I’ll be traveling to Australia for few days. My flight from Canada to Australia goes from Auckland. Will I be needing a transit visa for like 2-3 hours stoppage in Auckland?
Ali Garland
June 26, 2019 @ 11:53 am
Hi Ris! I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t say for sure. You’ll need to check with the New Zealand embassy website. I did find this site, which seems like a good starting point for you.
Jithin
June 14, 2019 @ 12:21 pm
Hi I want to travel from India to Toronto(canada). My flight goes through Abu Dhabi and Dublin. There are two choices of flights for me,
1. 18hrs layover at Abu Dhabi and 3 hrs layover at dublin.
2. 3hrs layover at Abu Dhabi and 22hrs layers over at Dublin.
In any of the above cases do i need a transit visa or some other visa since my layover is high in Abu Dhabi and Dublin.
And if i need to go out of dublin airport or abu dhabi airport to see place, am I allowed to do so and what are the requirements if any.
Ali Garland
June 14, 2019 @ 4:37 pm
Hi Jithin! I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t advise you on that. I recommend checking with iVisa.com and/or the embassy websites for each country. Visa requirements depend on your country of citizenship.
Natasha S
June 5, 2019 @ 1:02 pm
Hello! It’s not set in stone yet (I’m currently planning) but I’m making arrangements to fly from Birmingham Airport (UK) to Narita Airport (Japan). The cheapest flight includes a 19 hour layover in Vienna, Italy. As I’m a British citizen with a British passport, would I be able to go around and explore a bit or would I have to stay in the airport the whole time?
If not, if I were to replace the 19 hour layover in Italy with a 16 hour layover in Paris, would I be able to explore the area then? I’d really like to go to the Louvre 😀
Ali Garland
June 5, 2019 @ 3:06 pm
Hi Natasha! UK citizens currently don’t need a visa to visit Schengen countries (Italy, France, Austria, etc.) so either of those options would be fine if you want to leave the airport. Also, Vienna is in Austria, not Italy, so make sure you’re looking at the right thing when you book your flights. It sounds like either option gives you lots of time in the city, but remember you’ll lose a little of that going through immigration when you land at the beginning of your layover and then again going through exiting passport control and security at the end of your layover, so leave yourself enough time getting back to the airport.
Alen
June 8, 2019 @ 11:53 pm
I have a flight from new york jfk to China FOC （FOC is one of the city in china）.layover at China bejing Pek over 16hours， I have 10 years visa for China， am I able to leave the airport at pek during the layover 16hours.
Ali Garland
June 10, 2019 @ 3:25 pm
Hi Alen! I think it would be fine for you to leave the airport in PEK during your layover. You’ll have to go through customs and immigration there anyway since that’s where you’re entering the country. Just make sure you leave plenty of time to get back to the airport and get through security before your next flight.
Shehzad Hameed
June 4, 2019 @ 2:43 am
To whom it may concern
Please be advised I booked a flight today with Turkish airline…
I am holding a valid visa for Baku the destination, the agent gave me a price of 124000Rs for flight from Karachi Istanbul Baku and recommend a cheaper flight which was 105000Rs from Karachi Istanbul Antalya Baku so I opted for that flight when I reached airport I was not allowed to board the flight and the reason given was that I needed visa for turkey because I would not be allowed to take the connecting flight to Antalya . So they did not allow me to board .
Now in Pakistan there are eid holidays starting tomorrow so the travel agent will be closed n I lost my. Hotel booking in Baku + the. Air fare on top i was traveling for a business meeting with a prospect for a deal around 100000$. Kindly advise how this issue will be resolved. As I insist on immediate action and solution to be provided. I am loosing days + all cost and the potential business deal. If you could compensate with the flight to Baku tomorrow I would highly appreciate
Ali Garland
June 5, 2019 @ 4:58 am
Hi, I deleted some of the details of your comment because you really shouldn’t put personal details like that in a blog comment where everyone can see them. I am not a travel agent, so there’s nothing I can do to help you. If you have a flight that connects in Istanbul and Antalya, you would need a visa for Turkey since you will be entering the country. Maybe your travel agent should’ve pointed that out, but it seems pretty obvious that if you have a domestic flight in a country, you are entering that country, and you might need a visa depending on your citizenship. You should bring this up with your travel agent, I just run a travel blog.
Melissa
June 1, 2019 @ 8:56 pm
I am travelling back to London from Mauritius with my 4year old and we have a 22hr layover. Can we exit the airport to sleep in a hotel and will my luggage be transferred? Thanks
Ali Garland
June 2, 2019 @ 2:48 am
Hi Melissa! You can probably leave the airport on your layover. But it depends on where your layover is and what your citizenship is. Look up the embassy website for the country your layover is in and see if your nationality is required to get a visa to visit, or even a transit visa. As for your luggage, you’ll have to ask the airline about that as it can really vary from one airline to another when there is such a long layover. If they can’t transfer your luggage since it’s such a long layover, you’ll have to claim it when you arrive and recheck it before your next flight.
norman
May 28, 2019 @ 10:55 pm
I am Filipino citizen staying in Canada with permanent visa, I will be travel in Germany with my Schengen visa on August but way going back to Canada I have layover 15 hours in Ireland. I will arrived in the evening then catch the next flight in the following morning. My question is? do I need transit visa? or short stay visa ?
Ali Garland
May 31, 2019 @ 10:36 am
Hi Norman! I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t say for sure if you’ll need a visa for Ireland. Ireland is not in the Schengen Zone, so your Schengen visa won’t help there. I’d recommend checking the Ireland embassy website and searching for transit visa info or looking at iVisa.com.
Manuela
May 28, 2019 @ 3:46 am
Hi, I’m flying from Naples Italy to Washington dc via Dublin Ireland where i have a 21 hrs layover. I have an Italian passport so I shouldn’t need a visa to leave the airport . Is it a good idea for me to book a hotel downtown Dublin and visit the city during my long layover?
Ali Garland
May 28, 2019 @ 11:34 am
Hi Manuela! With such a long layover, I think going to explore Dublin sounds like a great idea! I personally think a hotel would be a good idea so you can get some sleep. Sometimes with really long layovers like that, the airline isn’t able to check you in for the second flight, so if that’s what happens, you’ll probably need to pick up any checked luggage and bring it back the next day to re-check it before the next flight. But verify that with the airline in case they are able to check your bags all the way through and print your second boarding pass.
dulsianoo
May 17, 2019 @ 11:01 pm
which is the fastest procedure for a transit visa ???
Ali Garland
May 20, 2019 @ 6:59 am
Procedures are different depending on the country you need it for. I suggest googling “transit visa + [COUNTRY]” and see what you find. You can also look up the embassy website for the country and find their info about transit visas.
Amir
May 27, 2019 @ 11:41 pm
Hi Ali
Thanks for the very informative post
I am Canadian and will have 10 hours layover in Paris CDG airport. My luggage will be sent to the final destination (Africa). I was hoping to get out of the airport for few hours and catch my flight. My question is when I get out of the plane should I go to luggage claim and then to customs although I will not collect my luggage? The other thing when I come back, how smooth would it be to get to the gate. I am not sure where to go when I already have a boarding pass and no luggage to check
Ali Garland
May 28, 2019 @ 11:30 am
Hi Amir! Since your luggage will be transferred from one flight to the next, you don’t have to deal with luggage at customs. If you’re planning on leaving the airport for a few hours during your layover, you’ll need to go through immigration to get stamped in, follow the signs to baggage claim because that also leads you to the exit, and you’ll have to go through the customs area, but you won’t have to pick up checked luggage. Since you’ll already have your next boarding pass, when you get back to the airport towards the end of your layover, find out where your next flight leaves from and follow the signs to that terminal/concourse. You’ll have to go through security and exiting passport control to get stamped out (I’m not sure which you’ll do first, it varies by airport, and I haven’t flown international from CDG in awhile) and that’s it, then you just go find your gate. I hope that helps!
dulsiano
May 16, 2019 @ 1:46 am
I would like to know in case I have to wait 16 hours at the airport in Canada, what are the procedures to request a tour in the city, or to have a rest at a hotel?
Ali Garland
May 16, 2019 @ 9:08 pm
Hi, there aren’t really any official procedures. I’d recommend looking for a hotel close to the airport so you don’t have to go far. For tours, you could search for “layover tours in [city]” and see if anything comes up. Some airports offer tours for people on layovers, sometimes free, sometimes not. Or you could look on Viator for a tour that appeals to you. You really have a lot of flexibility with such a long layover, so it comes down to what you want to do with the time. Just make sure you allow enough time to get back to the airport and through security before your next flight. Enjoy!
Bruce
May 12, 2019 @ 1:12 pm
Hello Ali,
I’m going to South Korea from Sacramento airport but I have 25 hours overnight layover at Honolulu. And I’m an American citizen. Can I leave the airport for the time being? Or so I need anything. My nationality is Korean
Ali Garland
May 14, 2019 @ 10:16 am
Hi Bruce! Yes, you can leave the airport in Honolulu. The US doesn’t do official exiting passport control like most other countries, but an airline employee will look at your passport when you check in for your flight in Sacramento. With such a long layover, the airline might not be able to print your second boarding pass or tag your checked bags all the way to your final destination. So you might have to claim your luggage in Honolulu and take it with you, and then the next day when you return to the airport, you’ll have to check your bags and basically check in for the next flight to get your boarding pass. Each airline handles things differently though, so you’ll want to verify this with the airline. So make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the Honolulu airport, recheck your luggage, get your boarding pass, and get through security before your flight to Korea.
Sylvette Duguay
May 2, 2019 @ 4:48 pm
Hi if I have a layover in Toronto for 7 hours and a connecting flight to barcelona can I leave the airport?
Ali Garland
May 3, 2019 @ 2:33 pm
Hi Sylvette! Assuming there are no visa issues, you should be fine to leave the airport in Toronto during your layover. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport ahead of your flight to Barcelona. Check out the Toronto airport’s layover tool here that will tell you what you need to do during your layover, that should give you an idea of how much time you might need.
Gobinda
April 28, 2019 @ 12:42 pm
I have ticket doha to amsterdam transit canada my flight connecation 20 hour so can I leave canada airport for some hour just visit out side.
Ali Garland
April 29, 2019 @ 12:30 pm
I don’t really understand, you’re flying from Doha to Amsterdam with a layover in Canada somewhere? That doesn’t make sense. But in any case, you’ll need to check with the embassy website of the country where your layover is to see if you need a visa based on your citizenship. Some countries require visas even for transiting, so you should check for that too. I recommend looking at iVisa to get started.
Karim
April 24, 2019 @ 7:54 am
I HAVE LAYOVER OF 24 HRS AT PARIS AIRPORT THOUGH ITS CONNECTING FLIGHT OF AIR FRANCE (HOUSTON-ATLANTA-CDG-MUMBAI) I WILL BE REACHING PARIS ON 14TH AUG AT 10.30 AM AND CONNECTING FLIGHT IS AT 11.05 AM SHOULD I GO FOR THAT CONNECTING FLIGHT OR SHOULD OPT FOR OTHER DAY I.E15TH AUG FLIGHT SAME TIME?
WOULD I BE NEEDING TRANSIT VISA TO STAY AT AIRPORT HOTEL?
Ali Garland
April 24, 2019 @ 2:39 pm
Hi Karim! I really don’t think 35 minutes is long enough to get to the next flight. Those big trans-Atlantic flights take a lot of time just to unload everyone, so it’s near impossible that you’d make it on such a short layover. Is there an earlier flight to Paris? I know there’s often just one a day from most cities, so that might not be an option. I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t advise you on whether or not you’ll need a visa to stay at an airport hotel or leave the airport. Check out iVisa to see if you need one based on your citizenship. Also, if you do get stuck with this 24 hour layover, you might have to claim your checked luggage when you get to Paris, and the airline might not be able to check it in until the next day when you come back for your next flight. Airlines seem to have different policies on this, so be sure to ask.
Alfie
April 24, 2019 @ 6:49 am
Hi ali… i,m alfie..and i have a connecting flights.. dammam airpot to kuwait..and i have 13 hours of layover.. it is ok to leave the airport? What should i do..if ever i leave the airport? Thanks..
Ali Garland
April 24, 2019 @ 2:33 pm
Hi Alfie! You should check with the Kuwait embassy website to see if you need a visa to enter the country, based on your citizenship. If you don’t need a visa, it should be fine to leave the airport during your layover. I’ve never been there, so I don’t have any suggestions, but if you search for things to do in Kuwait City, you’ll find some suggestions. Just make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and through security and exiting passport control before your next flight.
Quentin
April 19, 2019 @ 1:59 am
Can you exit the security customs part of the airport while waiting for the layover of your flight? My layover is domestic (Toronto to Vancouver) and coming from Paris. Family wants to say hi before I head off to Vancouver.
Ali Garland
April 24, 2019 @ 2:06 pm
Hi Quentin! When you arrive in Toronto from Paris, you’ll have to go through customs and immigration no matter what. Chances are you’ll also have to claim and recheck luggage. The Toronto Airport website has a great tool that will tell you step by step what you need to do once you put in a couple pieces of info: https://www.torontopearson.com/Connecting.aspx#. So if you want to say hi to your family on the non-secure side of the airport, you can do that after you’re done with customs and immigration, and then you’ll just have to go through security to get back into the secure section for your flight to Vancouver. Make sure you have enough time for all that, but then that’s it!
C. LANE
April 9, 2019 @ 4:42 am
Hi, I live in Vancouver BC Canada. My daughter lives in Seattle WA. They will be returning from a vacation on a flight from London UK to Seattle WA with a 3 hour layover in Vancouver BC Canada. Legally can they just leave the airport in Vancouver and have me drive them to Seattle WA as it would save hours on their journey (They will have on carry on luggage)
Thank you
Ali Garland
April 10, 2019 @ 3:53 pm
The airline might not like it and most airlines have language in their terms that technically allow them to charge the customer for the difference in fare, and if they are frequent flyers with that airline, the airline can technically suspend their account. But I don’t see any *legal* problems with it. But does it really save them time? They’ll have to go through Canadian customs and immigration in Vancouver, which could take some time depending on the lines. And don’t forget, it takes time just to get off the plane. So that could all easily take an hour or so. That gives them 2 hours or less to wait for a one hour flight to Seattle. Vancouver has US customs and immigration, so they would use that layover time to deal with that. If you drove them, you’d all have to deal with immigration on the road, which could still take some time. I don’t know, totally up to them what they decide to do, but it doesn’t sound like much time saved (3 hour drive vs the remaining 2 hours or less of their layover + one hour flight) and they’d have to be willing to take the (admittedly low) risk with the airline.
C.LANE
April 10, 2019 @ 4:22 pm
Thank you…I should have mentioned that they have a 1 1/2 hour drive home from Seatac and they have Nexus so no wait at the border. Their wait at YVR,flight and drive will be approx. 5 hours as opposed to 2 3/4hours drive from YVR to their home.
Ali Garland
April 10, 2019 @ 4:58 pm
Yeah, so maybe it does make sense. Just make sure they’re ok with any potential risk from the airline. It’s definitely a small risk, but something to think about if they’re frequent flyers.
Stephen
April 24, 2019 @ 1:57 pm
Am Stephen from Nigeria travelling to Guyana but am having a layover in mia Miami airport for 14hrs please can I remain in the airport without going anywhere? Because am only having Guyana students Visa. Hope I will not have problem?
Ali Garland
April 24, 2019 @ 2:42 pm
Hi Stephen! The US makes every single person entering the country go through customs and immigration, even if you’re only transiting and not leaving the airport. It’s a pain, but it’s their policy and it’s unavoidable. So unfortunately, you’ll need to check with the US embassy to see what they require for a visa, and if there even is a transit visa option. Sorry I can’t help more, I’m not a visa expert.
Chirag Contractor
April 8, 2019 @ 8:39 pm
Hello,
I am travelling to Greece with a long layover in VIENNA ( 13 Hours Day Time). Should i have any problem leaving the airport and explore the city? I am traveling with my wife who is not US Citizen but we are getting her Schenegen Visa so she can travel any country in Europe or atleast the ones we are visiting. Will she have any problem leaving the airport during our 13 hours layover in VIENNA?
Thank you in advance!
Ali Garland
April 10, 2019 @ 3:21 pm
I’m not a visa expert, but it seems like that would be fine. The Schengen visa should allow your wife to travel to any country in the Schengen Zone, and since you’re landing in Vienna, that’s where you’ll both have to go through customs and immigration anyway. Once you’re through that, you won’t even deal with another immigration officer, so I see no issue with leaving the airport for such a long layover. When you get back to the airport for the Vienna to Greece flight, you’ll have to go through security, but that’s it. Leave yourself enough time for transport back to the airport and to get through security and to your gate, and enjoy!
Chirag Contractor
April 10, 2019 @ 7:04 pm
Thank you very much!
Kimi
April 4, 2019 @ 2:51 am
I have a 5 hour layover in Beijing and i saw online that theres a free shuttle that takes you to the airport hotel and you can use the gym and heated pool there. Would I still need a visa or to go through customs?
Ali Garland
April 4, 2019 @ 11:31 am
Hi Kimi! I’m not a visa expert, but there is some kind of visa waiver if you’re only transiting through China. Are you going to another country after your layover in Beijing? If so, you might qualify. There’s some info here that sounds helpful: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-72hour/. If you’re going somewhere else in China, you will probably need a visa, depending on your nationality. No matter what though, you will have to go through customs and immigration to leave the airport. You’ll also have to go through security before your next flight. If your next flight leaves China, you’ll also have to go through exiting passport control when you get back to the airport.
Occasionally there are airport hotels located inside an airport, where you don’t even have to go through customs and immigration because it’s still within the transit area. I’m not sure if Beijing has any of those though, you’d need to do some research about the airport.
Richard
March 28, 2019 @ 6:27 pm
Hello please I will be traveling to Chicago on british airways and I have a layover of 10 hours in London Heathrow airport. I’m a Nigerian can I leave the airport and go out to chill and see how London looks like and come back to the airport within the 10 hours lay over
Ali Garland
March 29, 2019 @ 10:02 am
Hi Richard! You’ll have to check the UK embassy website to see if you are required to get a visa to enter the country. 10 hours is plenty of time to leave the airport on your layover, but I don’t know the visa rules for every nationality.
BERNARD SARPONG BOATENG
March 27, 2019 @ 3:08 pm
WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT IF I CAN STEP OUT OF THE AIRPORT.THIS IS BECAUSE MY LAYOVER TIME IS VERY LONGER.
Ali Garland
March 28, 2019 @ 11:28 am
If you have a very long layover and you don’t need a visa for the country where your layover is, it’s very possible you can leave the airport during your layover. You’ll need to calculate the time to get in and out of the city, through security on your way back into the airport, possibly going through customs and immigration when you land, possibly going through exiting passport control before your next flight, getting back an hour or two before your next flight, and the time it takes to get off the first flight. If you didn’t quite get enough info from this article, I recommend also reading this one: Ask These 5 Questions to Maximize a Long Layover.
Sarah Ramirez
March 23, 2019 @ 8:25 am
Hi Ali,
I am travelling from Singapore to US ,a Filipino citizen I have a lay over in Australia do I need to get a visa?
Ali Garland
March 25, 2019 @ 11:33 am
Hi Sarah! Unfortunately I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t say for sure. This site has some info: https://archive.homeaffairs.gov.au/lega/lega/form/immi-faqs/do-i-need-a-visa-to-transit-through-australia. And I recommend checking the website for the Australia embassy for info about transit visas.
Rohit Patil
March 19, 2019 @ 4:35 pm
I am travelling from Delhi to Huntsville U.s. and having 20 hrs layover at Heathrow airport London…can I leave and go outside of airport and explore London City During layover and do I need any type of visa or something else….
Ali Garland
March 25, 2019 @ 11:02 am
Hi Rohit! I’m not a visa expert, so you should check the UK embassy website for info about visas, if they are required for your citizenship.
LT
March 16, 2019 @ 5:05 am
Hi there,
I am a Canadian Citizen and will have a layover of 8 hours (9:20 to 5:15) in Vancouver before my flight home to my hometown in Ontario, do you think I could leave the airport after checking in my luggage again (not carry ons but checked baggage) after passing through customs as they won’t be automatically transferred to my final destination? If not, could I leave them in a storage locker at YVR?
Thanks.
Ali Garland
March 25, 2019 @ 10:51 am
I think that would be fine. Check with the airline, occasionally they aren’t able to check in your luggage that far ahead of the flight, so if that is the case, you’d have to find a luggage locker. Looks like there are a few options at YVR: http://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/shop-dine-and-services/276. Just make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport, retrieve your luggage and check it in with the airline if you have to use a locker, and get through security again before your next flight.
Vishal Kudva
March 15, 2019 @ 4:24 pm
Hello Ali, I am a seaman from India with a valid C1D visa. I have a 18 hour layover at Miami before my next flight which goes to St Eustatius. Can I step out of the airport and take a night’s rest considering my next flight is noon time the following day?
Thanks in advance
Ali Garland
March 25, 2019 @ 10:37 am
Hi Vishal! I’m not a visa expert, but if your C1D visa allows you to enter the US, then I see no reason why they’d have a problem with you leaving the Miami airport during your layover. You might want to check the embassy website for more info on what that visa allows, or see if someone you work with (your boss or HR department or something?) knows more about it. From a quick google search about C1D visas, it sounds like it gives you almost a month, so a long layover would be fine. I just don’t want to tell you for sure since visas can be tricky.
JS
March 14, 2019 @ 5:45 pm
Hi, i’m travelling from Indonesia to Tokyo and return back using SQ …. layover at Singapore both ways. While returning, i’ll be issued 2 boarding passes….Tokyo to Sing and Sing to Jakarta. Luggage too will be checked in till Jakarta. However after reaching Singapore, In case i decide not to go to Jakarta but spend few days in Singapore, can i do it ?? I have a valid Singapore visa. For return to Jakarta, i can book another ticket, since my old one will be cancelled as “no Show’.
For luggage….guess i can ask airlines to keep it with them at Jakarta till i return !
Any advice ??
Ali Garland
March 15, 2019 @ 4:51 am
Hi JS! If you don’t get on the Singapore to Jakarta flight, they will take your checked bags off the plane as a security measure. But your luggage won’t just go to the luggage claim area at the same time, so I wouldn’t recommend doing this. Your best bet is to either continue with the flight as booked or contact the airline to change your flight.
JJ
March 10, 2019 @ 12:47 pm
Very helpful information. We are US Citizens traveling back to the US from Barcelona with a 7 hour layover in Portugal. Traveling with our two kids and my elderly mother. Is it worth stepping out of the airport to get a quick glimpse of Portugal? Thank you!
Ali Garland
March 13, 2019 @ 12:09 pm
Hi JJ! If you’re flying through Lisbon, the airport is pretty close to the city by subway, so I think this is doable. You’ll want to be back at the airport at least 2 hours ahead of your flight to the US because you’ll have to go through exiting passport control and security. So with a 7 hour layover, you might have 3 or 4 hours in the city. I suggest picking one sight or two that are close to each other. Don’t try to do too much, make sure you know how long it takes to get back to the airport, and give yourself a buffer. If you decide to take a taxi, be aware of the time of day so you don’t get stuck in rush hour traffic. The subway might just be easier and a bit less stressful.
Shrishail Angadi
March 8, 2019 @ 8:01 pm
Hi I am indian citizen, I am travelling from Kingston(Jamaica) to India Via New York via Dubai to India. and I have 10 hours layover in New York JFK airport and I am in C1 Transit visa which I am using to transit of US. Can I go out from the JFK airport in the 10 hours layover time. and Visit the New York city. Please let me know ho can I go through the same. Let me know if you nee any other information.
Ali Garland
March 13, 2019 @ 12:03 pm
Hi, I’m not a visa expert and I don’t know the details of how the C1 transit visa works. I recommend checking the US embassy website for more info about what that visa allows you to do. You’ll have to go through US customs and immigration, as well as claim and recheck your luggage, when you land in NY no matter what.
Avi
March 1, 2019 @ 5:53 am
Hi m going to Amsterdam from Delhi n have a layover for 3 hrs at Paris. Is that enough to collect my luggage n catch the next flight??
Ali Garland
March 1, 2019 @ 10:14 am
Hi Avi! If both of your flights are booked on the same itinerary, the airline should transfer your checked bags from one flight to the next. So when you land in Paris, you’ll have to go through customs and immigration to get stamped into the Schengen Zone (which France and Netherlands are both a part of) and you’ll have to go through security. But that’s it, so 3 hours should be plenty of time. If your flights are booked separately, you’ll have to claim and recheck your bags, and that could take longer.
PHIL CORBEIL
February 28, 2019 @ 12:12 pm
I have a very similar question to many others but I’m more concerned about my checked bags. I will be travelling through Seoul on my way back from Thailand to Canada. I do not need a visa for Seoul. I have an 11 hour layover from 7am to 6 pm. There is a free tour through South Korea Tourism (5 hours). I am not concerned about going through immigration, I just don’t want to deal with my large checked bags. Can I log through immigration without collecting my checked bags. Thank you
Ali Garland
February 28, 2019 @ 12:47 pm
Hi Phil! In most countries, your checked bags will automatically get transferred from one flight to the next. It’s really just the US and Canada that make you claim and recheck your luggage. There are some exceptions when your layover is that long, but you’d need to talk to the airline to be verify what their policy is for checked bags with a long layover like that. On the off chance that they do make you claim your checked bags, do a search for luggage lockers at Seoul airport. Most airports outside of the US have some kind of lockers or left luggage service, you just want to make sure they are outside of security (landside).
Phil
March 13, 2019 @ 9:27 pm
Hi there. Just an update. We did have a 11 hour layover in Seoul. We ended up doing two back to back tours out of the airport. One was to a temple and the other was to the grand palace downtown. The tourism association does the tours for free and they work with you to determine your time frame and if the tours will work. 50 % of the spots are allocated to people you book ahead and 50% for people who make the decision at the airport. It is easy to spot the booths that the tour people are from. I would highly recommend doing this if you have a long layover in Seoul. Immigration is straight forward when you tell them them you are doing one of the tours. No need to pick up you bags if they were checked through to your final destination.
Ali Garland
March 14, 2019 @ 2:16 pm
Thank you so much for the update, Phil! This is great info, and I’m glad you had a good time!
Dian
February 27, 2019 @ 7:54 pm
Hi Ali,
I’ll be traveling from China to Papua New Guinea, i have 15 hours layover in Manila, I’m Indonesian citizen. I did check the embassy of Philippines(for 30 days free visa). Is it possible to leave the airport and explore the city? Thank you
Ali Garland
February 28, 2019 @ 12:40 pm
Hi Dian! If you don’t need a visa, it should be fine to leave the airport for such a long layover. You’ll have to go through customs and immigration to get stamped into the country, and you’ll have to go through exiting passport control when you come back to the airport to get stamped out of the Philippines before your next flight, plus you’ll have to go through security. Make sure you leave plenty of time for all of that. I usually check https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/ to find out how to get into the city from the airport. Pay attention to how long it takes you on the way in, and leave at least that much time, if not more, to get back at the end of your layover. If you’re taking a bus or taxi, make sure you leave a buffer in case of traffic.
Berti
February 25, 2019 @ 10:16 pm
Hello,
I am from Albania and i have the USA visa.Can i visit London on my layover on London’s airport?
Ali Garland
February 26, 2019 @ 6:07 pm
Hi Berti! I’m not a visa expert, so you’d need to check the visa requirements of the UK. This site looks like a good place to start: https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa
Dino
February 24, 2019 @ 1:55 pm
Hello Ali,
I did check the UK Gov website, but still want some clarity. Can an Iraqi citizen who holds a Canadian visa, traveling back from Canada to London Heathrow arriving at 5:30 am and leaving at 5:30 pm to Istanbul, (both flights are operated by British Airways) on the same day be eligible for a layover? Also should they mention why and what is the best excuse?
Thank you for all your help.
Kind regards,
Dino
Ali Garland
February 25, 2019 @ 11:52 am
Hi Dino! I’m really not a visa expert, so I can’t advise you any more than what you’ve found on the UK embassy site. You should contact them if you’re unsure about the layover. Sorry!
Carla Cole
February 14, 2019 @ 8:03 am
Hi Ali,
I will be traveling to the Philippines on Feb 26, I will be having 16:40 min. Lay over in Narita airport in Japan. Do you think that’s enough time for me to go to Tokyo to see the city. I have Canadian passport so I don’t think I’ll need a visa. Do I need to take the luggage with me. My layover is from 5pm to 9 am.
I would appreciate you help and suggestions!
Carla
Ali Garland
February 14, 2019 @ 3:12 pm
Hi Carla! Yes, that’s plenty of time! You’ll have to go through customs and immigration when you land in Narita in order to leave the airport, and then you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out of Japan the next morning before your next flight. With a 9am departure, you might want to get to the airport by about 7am or even a little earlier, that way you’ll have plenty of time for passport control and security. As for luggage, you’ll need to verify with the airline if they will transfer it to the next flight or if you’ll need to pick it up and recheck it the next morning. Usually they’ll transfer your luggage on a connecting flight, but occasionally with a really long layover like this one, they aren’t able to. It depends on a few factors, but the airline is the one who can tell you how they’ll handle that. I recommend packing everything you think you’ll want with you on your layover in your carry-on bag.
Prince Onyemachi
February 11, 2019 @ 11:17 pm
Hello greetings to you all am traveling to Fiji 🇫🇯 from Nigeria I have a layover of 19hrs in London an 6hrs in USA is there possibilities of me leaving the airport eaither of my two layovers
Ali Garland
February 13, 2019 @ 10:31 am
Hi, 19 hours in London should be plenty of time to leave the airport on a layover. But you’ll have to go through UK customs and immigration, so make sure you check the UK embassy website for information about their visa requirements in case you are required to get one. The same for the US, although even more so there because you’ll have to go through customs and immigration in the US (as well as claim and recheck luggage) even if you don’t plan on leaving the airport. And 6 hours might be enough time but it might be a little tight, it just depends on what airport your layover is at. My suggestion is to look into how long it takes to get from the airport into the city, and maybe even add a few minutes as a buffer. Then remember you’ll have to be back at the airport before your next flight leaves, usually 2 hours is recommended for an international flight, but if all you have to do is go through security again, you might be ok with less time – your call. And remember it’ll take time to get through customs and immigration when you first land. So lets say it takes an hour to get off the plane and through customs and immigration and rechecking your luggage, maybe an hour round trip in and out of the city, and getting back to the airport 2 hours before your next flight, that leaves you with 2 hours max to explore. You’d have to have something really specific in mind that you want to see/do, and definitely keep an eye on your time. If you have to take a taxi to get into the city, definitely leave yourself a buffer in case of traffic to get back to the airport. I’d hate for you to miss your flight to Fiji!
Linda
February 9, 2019 @ 7:09 pm
Hi I’m travelling from the uk to Indonesia/bali with a 23 hour stopover In guangzau (china). Will i be able to leave the airport and explore during that time or do i need to stay in the airport. Also usually with checked luggage is it an automatic transfer onto the next flight or will I need to reclaim and recheck my bag??
Ali Garland
February 11, 2019 @ 5:40 pm
Hi Linda! China has a visa exemption for certain circumstances, and I think you would qualify. I’m not a visa expert though, but this looks like a good place to start: https://www.visaforchina.org/SYD_EN/generalinformation/visaknowledge/269282.shtml. Scroll down to item #5, that sounds like your situation. As for your luggage, normally it would be tagged to your final destination, so the airline would transfer it to the next flight. But since your layover is so long, it’s possible they wouldn’t be able to do that. This really varies by airline and other factors, so you should call the airline and ask them if your bag will be transferred. I’d also verify with the agent when you check in for your first flight.
Ms. Rogie calix
February 9, 2019 @ 4:16 am
We have a layover 8hours what shoyld we do? Can we go out from tbe airport or just stay in the airport?
Can you advive them what we should do.thanks
Ali Garland
February 11, 2019 @ 4:59 pm
That all depends on where the layover is. Usually 8 hours is enough time to leave the airport and see a few things, but there are things to consider. Is your layover in a country where you would need a visa to enter? How far is the airport from the city? What time of day is your layover? Most of those details are in this post or in this one over here, that should help you determine if it makes sense to leave the airport during your layover. As for what to do, I’d recommend a few things that are fairly easy to do, and close to transportation. Are there one or two sights in the layover city that interest you? For example, if your layover was in Paris, you could get the train from the airport into the city and then take the metro to go see the Eiffel Tower. Then you could go see one other sight, like Notre Dam, or grab a quick meal somewhere. Just make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and allow for 1-3 hours ahead of your flight depending on whether it’s domestic or international. I hope this helps!
melanie
April 1, 2019 @ 10:22 pm
Circling back to our earlier conversation (SO helpful by the way)!!! Are you aware if there are storage lockers large enough for our carry on luggage/ suitcases? First in Paris- CDG then London Gatwick. Trying not to check our luggage as Norwegian charges an arm and a leg! Thanks!!!!
Ali Garland
April 2, 2019 @ 11:56 am
Glad to help! Sometimes there are lockers, sometimes there’s a left luggage service. I used a left luggage service at Gatwick years ago (because I think they didn’t have lockers, but I’m not positive) and here’s some info: https://www.gatwickairport.com/at-the-airport/passenger-services/luggage/. For CDG, I found this https://www.airfrance.com/SR/en/common/faq/at-the-airport/are-there-baggage-lockers-at-paris-charles-de-gaulle-airport.htm and this https://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passengers/services/book-a-service/luggage-storage. Usually if you search “luggage lockers” and the airport name, you’ll find some listings. Some airports don’t have lockers anymore because of security reasons, so the left luggage places x-ray your luggage first and then store your bags. Also, most train stations have luggage lockers, so if you’re taking the train into the city, you can look for that too. Always a solution!
melanie
February 6, 2019 @ 9:54 pm
Thanks for this info! We have 7 hour layover in London on our way from Sweden back to the US (9am to 4pm). Our kids are dying to see London. Per some research it seems feasible to take the Heathrow Express directly to Paddington. Thinking we can hot some hot spots there, have lunch and head back??? Does this seem reasonable?
Ali Garland
February 7, 2019 @ 12:52 pm
Hi Melanie! I think that’s enough time to go into the city and see one or two things. Remember that you’ll have to go through customs and immigration to get stamped into the UK if you’re leaving the airport, and then before your flight from London to the US, you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out. You’ll probably want to get back to the airport at least 2 hours ahead of your London-US flight to do exiting passport control and security. Make sure you know how much time it takes to get back to the airport and leave yourself a little buffer. Here’s some info about getting in and out of the city, though it looks like it hasn’t been updated in awhile: https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/heathrow.php. I’d recommend picking sights that aren’t too far from Paddington Station, that way you aren’t losing too much more time in transit or adding extra complications that could delay you. Just as an example, it looks like about 20-25 minutes using the Tube to get from Paddington to Big Ben.
One option that could work is doing a hop on hop off bus. Not always my favorite way to see a city, but with limited time, it could be perfect. I found this https://www.londonpass.com/london-attractions/hop-on-hop-off-bus-tour.html and if you look at the Big Bus London Tour Routes, the Best of the West route has a stop at Paddington and is short enough you could do it. Might be worth looking into.
A quick look at the timing for you: Customs and immigration could be super fast or super slow, so to be safe, let’s say it takes an hour from landing time to getting to the train. Plus 30 minutes on the train into the city, another 30 minutes back. Plus getting to the airport two hours before your next flight. That leaves you with about 3 hours to get lunch and do a tiny bit of sightseeing. So you really want to make sure you have everything planned out. Know exactly where you want to go and which Tube line you need to get there. Find some restaurant options for a quick lunch near wherever you’re going.
I hope this helps, and enjoy your trip!
Melanie
February 7, 2019 @ 2:42 pm
Thank you for so much information Ali! After I sent this, I looked closer only to find that we are actually flying through Gatwick. It seems that is farther from the sites in London, but I did find out you could purchase Premium Passport Control (and Premium Security) passes. I went ahead and bought them as for 4 of us, all 8 passes were under 40 pounds. Hopefully that helps!!! Do you have any experience traveling in and out of Gatwick? It looks like a taxi might be quickest, even if it is more expensive. Then we can see a little bit of London while driving in? Honestly, I think our kids will be happy seeing one site and having a quick lunch. Just don’t want to add any stress to the trip.
ALSO . . . . we layover on the way to Stockholm in Paris. We have done the Eiffel Tower so I’d love any ideas of something else fun to do while there. This layover is 1:15 – 10pm.
Thanks again!
Ali Garland
February 8, 2019 @ 10:51 am
I actually did a long layover in London a few years ago, flying in and out of Gatwick. I took the Gatwick Express train to Victoria Station, which was nonstop and took about 30 minutes one way. Here’s some info on transport options from Gatwick: https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/gatwick.php. My worry about taking a taxi is traffic. Traffic can be pretty bad in London, but the train just goes. Victoria Station is really close to Buckinghan Palace, so when I had my layover, I walked over there to see it, then down to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I mapped it out, so you can see it here. The Westminster Bridge is right there by Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, and you can get some really nice views of the city from there. You could find something to eat around that area and then either walk back to Victoria Station along Victoria Street, or take the Tube from the Westminster station.
For Paris…here’s the info for transport options: https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/paris-charles-de-gaulle.php, assuming you’re flying into/out of CDG. You could go see Notre Dame or the Arc de Triomphe. If your kids like slightly creepy things, you could take them to the catacombs. I actually have an itinerary for a week in Paris, so maybe there’s a sight or activity in there that would be interesting for you. Worth noting, when you land in Paris, you’ll have to go through customs and immigration to get stamped into the Schengen Zone. But since France and Sweden are both in the Schengen Zone, you won’t have to do any immigration procedures at the end of your layover to fly to Stockholm (but you’ll still have to go through security), so that’ll be a little easier.
ahmed
February 4, 2019 @ 3:51 am
hy i want to know that…..can u leave the airport during 2 days layover for visit tour….i am.from.pakistan and i am going to london cardif…from.pakistan…..pakistan to barcelonaand then barcelona to london cardiff…..i ahve 2 days layover on barcelona …can i go outside..and may visa is visit visa from.pakistan to.london……180 days….
Ali Garland
February 7, 2019 @ 10:44 am
Hi Ahmed! You’ll need to check with the Schengen authorities to see if you’re required to get a visa to enter the Schengen Zone. And with such a long layover, that’s not really considered a layover anymore, so I believe you would need a visa no matter what to do a flight itinerary like that. I’m not a visa expert though. Here’s a good place to start your research: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/tourist-schengen-visa/
Kara Ellis
February 3, 2019 @ 12:56 am
Hi, I’m flying home from paris into Newark airport for a 6hour layover till next flight to houston. I’m an American with passport. Will I have time to take subway and go into New York for a few hours and get back? Or maybe to Hoboken?
Ali Garland
February 7, 2019 @ 10:24 am
Hi Kara! When you land in Newark, you’ll have to go through immigration and customs, as well as claim and recheck your luggage. That could easily take an hour or more. You’ll also need to be back at the airport at least an hour before your flight to Houston and go through security. It looks like the train from the airport to NYC Penn Station takes about 30 minutes (Hoboken timing looks really similar if you get the right train route), plus however long it takes to get to the airport train station…looks like you’d have to take the free airport train to get to the actual train station, and I can’t find an exact timing on that. But let’s say you need 45 minutes in each direction, even if your timing works out perfectly to where you don’t have to wait long for the next train, you’re looking at 3.5 to 4 hours just to get through customs, get in and out of NYC, and the hour ahead of your flight. So you might have 2 hours in NYC if you’re lucky. If your timing doesn’t work out so perfectly, you might have an hour. I’m not sure that’s worth it. I know 6 hours is an annoyingly long time to spend in an airport on a layover, but with all the transit time to get into and back out of NYC or Hoboken, it seems like a lot of stress and not a lot of room for error. Here’s some info on transport options to/from Newark Airport: https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/newark.php
Zeshan Ali
January 24, 2019 @ 1:28 am
Hi, i’m flying from USA to Pakistan and i have a layover of 15 hour in Paris, can i leave airport and go to France and take a quick selfie with Eiffel Tower. I check and it’s just 30 mins drive from my airport, my question is that, will i need a visa? i have Pakistani passport currently.
Ali Garland
January 25, 2019 @ 5:35 pm
Hi, I’m not a visa expert, but certain nationalities need a visa to visit any countries in the Schengen Zone (which France is a part of) or even if you’re just transiting. Pakistan is on the list here https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/who-needs-schengen-visa/ but there’s also a list of exceptions. One of the exceptions they list is if you have a valid visa for visiting the US, so I assume you have that since you will be flying from there. However, it sounds like this list of exceptions only applies to transit passengers, not anyone leaving the airport. I suggest reading through that website I linked and seeing what the requirements are for getting a visa and verifying whether or not you need one to transit. I hope you’re able to work something out to be able to go explore the city for a bit because 15 hours is a long layover!
Erike Landerson
January 16, 2019 @ 4:09 pm
Hi ! Thank you for this help.
I’m gonna USA on march 2019 I have tourist visa and my layover is in france and UK I’m not allow to visit this countries without visa. This is first flight with loyvers I don’t have any idea if can leave Air and airport and if can I skip custmus and immigration I have 5 hours in layover. Tell me if can I leave airport in UK and FR without permission of custmus and control and if I came back what should I do. No problem if that illegal but I like to do that.
Thank you
Ali Garland
January 17, 2019 @ 11:53 am
Hi Erike! If you are not allowed to go to France or the UK without a visa, you will not be able to leave either airport during your layover…unless you have a visa. You can’t get to the exit doors without first passing through immigration and customs, and the immigration officers will check you for a visa. You can’t skip customs and immigration AND leave the airport, it’s physically impossible because of how airports are set up to prevent you from getting to the outside without first going through customs and immigration. In most airports, if you’re just transiting, you can bypass customs and immigration by following the signs that say “transit” or “transfer” or “connecting flights” and then you would continue on to your next gate, plus usually you’ll have to go through security.
Also, I highly recommend that you check the embassy websites for the UK and Schengen Zone (border control organization for the group of countries that includes France) ahead of your flight to see if you are required to have a transit visa for either. I am NOT a visa expert, but some countries require certain nationalities to have a transit visa.
Pamela Thomas
January 12, 2019 @ 2:35 am
Good evening Ali. I will be traveling from Jamaica to Poland via Canada. I will layover in Canada for 21 hours. Do airlines ever put up passengers for the time period?
Ali Garland
January 12, 2019 @ 12:07 pm
Hi Pamela! I’m actually working on a post about this right now, but it’s not finished yet. Occasionally airlines will provide a hotel for passengers with long layovers, but there are usually some guidelines. I’m not sure which airline you’re flying, but I’m going to guess Air Canada. Check out their stopover program details and see if it’s something you can do: https://www.aircanada.com/us/en/aco/home/book/travels/hotels/stopover.html. (Also, I LOVE Poland, I hope you have a great trip!)
Fae N.
January 11, 2019 @ 11:52 pm
Hi Ali!
I’m from the Philippines and will be travelling to Honduras. My connecting flights are in Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Houston. I won’t be leaving the airports during my layovers because my visa is only for Honduras.
Do I need to get visas for the countries on the connecting flights?
Thanks in advance!
Ali Garland
January 12, 2019 @ 12:03 pm
Hi Fae, that’s a lot of layovers! I’m not a visa expert, but I’ll try to help. The US requires everyone to get a visa, even if you’re just transiting. And in your case, you’re actually switching to a domestic flight for LAX to Houston. I don’t know what the visa requirements are for citizens of the Philippines, so you’ll have to check the US embassy website for more details. I’d also recommend checking the Japan embassy website to see what their requirements are. I’ve flown through Tokyo on a connecting flight before and I only had to go through security, not customs and immigration, since I was just transiting, but it’s always good to check just in case.
Caroline Rath
January 11, 2019 @ 6:13 pm
Hi Ali,
My son is a Canadian citizen and will be flying home from Florence via Lisbon on TAP air. His flight lands in Lisbon at 9 pm on the Monday and then there is a 20 hour layover with his next flight not leaving until 5 pm the next day. Can he leave the airport and stay at a nearby hotel?
What time would you recommend he be back at the airport on the Tuesday?
Thanks so much for your help,
Caroline
Ali Garland
January 12, 2019 @ 11:44 am
Hi Caroline! Yes, he can leave the airport during his layover, and it sounds like a great option for such a long layover in Lisbon! If his flight out of Lisbon is at 5pm, he should probably aim to get there about 2 or so hours ahead of time. He should basically treat the Lisbon to Canada flight as if it was the first flight of the itinerary, since he’ll still have several steps to get through. Sometimes with long layovers, the airline isn’t able to print the second boarding pass because it’s too far ahead of time, so if that’s the case for him, he’ll need to go to the check-in counter in Lisbon. Then he’ll need to go through exiting passport control where he will be stamped out of the Schengen Zone. (Italy and Portugal are both in Schengen, which is why he won’t go through passport control when leaving Florence.) And he’ll have to go through security. The airline also might not be able to transfer his checked luggage from the first flight to the second flight with such a long layover, so he should verify that with TAP. If he has to claim his luggage in Lisbon, tell him to ask the hotel to hold it for him the next day after he checks out so he can go see the city for a few hours. Just means he’ll need to stop by the hotel before going back to the airport. BUT there is a chance the airline will transfer his luggage, so make sure he has everything he’ll need for his overnight in Lisbon in his carry on bag. I hope this helps, and I hope your son enjoys his short stay in Lisbon!
Paul M
January 8, 2019 @ 12:11 am
Hi, I am travelling to Vancouver Island from the UK, connecting via Seattle. We have a 10 hr layover built in. On my ESTA application it asked if I was transitting to another country which I stated I was. With this route can I recheck my bags after immigration then take the train over to main terminal and exit the airport leaving my bags at Seattle airport?
Ali Garland
January 8, 2019 @ 4:19 pm
Hi Paul! I don’t know a lot about the ESTA rules since I’m a US citizen, but I’m not sure how they could stop you from leaving the airport after you clear customs. The US makes everyone go through customs and immigration, and then you’d have to go through security to get to your next gate. So if you have a 10 hour layover, it seems reasonable to me for you to leave the airport for a few hours. I’d recommend doing a little more research about the exact rules of the ESTA thing though to be sure. I don’t know if they have worthwhile customer service on the website? I really think what you want to do is fine, but I don’t want to steer you in the wrong direction as I am not a visa expert.
Paul M
January 8, 2019 @ 10:03 pm
Thanks for coming back to me. Seatac customer experience said that I would be able to leave the airport with or without my bags.
Ali Garland
January 9, 2019 @ 2:25 pm
That’s great! That’s what I figured, but it’s always good to be certain.
H
January 4, 2019 @ 10:41 pm
Hi Ali,
I’m a Canadian citizen and for my returning flight from Taipei, there will be a 10 hour layover (approx) in Vancouver before I head to Calgary for another 12 hour layover (approx).
Do you think I’ll have enough time to briefly explore both cities?
and would you happen to know if it’ll be easy/ quick for me to re-enter the airports since I’ll only be travelling domestically?
Ali Garland
January 5, 2019 @ 2:54 pm
Yikes, TWO long layovers?! Yes, I think both are long enough to go into the city. When you land in Vancouver, you’ll go through customs and immigration. It’s possible you’ll have to claim and recheck your luggage, but verify that with the airline. It’s also possible that you won’t be able to get your Vancouver-Calgary or Calgary-wherever boarding passes when you check in for the Taipei-Vancouver flight – sometimes the airlines can’t print a boarding pass if the flight is more than 24 hours ahead. This just means when you get to Vancouver, after customs and immigration, you’ll have to basically check in again, but hopefully you can use a machine, which will be faster. Just give yourself enough time on the way back to the airport to deal with that piece, plus you’ll also have to go through security again before proceeding to your next gate. But both Vancouver-Calgary and Calgary-wherever will be domestic flights, so there’s nothing really special about it, just make sure you have your boarding pass and go through security. You probably want to verify that your luggage will be transferred to the last flight since the layover is a long one, but I expect it will be fine. Enjoy your layovers, and probably some strong coffee to stay awake through it all!
Nelson
January 4, 2019 @ 9:31 pm
Hey Ali,am Nelson and will be flying from Lagos to Bahamas and had 3 stop over and the last one in Toronto for 7hrs,can I go out of the airport to see how it looks in Toronto during my layover
Ali Garland
January 5, 2019 @ 2:45 pm
Hi Nelson! I feel like 7 hours should be enough time for a quick visit into the city, but remember that you’ll have to deal with customs and immigration, which can take some time. You may or may not have to claim and recheck your luggage in Toronto, but the airport’s website has a good tool for figuring out what you need to do for a connecting flight, check it out here: https://www.torontopearson.com/Connecting.aspx#. Here’s a good place to look for your transport options: https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/toronto.php. And make sure you know whether you’ll need a visa, based on your nationality. I am not a visa expert, so I can’t really help there, but look at the Canadian embassy website for info. And if you do decide to leave the airport, make sure you allow for plenty of time to get back. You’ll have to go through exiting passport control and security in the Toronto airport. I hope this helps!
Sarah
December 28, 2018 @ 9:55 pm
I’m looking at flights from the US to Kenya and there is one with a 21 hour layover in London, that should be plenty of time to go out and see some things right? How many hours in advance would I need to plan to be back in the airport to catch my flight to Kenya?
Ali Garland
December 30, 2018 @ 5:24 pm
Hi Sarah! I’m going to assume you’re a US citizen, since you’re talking about flying from the US. This means you don’t need a visa to visit the UK, which means you can leave the airport in London during your layover. (If you aren’t a US citizen, check out the UK embassy website to see if you are required to have a visa.) And yes, 21 hours is great! So what’ll happen is you will have to go through UK immigration and customs to get stamped into the country. Then you are free to go enjoy the city, get a hotel if you want, whatever. When you come back, think of it like you’re just starting your journey. You might have to check in for the next flight because it’s very possible your airline can’t print your London-Kenya boarding pass with such a long layover in between the flights. Which also means you might have to recheck your luggage. This is something you should verify with the airline to see how they will handle your luggage during the layover. You’ll also need to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out of the UK, and you’ll need to go through security. Like most international flights, it’s probably worth getting there 2 to 3 hours ahead of your flight time. And leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport. There are train and/or Tube options to both Gatwick and Heathrow, and depending on the time of day, that might be better than a taxi because of traffic. I hope this helps, and enjoy your trip!
marie hennigan
December 27, 2018 @ 8:18 pm
Hi,
we wish to travel from Knock airport to Orlando via Manchester airport. There is a 30 hour layover in Manchester and we want to leave the airport to go and see friends. The first flight is with Flybe and the second flight is with Virgin. Will we be allowed to leave the airport- we have Irish passports, so I do not think that is an issue. Will there be an issue when we try to check back in? How will the airline know where we have gone- I assume if we were to stay in the airport we would be in a transit lounge.
Marie
Ali Garland
December 28, 2018 @ 11:59 am
Hi Marie! Yes, you can leave the airport on your layover in Manchester. You’ll have to go through UK immigration and customs to get stamped into the country, and then you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out before your flight to Orlando, so make sure you leave time for that. Often on such long layovers, the airline can’t print your next boarding pass because it’s still more than 24 hours ahead, which means they probably can’t tag your checked luggage for your final destination either. If you booked both flights all on one itinerary, ask Flybe when you check in if they’ll be able to tag your checked luggage to get transferred from the first flight to the second flight. If they can’t, or if the flights were booked separately, you’ll have to claim your luggage before leaving the airport and recheck your luggage before the second flight. If you don’t want to lug it with you during your layover, look for luggage lockers or a left luggage service.
Hanif
December 26, 2018 @ 3:43 pm
I am from Pakistan studying in china ,i have Chinese residence permit. In winter holiday i am going to Indonesia through Singapore i want transit in Singapore for 24 hours or more but i don’t know how to get the transit. ….
Ali Garland
December 27, 2018 @ 10:07 am
Hi Hanif! You’ll need to check with the Singapore embassy to see if you are required to get a visa to visit or transit through Singapore.
Kaitlyn Snyder
November 29, 2018 @ 8:56 pm
Hi!
My boyfriend and I are traveling to Italy but have a 11 hour lay over in London. We land at 9AM and our flight isn’t until 11:25PM. Do you think that’s enough time to go look around? Thank you!
Ali Garland
November 30, 2018 @ 8:22 pm
Hi Kaitlyn! If you land at 9am and your next flight leaves at 11:25pm, you have almost 14 1/2 hours between flights, so probably about 9-10 hours once you subtract out transport time, customs and immigration time on both ends, and time back at the airport ahead of your flight. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity to leave the airport and explore London! I once did a long layover in London with less time.
You’ll have to go through UK immigration and customs to get stamped into the country, and then I’d recommend public transport to get into the city. Both Gatwick and Heathrow have trains, look here for info about how to get into the city from whichever airport you’re landing in. Keep track of how long it takes to get from the airport into the city, and make sure you know the schedule for getting back. You probably still want to get back to the airport at least 2 hours ahead of your flight, if not more, because you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out and through security. It could be a breeze, but you never know when the lines will get backed up.
I’d recommend doing some research about what specific things you want to see or do, or what neighborhoods you want to explore. That way you won’t lose time trying to figure things out when you’re there with limited time. Enjoy!
Oh, and if you need any Italy tips, I have an itinerary post here!
Divjot Singh Dhunna
November 13, 2018 @ 11:22 am
Hi Ali, I’ll be traveling from Madagascar to USA, in Jan 2019. I have a layover at Addia Ababa for 16 hours. I am indian passport holder. Dose this time period allow me to go out of airport? Thanks.
Ali Garland
November 14, 2018 @ 5:40 pm
Yes, I think 16 hours is plenty of time to leave the airport, do a little sightseeing, and maybe even get a hotel to sleep depending on the timing of your layover. BUT please check to make sure you don’t need a visa for Ethiopia, I am NOT a visa expert.
Michael V
October 29, 2018 @ 11:03 am
Hello, my wife and I will be returning to Ecuador from Athens with our luggage being transferred through the layovers with the airline. Will we have enough time to sightsee in Italy with a 10 hour layover and get a bite to eat in Madrid with a 6 hour layover? Also, my would it be wise to leave the airport with my wife’s Venezuelan passport having only 4 months left before expiring?
Ali Garland
November 1, 2018 @ 10:31 am
Hi Michael! I’m not a visa expert, but I found some info about citizens of Venezuela entering the Schengen Zone (which Italy and Spain are both a part of) and it doesn’t seem like your wife would have a problem with having only 4 months left on her passport. There are apparently some new rules going into effect in 2021 for citizens of certain countries, including Venezuela, and that will include needing at least 3 months validity on the passport. You can read more here and here. This one also says you need 3 months validity past the date you’re leaving the Schengen Zone. Generally it’s recommended to have at least 6 months left on your passport, but I think you’ll be fine in this case. I can’t make guarantees, but considering how many websites say 3 months, I wouldn’t worry. Plus you will already be in the Schengen Zone since Greece is also part of Schengen. If you haven’t started this trip yet, here’s more info about the Schengen Zone, and whichever country you land in first is the one that will check your passports. Then you won’t get checked again until exiting the Schengen Zone, which would be in Madrid since that’s where your flight departs for Ecuador.
As for exploring on your layovers, I’m not sure where in Italy you’re landing, but 10 hours should be fine for whatever city it is. Remember you’ll need time to get off the plane and through the airport, plus however long it takes to get into the city, and then the time to get back to the airport, and you should still be back to the airport about an hour or so before your next flight. Give yourself lots of time in case of traffic or transport delays. If you’re connecting in Rome, there’s a train that connects the airport to Rome Termini station and it takes about 30 minutes. From there you can get the metro to other parts of the city, but you probably only have time for one major sight. In Madrid, there’s a metro line that connects the airport into the city, and that’ll take you anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes depending on where you want to go. So with a 6 hour layover, I think you’ll only have 2 or 3 hours tops to actually explore, but that should be plenty of time to have a meal. I’d suggest researching where you want to eat ahead of time so you don’t lose time while you’re there.
Adam Johnson
October 7, 2018 @ 11:58 am
Hello there, my friend and I will be on a 18 hour stop at (DXB) Dubai from a flight from Stockholm to Singapore and I am a Singaporean while he is a Korean. We were wondering if we could leave the airport to have a look around. Would that be possible? If so, what precautions must we take note of and are there any other limitations?
Ali Garland
October 17, 2018 @ 3:10 pm
Hi Adam! I recommend checking the United Arab Emirates embassy website for info about visa requirements. Some citizens require a visa to enter, while others do not. I’m not a visa expert, and I don’t know about Singapore and Korea specifically. But if you don’t need visas, you’ll just have to go through immigration/passport control and get stamped into the country, and then you can go explore Dubai. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport before your next flight because you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out, plus security. Also, check with your airline about any checked luggage you might have. Usually it’s tagged to go to your final destination, but occasionally with a long layover like this, they might make you claim it during the layover.
Allison
October 1, 2018 @ 7:37 pm
My husband and I are flying from Prague to Orlando with a 6.5 hour layover in Copenhagen. If we want to leave the Copenhagen airport during our layover – do we do through Customs/Immigration before leaving the airport? Or because Prague and Denmark are Schengen countries – we are exempt?
Ali Garland
October 2, 2018 @ 6:23 am
Hi Allison! Since Czech Republic and Denmark are both Schengen countries, you’ll go through exiting customs in Copenhagen before your flight to Orlando. The Prague to Copenhagen flight will be very similar to a domestic flight within the US. So as soon as you land in Copenhagen, you can head for a taxi or train and go into the city for a bit. But you’ll have to go through exiting passport control and security in Copenhagen before your flight to Orlando, so you’ll still need plenty of time at the airport ahead of your flight. Keep that in mind when calculating how much time you have to spend in the city, and make sure you check how long it takes to get in and out of the city from the airport. I found the train/subway pretty easy but I did it a few years ago and I don’t remember how long it took.
Dean
October 1, 2018 @ 7:04 pm
I’m a USA green card holder . I’m traveling from Washington DC to the Gambia and I have a 21hrs layover in London, my question is . Can I leave the airport and come back for my connecting flight. Thank
Ali Garland
October 2, 2018 @ 6:20 am
Hi Dean! I’d recommend checking the website for the UK embassy to see what their requirements are for visas. I’ve seen a few countries that don’t require tourist visas for US green card holders, but I’m not sure if the UK is one of them. If they don’t require a visa, you shouldn’t have a problem leaving the airport for your layover. If they do require a visa, you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the cost and hassle.
Sarah
September 29, 2018 @ 2:39 pm
Hi, I’m a British citizen and I’m looking to go to Kuwait in December with KLM. On the way back there’s an 8 hour transit in Amsterdam so I’d like to leave the airport and have a look around. Do you think I have enough time? And would I have to take my luggage with me?
Ali Garland
October 2, 2018 @ 6:16 am
Hi Sarah! Yes, I think 8 hours is enough time. You’ll have to go through immigration, but in my experience, it’s usually pretty fast in Amsterdam. There’s a train from the airport into the city that takes about 20 or 30 minutes. You’ll have to check with the airline about your checked bags, but usually they’re tagged to your final destination. If you don’t want to carry your carry-on around the city, there are luggage lockers at the Amsterdam Central train station. There used to be ones in the airport, but the ones I know of were all covered up/not in service when I went through there a couple of weeks ago. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time coming back to the airport because you’ll need to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out before your flight to the UK.
bob
December 8, 2018 @ 1:30 pm
hey can you give like an approximation of how long ahead we should arrive to get through immigration for Amsterdam if we left in a layover around the next few weeks
Ali Garland
December 9, 2018 @ 5:44 pm
You’re talking about leaving the airport during your layover, right? So the last few times I’ve flown through Amsterdam, immigration/passport control has only taken about 20 minutes max in either direction. But December is holiday season and there could be more passengers going through, so lines could be longer. Plus it’s a big airport, and immigration is just one piece. If it were me, I’d still plan on getting back to the airport about 2 hours ahead of my next flight just in case. Simply walking through the airport to the international section could take 20 minutes or so, and you’ll have to deal with security too. The good thing is, if you end up with extra time in the airport, Amsterdam is a great one to be in. There are lots of food options, lots of comfy places to sit, and the international section (once you go through immigration and get stamped out of Schengen) has lots of stuff too. I hope this helps!
Phooo
September 25, 2018 @ 7:15 pm
Hi! I’m Thai but living in Sweden. I have a question can I visit a country during travelling from Sweden to Thailand with about 6 hr layover in New Delhi. Can I leave the airport to visit the country and come back to check in again.
Thanksssss
Ali Garland
October 2, 2018 @ 6:12 am
You’d have to check with the India embassy to see if you require a visa to visit India as a Thai citizen. If they do require a visa, it’s probably not worth it because of the cost. I’d also recommend looking at how long it takes to realistically get from the airport into the city and back, plus you’d have to go through customs and immigration to get into India and then exiting passport control to get out before your flight to Thailand, so you’d probably want to be back at the airport 2 hours minimum before your flight. I can’t imagine you’d have more than an hour or two to spare. I know 6 hours is a long time to be in an airport, but I’m not sure this one is worth it.
Lynda
September 15, 2018 @ 12:10 am
I’m a Canadian citizen travelling from Dubrovnik, Croatia to Toronto, Canada with a 17hr layover in Frankfurt, Germany. Can I leave the Frankfurt airport to go to a hotel for the night? Thanks
Ali Garland
September 16, 2018 @ 7:35 pm
Hi Lynda! Canadian citizens don’t need a visa to enter the Schengen zone, so yes, you can leave the airport in Frankfurt and go to a hotel. You’ll have to go through passport control to get stamped in, and then the next day, you’ll go back through to get stamped out. Check with the airline to find out if your checked luggage will be transferred to the next flight or if you’ll have to pick it up on your layover. Give yourself plenty of time when coming back for your flight to Croatia because sometimes the passport control lines at Frankfurt are really long. And then Croatia is not in Schengen, so you’ll get stamped in there when you arrive. Have a great trip!
Francis
August 28, 2018 @ 6:59 am
Hi, I am traveling from London to Santorini with Lufthansa airline on a Schengen visa. I have a 16 hr layover in Frankfurt 11pm – 3pm. Can I go into Frankfurt to get a hotel and come back later before my flight?
Ali Garland
August 29, 2018 @ 11:10 am
Hi Francis! Yes, you can leave the airport. In Frankfurt, you’ll have to go through customs and passport control to get stamped into the Schengen Zone, even if you weren’t leaving the airport. Germany and Greece are both in Schengen, so Frankfurt is your point of entry. You should check with the airline about your checked luggage though, usually they’ll still transfer it to your next flight, but with such a long layover, sometimes they don’t transfer your bags. If they do transfer your luggage, make sure you have everything you need for an overnight in a hotel in your carry-on.
Katharine Alter
July 14, 2018 @ 11:02 pm
We are having a hard time deciding if 6 hours is enough time for us to leave Heathrow and take a train into London for a quick private tour of the city. We are on the same airlines for both legs of the trip and according to the airline our bags will be checked through to Barcelona. If thats the case do we still go through customs in England? If not, do you think we can swing a quick look around? My boyfriend will freak if we are racing back to make our flight to Barcelona and I’ve seen London. But he has never been to Europe and the idea of sitting in the airport for six hours sounds like a waste.
Ali Garland
July 16, 2018 @ 3:36 pm
Hi Katharine! Hmmm…6 hours for a layover in London seems kind of short for going into the city. I’m not sure where you’re coming from, but I’ll assume you’re coming from the US or Canada or someplace else that’s NOT in the UK. That means you’ll have to go through customs and immigration to get stamped into the UK, which could be fast or not, depending on the lines. At the end of your layover, you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out of the UK, plus security to get to your gate. Then add in transport time into and back out of the city. So let’s say you lose an hour when you first land dealing with getting off the plane and getting through immigration, then it’ll take you roughly an hour (give or take, depending on exactly where you want to go) to get into the city by train or taxi, then you need another hour to get back to the airport, and you probably want to be back 2 hours before your flight to Barcelona. This leaves you with MAYBE an hour in London. If there are any delays with the train or traffic on the roads, you could miss your flight. I know 6 hours is a long time to sit in the airport, but if this was me, I wouldn’t leave the airport on this layover.
Sublime Eden
July 5, 2018 @ 10:45 am
Hi Ali!
It’s really wonderful to know about you and I’m so grateful, I landed here and thanks for answering so many questions and helping people.
We’ve an Indian passport, we’ll be flying from Delhi (India) to Istanbul with a layover of 9 hours in Jeddah(Saudi Arabia). Could you please tell me whether we can leave the Jeddah Airport and go out? Do we need a visa and what are the other formalities? What would be the procedures, etc.?
Please help me out.
Thank you!
Ali Garland
July 6, 2018 @ 3:12 pm
Hello! I’m not a visa expert at all, but Saudi Arabia tends to have pretty strict visa regulations. I suggest looking up the website of the Saudi Arabian embassy and seeing what they say about visa requirements for Indian passport holders.
joven san ramon
July 5, 2018 @ 10:17 am
Hi Ali, I’m Joven from the Philippines. I will be travelling to NY City first week of August. I have a 22 hours lay over in Vancouver. Would it be ok if I leave the airport for some walk around the city? Thank you very much.
Ali Garland
July 6, 2018 @ 3:10 pm
Hi Joven! The only hurdle is the visa. I’m not a visa expert, but I believe you need a visa even to transit through Canada, but I don’t know if it’s a different one if you’re leaving the airport or if the transit visa simply has a time limit on it. You should check with the Canadian embassy and see what the requirements are for your nationality.
Divine
June 25, 2018 @ 4:16 pm
I have 12hours layover in hongkong from dubai can i leave the airport if ever just t meet my mom..the airlines is cathy pacific
Ali Garland
June 25, 2018 @ 7:18 pm
It depends on your nationality whether or not you’ll need a visa, so check with the Hong Kong embassy. Try this site or this site. Then it’s pretty easy to get into the city from the airport using the MTR (subway/metro). Just make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and through exiting passport control and security.
Abbas Khan
June 24, 2018 @ 11:51 pm
I have layover in Sydney for 23h 55m can I leave the airport,if not what I need to leave the airport.
Ali Garland
June 25, 2018 @ 7:10 pm
Hi Abbas! It depends on your nationality whether or not you will need a visa. Check this site for your nationality and see what the requirements are.
kish
June 20, 2018 @ 10:22 am
hi! im flying to madrid spain. and my layover is in seoul incheon for 6hours. 6:45am. Do you think i can still go outside the airport for that short period of time? My departing time is 12:45pm. And do i need to avail their korean visa or my visa for madrid is okay aldready? Please i need an answer. Thankyouuuu
Ali Garland
June 20, 2018 @ 5:17 pm
Hi Kish! It depends on a bunch of factors. The visa – your visa for Madrid, Spain doesn’t do you any good in Korea. You’ll have to check with the South Korean embassy to see if you need a visa to enter based on your nationality. If you don’t need a visa or you can easily get one on arrival, then you have to look at the timing. Here’s some info on getting into the city from the airport: https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/seoul.php. It looks to me like the train takes close to 45 minutes. Not sure how long a taxi would take, but it sounds like you’ll be there during rush hour time in the morning, so that could affect things. So let’s say 45 minutes on the train, each direction. Now your 6 hour layover is down to 4.5 hours. Plus you have to account for going through customs and immigration to get stamped into Korea. That could take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour or more depending on the lines. You also have to account for getting back to the airport in time to do exiting passport control to get stamped out of Korea, and you’ll need to go through security. I feel like you might only have about 2 hours at the most to go into the city. If you have to apply for and pay for a visa, I don’t think it’s worth it. If you don’t need a visa, it’s a judgement call. If you decide to do it, make sure you get back to the airport with plenty of time for passport control and security. It could be quick but it could also be slow, and I’d hate for you to miss your connecting flight because of long lines and not leaving yourself enough time at the end of your layover.
kish
June 20, 2018 @ 8:05 pm
Hi! Thankyou for the reply~ oh well thats kinda difficult if i still pursue to go outside the airport. Hmm thanks for answering! 🙂
SRP
June 13, 2018 @ 2:34 am
I’m travelling from Western Canada to Washington with a 4.5 hour layover in Minneapolis. We clear US Customs in the airport in Canada and then we’re considered a domestic arrival once we get to Minneapolis. In this scenario, would we be able to leave the airport to go to the Mall of America (apparently 10-15 minutes by train) once we’re in Minneapolis? Would we need to claim our bags upon doing so or will they be automatically transferred through?
Thanks for any help you can give me!
Ali Garland
June 15, 2018 @ 10:31 am
Yes, you’ll already be stamped into the US, so you are free to leave the airport and go see the Mall of America if you want. (This would be true even if you weren’t able to clear customs in Canada before your flight.) Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and through security before your next flight. And remember that mall really is huge, so take note of how long it takes to get back to the train.
As for your luggage, I don’t know for sure because I haven’t done the US customs clearance in Canada. I would assume that you wouldn’t have to claim and recheck your luggage since you’re considered a domestic flight at that point and in theory you wouldn’t have to leave the secured area of the airport. The whole reason for having to claim your luggage in the US when you arrive is to go through customs, but you will have already done that at your departure airport. So my gut tells me you won’t have to claim luggage in MSP, but I can’t say for sure. Try calling the airline and see if they know. Worst case, the agent who checks you in for your first flight should be able to tell you if your bags will be transferred through or if you’ll have to claim your bags in MSP.
Anonymous
June 6, 2018 @ 7:15 am
Hi Ali,
I am travelling from New Delhi to San Francisco with 19h overnight layover at London (LHR) with valid US Visa and more than 6 months validity on my passport. Am I allowed to go out and take quick city tour?
Ali Garland
June 6, 2018 @ 5:19 pm
Hi! I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t say for sure. Your best option is to check with the UK embassy and see what their requirements are based on your citizenship and if the US visa helps you out. Sorry I don’t know more than that!
Billy Hillman
June 4, 2018 @ 9:20 pm
Oh and Ali, I forgot to mention, I see you are a travel junkie and if you want a goal, try the one I have done, all 52 Capital Cities in Europe (according to MY definition of Europe). My criteria for Europe is countries who play in the European Championships except Israel and Kazakhstan (which I consider as Asia), Gibralta (which is a colony) and Faroe Islands (which is part of Denmark) but HAVE included Azerbaijan (Baku), Russia (Moscow) and Turkey (Ankara).
The second part of my criteria is who sends youth workers and young people to my European projects with Erasmus plus, European section.
I haven’t included Vatican as I think it’s a church (I have been there though obviously so anyone adamant it’s a city then I have been to all 53 😀 ), but have included Monaco reluctlantly (even though it doesn’t fit my other criteria) and obviously included the small ones like Vaduz, San Marino City and Andorra la vella but not included the islands such as Channel Islands, Canary Islands, Isle of White or Madeira, though I have been to these as well.
I love talking countries too 😀
Ali Garland
June 5, 2018 @ 11:17 am
Billy, I love this! I am a bit of a list ticker and country counter, just for my own enjoyment. I made it to all 7 continents before my 30th birthday, and I now have a goal to get to every country in Europe before my 45th birthday. I’m counting Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland as separate countries, and so far England is the only one of that list I’ve been to. I’ve been to the micro countries (Vatican, San Marino, etc.) and now my list is mostly eastern and norther countries.
Billy Hillman
June 4, 2018 @ 8:56 pm
Thankyou Ali you are a wonderful minefield of knowledge and such a helpful person. My exploration of the city is covered (I have a friend there who will meet me, as long as I can find a way out of the airport and back because google is coming up short with this kind of info)
Will try your to and from link
Diolch yn fawr
Billy
Ali Garland
June 5, 2018 @ 11:15 am
Sounds great! And maybe your friend has some tips on the best way to get from the airport into the city.
Billy Hillman
June 3, 2018 @ 3:33 pm
Hi I will fly from London to Beijing with a 16 hour layover in Islamibad so I would like to see a little bit of that city. I land around 6am and leave around 23.00. I am pretty sure my luggage will go straight from one plane to another, but I think I may need a visa for Pakistan as a British national. How can I find out all the details of what I may need to visit the city
Ali Garland
June 3, 2018 @ 6:30 pm
Hi Billy! Definitely check the website for the Pakistan embassy about visa requirements for British citizens. I don’t know anything about Islamibad, but you can look up that airport on toandfromtheairport.com and see what they say about transport options in and out of the airport. As for things to do, I found this layover tour that could be interesting. Also, do a few Google searches for “things to do in Islamibad” and variations of that, plus see if there’s a tourism website for the city. Sorry I can’t be much help on this one!
Daryll
June 2, 2018 @ 4:57 pm
Hi would be wondering if I do need a transit visa traveling Dxb- armsterdam 7 hours layover then to panama – Costa Rica .
I’m Philippines passport holder .
Thanks
Ali Garland
June 2, 2018 @ 6:01 pm
Hi Daryll! I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t really help you on this one. Check with the Netherlands embassy or check this site about Schengen countries, which includes the Netherlands: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/transit-schengen-visa/
Leo prado
May 31, 2018 @ 4:05 am
Hello. I’m a US citizen currently in Brazil. I just booked a flight home. With 2 layovers, first one being Lima, Peru 19hours. Then Bogota for 6hours. Would I need a vacation if I leave the Airport? Yellow fever.
Ali Garland
May 31, 2018 @ 1:40 pm
Hi Leo! According to the CDC https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/select-destinations/peru-cusco-machu-picchu-and-other-regions Peru does not require a yellow fever vaccination to enter the country, and it says you shouldn’t need one if you’re only visiting Lima (and a few other places).
Gisele
May 30, 2018 @ 10:17 pm
Hi Ali,
We are heading to Namibia June 23 from Edmonton Alberta Canada Via Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and we have a 12 hour layover in Amsterdam, how hard is it to leave the airport and walk around Amsterdam for a few hours and see some sights, do we need to get any paperwork in advance? or do we just come off the plane and go through customs and security to leave? but what about re entering the airport what is the protocol with that?, also is there a place to leave our carry on and some personal items we don’t want to walk around with, like lockers to use and access both coming off the plane and going back on. Hopefully you can help us out with this questions.
Ali Garland
May 31, 2018 @ 12:48 pm
Hi Gisele! I’m guessing you’re Canadian citizens, and Canada is one of the countries that is not required to get a visa to enter Schengen countries, which the Netherlands is a part of. So you wouldn’t need to do anything ahead of time if you want to leave the airport during your layover in Amsterdam. You would just go through customs/passport control and get stamped in, and then on your way back to your next flight, you’ll go through passport control again to get stamped out. Leave yourself enough time for that and for security. Amsterdam’s city center isn’t too far from the airport, and you can get a train pretty easily. It’s probably worth doing some research about what you want to do/see while in Amsterdam so you don’t lose too much time. There’s a pretty good tram system in Amsterdam if you want to go a little farther than walking distance from the train station. As for your carry-on luggage, do a search for luggage lockers in the Amsterdam airport. I *think* there are some, but I can’t remember with 100% certainty. Another option is to take your luggage on the train into the city, and then get a locker at the train station.
Gisele
May 31, 2018 @ 6:55 pm
Thank you Ali,
that info is helpful, we would like to take the train into Central Station and do a Canal ride and maybe have a bite to eat, and walk the square, so this is helpful to know we are able to leave and come back, I will look into lockers I believe there is because it says you can purchase items and leave them in a locker and pick them up on your return flight home.
thanks again
Ali Garland
June 1, 2018 @ 2:00 pm
Sounds like a good plan! Make sure you look at the train schedule to see how often they run back to the airport and give yourself plenty of time to get back plus get through passport control and security. Have a fun long layover!
Nicole de Veyra
May 25, 2018 @ 3:34 pm
Hi, ali! I am a Philippine Passport Holder currently working in the UK and a holder of a tier 2 UK work visa and a multiple entry B1/B2 US visa. I am going for a holiday to the US in august and will have a 15 hour lay over in shannon airport ireland from the UK before my flight for new york. Can i leave shannon airport during this lay over? Will I be required to secure an ireland visa To do so? I have friends in shannon, county clare and I was hoping to join them for drinks during the lay over. Thanks and Best Regards!
Ali Garland
May 28, 2018 @ 11:32 am
Hi Nicole! I’m not a visa expert, so I can’t say for sure. I suggest contacting the Irish embassy or looking up their website and seeing if Philippine passport holders are required to get a visa to visit Ireland, if there’s a transit visa and if so what the restrictions are on that (sometimes transit visas don’t allow you to leave the airport), and if there are any exceptions for people holding a UK work visa. Sorry I can’t be more help! I hope you’re able to do it though, sounds like fun!
ALi
May 23, 2018 @ 12:03 am
Hi. I got funny situation, I wants to travel to Lahore,Pakistan. Direct flights are so expensive. So i searched flights for another town airport which is 40 miles from Lahore and its saving me $700, Funny enough my connecting flight will go direct to Lahore,then it has a layover for two hours then a domestic flight will take me to destination Town. I wants to quit my journey at Lahore. Did anybody had similar experience.Will I be allowed to quite my journey at Lahore???Obviously I can leave airport but what about my luggage. Will i be traveling 40 miles to collect my luggage?? I don’t need Pakistan Visa.
Ali Garland
May 23, 2018 @ 6:43 pm
Hi Ali! If you take the first flight and abandon the second flight, you won’t be able to get your checked luggage on your layover. But they won’t actually leave your luggage on the plane if you don’t show up for that flight, for security reasons, and it gets messy. Also, they will mark you as a no show, and your return flight is likely to be cancelled. The only time I think it works out to book a connecting flight and not take the second leg is if you don’t have checked luggage and you don’t have a return flight. Even then, if it’s an airline you fly frequently, they could put you on a list and make things difficult for you with booking future flights. How much would a bus or taxi cost from the other town you found to Lahore? I know that would be super annoying, but it still might be cheaper than the direct flight.
Robert
May 4, 2018 @ 8:41 am
Hi, I will be traveling to the UK and I have a layover of 7 hours when going and another for 10 hours when coming back at Brussels Airport. Do I need a transit visa. Im from Kenya. I don’t need to leave the airport. I will be at the transit zone
Ali Garland
May 5, 2018 @ 10:55 am
Hi Robert! I am not a visa expert, so I can’t give you a definite answer. You might need a transit visa, but I can’t say for sure. There’s some good info here to get you started: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/transit-schengen-visa/
Fletcher
April 24, 2018 @ 7:17 pm
I will be traveling from Nigeria to Russia during the world cup and i have a seven hours layover in Paris
please can I walk outside the airport to visit a friend?.
Ali Garland
April 26, 2018 @ 11:37 am
Hi Fletcher! Some of that will depend on your nationality. If you need a tourist visa to enter the Schengen Zone (which France is a part of) you’ll need to apply for a visa, which could be time consuming and expensive for such a short visit. (Although, be sure to check if you need a transit visa to pass through on your way to Russia…I’m not a visa expert.) If you don’t need a visa, then you technically can leave the airport during your layover, after you go through customs and immigration, which could take some time depending on the lines. Then it just comes down to timing. The airport is a little ways outside the city, so you’ll need to either get a taxi or shuttle or take a train. You’ll need to figure out where you can meet your friend and see how long that will take, and hopefully your friend can help you determine that. And then you’ll need to get back to the airport at least 2 hours before your next flight since you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out of the Schengen Zone and go through security. I feel like you might have 2 hours tops in the city, which is a little tight. If your friend is able to come meet you at the airport and you can just hang out outside the secured area, that might not be so exciting, but it would be easier for you and you’d get to spend a little more time with your friend. I hope this helps, and enjoy your trip!
dishaa singhal
April 23, 2018 @ 3:33 pm
hi
thanks for the insightful article.
i have a 7 hours of layover in rome before i head to venice. my floghts lands in rome at 9. am and next one to venice departs at 4 pm. would you suggest i stay put at the airport or what else can i do in this time?
thanks
Ali Garland
April 26, 2018 @ 11:28 am
Hi Dishaa! I don’t know where you’re flying from, but if you’re coming from outside the Schengen Zone, you’ll have to go through customs and immigration in Rome. How long that takes all depends on the lines, so sometimes it’s super fast, sometimes it’ll take some time. Then there’s a direct train that runs from the airport (I’m assuming you’re flying into Rome FCO airport) to Rome Termini station, and it takes about a half hour and it looks like it runs twice an hour. Check http://trenitalia.com/ for times, you can switch it to English. From Termini station, you can get into the metro system and go see something in the city. You’ll need to get back to the airport at least an hour ahead of your next flight. So I think best case scenario, you’re looking at about 3 hours or so in the city. That’s a little tight but not impossible. It’s probably worth picking one sight or one area to see and do a little wandering around, but keep in mind that some places have long lines. So maybe you can go see the Colosseum from the outside, but I’m not sure you’d have enough time to go inside. And make sure you know the train schedule going back to the airport so you can get there on time. You could consider taking a taxi, but it’ll be a lot more expensive and when I run the route in Google Maps, it doesn’t really save you any time. I hope this helps you make your decision and start looking into your options! And if you need any other Italy tips, check out our Italy suggestions here.
Umang Patel
April 21, 2018 @ 8:42 am
Hi, Thank you for the great information!
Me and my other friend are from India. We have student visa as I am going to study in Canada and he in US in next september. So before going there, we have decided to take layover in Paris(& visit some places there) before taking separate flight from there. Which procedures are needed if we want to visit Paris for 24/48 hours.
Ali Garland
April 23, 2018 @ 9:54 am
Hi Umang! You’ll need to apply for a Schengen tourist visa. I’m not a visa expert, but this looks like a good place to start: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/visa-application-indian-passport-holders/. There’s some info on there about if you’re a student, but I think they mean if you’re going to Europe to study, not the US or Canada, so you’d be just a normal tourist. Also, it looks like you’d have to apply through France if you want to visit Paris. Make sure you read through everything, and contact the embassy directly if you have more questions. I hope this helps, and have fun!
Folarin Lapite
April 18, 2018 @ 10:33 pm
I’m travelling to LA this summer and I have a short 6 hour layover in Vegas. I want to have a meeting outside the airport with some old friends in Vegas during my layover and I am worried of the implications if i miss my flight from Vegas and make my own way to LA rather than to take my connecting flight, as my return is on the same airline. Will I still be able to return from LA to the UK two weeks later, or will the rest of my booking be cancelled?
Thanks
Folarin
Ali Garland
April 19, 2018 @ 4:52 pm
Hi Folarin! If you miss your flight from Vegas to LA in this situation, you’re basically seen as a no-show and chances are the airline will cancel the rest of your itinerary. A 6 hour layover is decent, especially since the airport isn’t too far from the city, depending on where exactly you’re trying to go. Talk to your friends about where to meet them and the fastest/easiest way to get in and out of the city. Maybe they can even pick you up from the airport? It also depends on the time of day since there might be traffic issues. Let’s say you need an hour to get off the plane and through customs (time needed for customs can vary greatly) and then you should probably get back to the airport at least an hour ahead of your next flight, that leaves you with 4 hours to deal with transport in and out of the city and for hanging out with your friends. Seems manageable to me, especially if you can get some local advice from your friends on the best way in and out of the airport. Another option to consider if you’re worried about missing your flight is to see if they are willing to meet you at the airport and grab a meal somewhere outside of the security checkpoint.
Sandra
April 16, 2018 @ 10:04 pm
Hi there,
My teenage boys and I are travelling to Brussels by way of Newark and Dublin. On our outward trip we have a 7 hour 29 minute layover in Newark (we arrive at 10:00 a.m.) On our return trip we have a 4 hour 40 minute one in Dublin. Will these layovers be long enough to make a quick visit to Manhattan and somewhere close to Dublin airport? I thought about jumping on the Hop-on, Hop off bus to tour Manhattan. Please advise. Thanks
Ali Garland
April 17, 2018 @ 4:22 pm
Hi Sandra! I’m going to start with Dublin. I think that one is a little tricky given the timing. Ireland is not part of the Schengen Zone but Belgium is, which means if your connecting flight is in Dublin, if you were not going to leave the airport, you could bypass customs and immigration (look for signs that say “transit” or “transfer” or even “connecting flights”) since you’re not staying in Ireland. The Dublin Airport also has a US border control facility, which means you might actually get cleared into the US while in Dublin. I haven’t done it yet, so I’m not real clear on whether it’s for only certain airlines or every single US-bound passenger, but you can find more info here. But that would take more time too. So if you want to leave the airport in Dublin, you’ll have to go through customs to get stamped into Ireland, and then you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out, plus security, plus possibly going through US customs, before your flight to the US. That means I’d recommend getting back to the Dublin airport *at least* 2 hours before your next flight in case there are lines at passport control and/or security. There’s info here about transport options from the airport, and it looks like it could be anywhere from 20 to 55 minutes depending on time of day and traffic. So even at the lower end of that time frame, you’ll probably only have an hour to an hour and a half in the city at the most, maybe much less when you take into account the US customs piece of it. So I’m not sure it’s worth the stress.
As for the Newark layover, that could be a little easier. There are no exiting customs procedures when leaving the US, but you will still have to go through security when you get back to the airport. Again, here is info on getting into the city. I personally would take the train from the airport to New York Penn Station, looks like it takes about a half hour. Then there are tons of different hop on hop off tours to choose from, you can look at them here. Make sure you look at how much time you need for the full loop, and look at stops that are close to Penn Station (if you decide to take the train there) so you’ll know where you can get on the bus without having to walk too far. You’ll still want to allow plenty of time to get back to the airport and through security before your next flight. And remember that international flights often start boarding earlier than domestic flights because the planes are bigger and there are more people to load. So if it were me, I’d probably still get back to the airport about 2 hours before the flight, which means being on that train from Penn Station no later than 2 1/2 hours before the flight. This probably gives you 4 hours tops in the city.
I hope this helps, and enjoy your trip! And if you’re looking for Brussels tips, we have a post on day trips from Brussels here!
Sandra
April 17, 2018 @ 6:18 pm
Ali, thank you so much for your prompt and useful reply. I will most definitely check out the links you provided and figure out my options. Hopefully, I’ll be able to come up with something and make the most of my time in these different locations.
Ali Garland
April 18, 2018 @ 12:56 pm
Glad to help!
Manh trandinh
April 11, 2018 @ 3:14 pm
Thanks very much for your answer 🙂
Manh trandinh
April 10, 2018 @ 5:56 pm
Hi,
I got special ticket from Montreal (canada) to Vietnam with connection in Beijing (china). Can I only ask for bording pass from Montreal-> Beijing and get out from Beijing to visit and buy another ticket to Vietnam . I do it because it’s cheaper !!!
Thanks
Ali Garland
April 11, 2018 @ 10:35 am
Ok if I’m understanding you correctly, you have an itinerary that is Montreal to Beijing to Vietnam, but you only want to use the Montreal to Beijing part, and then buy a separate ticket to Vietnam, right? If this is one way, it’s doable. If you have a return flight booked back to Montreal, or even to another city that’s booked at the same time, the airline will cancel your whole itinerary. So basically anything you’ve booked beyond Beijing on that itinerary will be canceled. So if this is a one way flight that you’ve booked, when you check in for the Montreal to Beijing flight, they’ll still give you both boarding passes. Don’t tell them you don’t want to use the Beijing to Vietnam flight. BUT you must have carry-on luggage only! You will not be able to claim your checked luggage in Beijing, so if you’re checking bags, this won’t work. Also, make sure you verify what kind of visa you might need for China because it could be different if you’re leaving the airport instead of just transiting through. In general airlines don’t like it when people buy a ticket and only use one part of it, so I’ve heard of some airlines tracking people who do it a lot. I wouldn’t really worry about it, but try not to make it a habit of doing something like this, especially with the same airline. I hope this helps, and have a great trip!
Rebecca
April 7, 2018 @ 1:45 am
Hi!
We are traveling home to the US from Italy with a 12 hour layover in London. Can we leave the airport? Will we have to gather our luggage? Will we have to go through customs to leave and then re-enter the airport?
Thanks!
Ali Garland
April 10, 2018 @ 11:41 am
Hi Rebecca! Yes, if you want to leave the airport during your layover in London, you will have to go through British immigration and customs to leave the airport, and then you’ll have to go through exiting passport control before your flight to Italy. Probably worth it for such a long layover though. Your luggage will depend on your airline. Usually your luggage will be tagged to go all the way to your final destination in this kind of itinerary, but you should verify that with the airline since you have such a long layover. If you do have to claim your luggage and they won’t recheck it that far ahead of your flight, look for luggage lockers or a left luggage facility. I was able to do that at Gatwick several years ago, but I don’t know if it’s changed or if Heathrow has anything like that. Also, if you need any Italy tips, please check out our Italy section here!
Laura
April 6, 2018 @ 8:22 pm
Hi
I am travelling from Hawaii back to London via Vancouver. We have a 10 1/2 hour stop in Vancouver. If we get a visa (we are British) can we leave the airport? How do we find out what happens to our luggage?
Thanks 🙂
Ali Garland
April 10, 2018 @ 11:37 am
Hi Laura, yes, if you have a visa to enter Canada (if you need one…I’m not familiar with the visa requirements for British citizens visiting Canada) then you can leave the airport. In general you have to claim checked luggage when landing in Canada and then recheck it for your next flight, so you’ll have to check with the airline to see how far ahead of the next flight they will check your luggage. If you can’t check your luggage that early, you’ll have to see if there are luggage lockers or a left luggage facility, or take it with you while you’re checking out the city. Also, the Vancouver airport has US border control, so you’ll actually go through US immigration while still in the Vancouver airport, so make sure you do that after you come back from seeing the city, not immediately after landing in Vancouver. There’s more info here: http://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/navigate-yvr/customs-and-immigration/us-customs-and-border-protection. If you do leave the airport during your layover, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and get through security and US border control.
James
April 6, 2018 @ 8:15 pm
Hi,
Thank you for all the great info!
I’m trying to plan a trip to meet someone traveling from Indonesia to Columbia. It seems that most flights have some type of layover in the USA or Canada, and those countries require a VISA of some kind. Can you give any advice on the best way to go about this? Getting a US VISA is near impossible right now, thats why we chose Columbia as our destination since it doesn’t have any VISA requirement for either of our countries. Is it easier to transit through a Canadian airport? I saw something that US immigration requirements still apply in airports in Vancouver. Any clarification would be helpful! Thanks!
Ali Garland
April 10, 2018 @ 11:29 am
Unfortunately I don’t have any info on how to get visas for the US or Canada. I know it’s frustrating to have to deal with a visa for a place you’re not even staying in! I don’t think US immigration requirements apply at Canadian airports, but there are some Canadian airports that have US border control so passengers can go through US immigration while in the Canadian airport before their flight instead of doing it once they arrive in the US. That shouldn’t apply to you if you’re not going to the US, but I make no guarantees. You might want to consider piecing together a route that doesn’t involve the US or Canada if the visas are too tricky. It might mean booking separate itineraries, so if you do that, make sure you leave plenty of time in between flights, especially if you have checked luggage. But make sure to check visa requirements for any country you might be traveling through, because if you need a visa to leave the transit zone, you’ll need it to retrieve checked luggage and recheck it. You could try something like Jakarta to Auckland, and Auckland to Bogota, for example. Some of those transit through Australia, so be sure to check the visa requirements for transiting there. Pull up a flight search engine and keep playing with options. It won’t be a quick trip, but if you can avoid dealing with visas for the US or Canada, it’s probably worth it. Good luck!
Dorothy
March 23, 2018 @ 6:46 pm
Hi! First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to answer all these questions! I’m a Canadian Citizen that is traveling to the States. On my flight back, I have a 13h layover in Dallas, arriving at 7PM that night and a 9AM flight the next day to Vancouver. Would I be able to go out of the airport? I was thinking I’d rather rest in a room rather than in the airport.
Ali Garland
March 27, 2018 @ 12:12 pm
Hi Dorothy! Yes, you can leave the airport and get a hotel for that night. You will already be in the US since that’s where your trip is, so there’s no problem with leaving the airport for a long layover. Check with the airline to find out if they are able to transfer your luggage all the way through or if you will have to pick it up in Dallas since it’s such a long layover.
Sean
March 11, 2018 @ 10:10 pm
Hi Ali
I am a U.S ,citizen traveling from Liberia to the the U.S. through Brussels. I have a 5+ Brussels layover that will/may allow me enough time, considering all the potential pit-falls, to get into the city center to take in a few of the more renowned sites. Knowing Brussels airport and the associated transit system do you anticipate any potential unforeseen road-blocks? I have done this in Paris and Frankfurt on similarly timed lay-overs and it was doable, if a bit constrained, but that was 7 or 8 years ago and in the case of Paris at least, upon my return they seemed to think that my leaving the airport was questionable. Has anything changed to your knowledge that would not allow me to leave the airport, knowing of course I don’t have much time to work with?
Thanks,
Sean
Ali Garland
March 12, 2018 @ 12:53 pm
Hi Sean! I think 5 hours is a bit tight to leave the airport, but if you’ve done it before and you feel comfortable with it, give it a try. Here’s some info on how to get to and from the Brussels airport: https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/brussels.php. I’d probably try the airport express train, says it takes approximately 15 minutes and runs 4 times an hour. Remember it’ll take you time to get off the plane and through customs once you land in Brussels. On your way back, you need to allow plenty of time to go through exiting passport control and security check. Normally for an international flight, I’d recommend getting to the airport about 2 hours ahead of time, so when you account for that plus the time at the beginning when you first land in Brussels, plus the transport time, I feel like you *might* have 2 hours in Brussels tops. Definitely find out the schedule of the airport train so on your way back you don’t show up at the station 2 minutes after the train left and then you have to wait another 13 minutes or something. Leave plenty of time to get through exiting passport control. I haven’t flown through Brussels, but at some airports, those lines can be really long, and sometimes it depends on the time of day. I’ve breezed through some in minutes, while others have taken an hour, you just never know. I have no idea why the person at the Paris airport thought it was questionable that you left the airport, it’s totally legal since you don’t need a visa as a US citizen. I wouldn’t worry about that. If you want to leave the airport, you can, just remember you don’t have a lot of time to work with on this layover.
Gladys
March 5, 2018 @ 1:56 am
Hi, we are going from USA to Sweden having an 8 hr layover in Vienna …..we will love to see the city. We are thinking on a Hop on Hop off Tour…..
Any information will be greatly appreciated
Thank you !!!
Ali Garland
March 8, 2018 @ 3:33 pm
Hi Gladys! A Hop on Hop off bus could be a great way to get a glimpse of the city since you’ll only have a few hours there. Check out a few options here that I found. Then you can either take a taxi to one of the points listed on the bus itinerary to get started, or you can use public transport. I found this article about Vienna’s public transport system, and towards the end they have a link to the actual public transport website plus some links about how to get to and from the airport. Just make sure you pay attention to how long it takes you to get from the airport into the city, and then allow at least that much time, if not a little more, to get back to the airport before your next flight. And I recommend still getting back to the Vienna airport at least an hour before your next flight since you’ll have to go through security again. Enjoy your trip!
Kenji
March 2, 2018 @ 5:35 am
Hi just want to ask if do i need a visa for taipei.im in a connecting flight going to new zealand.i have to lay over 10hrs in taipei airport.thank you
Ali Garland
March 6, 2018 @ 9:41 pm
It all depends on your nationality, and I’m not a visa expert, so I suggest you go to the Taiwan embassy website and look for info about transit visas for your nationality. If you do plan on leaving the airport during your layover, look for info on transit visas AND normal tourist visas for your nationality to see what the rules are. Some countries will let you leave the airport on a transit visa if it’s within a certain timeframe, but others do not. And there are some countries that don’t need a visa at all, so the embassy website is the place to start.
John
March 1, 2018 @ 6:09 am
Hi!
Thanks for all the info.. I have a Philippine passport and we don’t have free visa for japan. Does that mean I can’t go outside the airport in Haneda? I have 24-hour lay over and a airport transfer too, from Haneda to Narita. It would suck to waste 24 hour travel to Japan ?. Hope you can help me. Thanks!
Ali Garland
March 1, 2018 @ 1:26 pm
Hi John! In general, if you can’t get visa-free entry into a country, you can’t leave the airport during a layover because that would require you to go through customs and immigration. But you said you have a transfer from Haneda to Narita…that means you have to leave the Haneda airport, which you can’t do without going through customs and immigration, which means you need a visa anyway. You should contact the Japan Embassy and find out what you need to do to get a transit visa (if Japan does transit visas) or a single entry tourist visa (if they don’t do transit visas). I’m not a visa expert, but the embassy is the place to start looking for information.
David Wright
February 16, 2018 @ 11:08 pm
Hi. We are flying from Glasgow to Vancouver in the summer with a 16 hour overnight layover in Toronto. We are planning to go to a hotel near the airport. We are flying Air Transat and have a 23kg luggage allowance included. Do you think our bags will be checked right through? Not a problem as we can take enough for the night in our carry on. If we take our bags out of the airport, will we then be charged for hold baggageas flight 2 is domestic? Thanks.
Ali Garland
February 17, 2018 @ 11:01 am
Hi David! The Toronto Airport has a great page on their website explaining what to do there based on where you’re flying from and to and what airline you’re on, check it out here. When I put in your info, it looks like you’ll have to pick up your checked luggage and recheck it before your next flight. Since your next flight is after a 16 hour layover, it’s really up to the airline whether or not they’ll take your luggage that early. With a layover that long, the airline might not even be able to print your second boarding pass when you check in for your Glasgow-Toronto flight. Your best bet is to contact the airline and ask them, and ask them if you’ll have to pay for checking the bags again. Every airline handles that kind of situation differently.
Michelle Rey
February 15, 2018 @ 6:55 pm
Hi, we are flying from Philly to Prague through Dublin. Our layover is 7 hours. We will get there at 8:55am and our other flight is at 4:20pm. My question is, can we leave the airport without problems and take a cab to center of Dublin?
Thanks
Ali Garland
February 16, 2018 @ 4:32 pm
Sounds like fun, Michelle! You shouldn’t have a problem leaving the airport during your layover to go explore Dublin for a few hours. One thing to note is that Ireland is NOT a Schengen country but Czech Republic is, so if you’re going to leave the airport in Dublin, you’ll have to go through immigration to get stamped into Ireland, and then before your flight to Prague, you’ll have to go through passport control to get stamped out. And then of course you’ll have to go through security before your Prague flight. It’s not a big deal, but it’ll take a little extra time. I suggest doing some research about what you want to see in Dublin and limit yourself to either simply wandering around and getting lunch to see the center, or stick to one or two sights depending on where they are and how long it’ll take to see them. With just over 7 hours for your layover, you’ll probably end up with about 4 hours give or take to check out the city. Take note of how long it takes to get from the airport to the center and leave yourself at least that much time, if not a little more just in case, to get back to the airport later. And you should get back to the airport with enough time to go through passport control and security, so 2 hours is probably a safe amount of time. Also, Ireland uses the euro but the Czech Republic uses the Czech koruna, so just get enough euros from an ATM at the airport to cover your taxis, lunch, and anything else you’re planning on doing. If you have leftover euros, some places in Prague might take it, but it’ll also be easy enough to exchange there. I hope this helps, and have a great trip!
Corey rice
January 18, 2018 @ 6:27 am
Hi! I’m actually planning a visit to go see my friend in Wisconsin. I actually booked a round trip flight from Denver to Milwaukee. But the layover is in Chicago. I have a friend in Chicago that wants to pick me up there, and then my buddy from Wisconsin will be meeting me in Chicago the next day. My question was, is it okay to just leave the airport and not get on that next flight? Will I still be okay to get on my next flight a few days after, in Milwaukee, to get back home? I didn’t want to have any complications so I’m extremely curious if that’ll screw up my tickets or not. I feel like it doesn’t matter but, better safe than sorry
Ali Garland
January 18, 2018 @ 11:11 am
Hi Corey! Actually, that does make a big difference. In general, airlines don’t like you to abandon your itinerary in the middle. So if you fly from Denver to Chicago and don’t get on the Chicago to Milwaukee flight, they will most likely cancel your return flight. If you don’t show up for one leg, they expect you won’t be able to show up for future legs on the same itinerary. Skipping out on your last leg would usually work (so the Chicago to Denver flight on your way home…which I’m sure doesn’t make sense for you at all) but even then you have to make sure you only have carry-on luggage, and you shouldn’t do it too often because some airlines will start flagging you. So unfortunately, you really should get on that Chicago to Milwaukee flight if you want to be able to get your flight home a few days later. Sorry!
Amrit
January 13, 2018 @ 8:17 pm
On 15 th jan I’m traveling from lima to london via Miami . My first flight is from lima to Miami with British airways and my second flight is from miami to London with British airways . I hav 6 hr stay at miami airport ..can i go outside the miami airport ..i also have CI/D US VISA. I have Indian passport. Can immigration allow me to go outside the miami airport
Ali Garland
January 13, 2018 @ 9:26 pm
Hi Amrit! Unfortunately I don’t know enough about what the different visas allow you to do when transiting through the US. You’ll have to go through customs and immigration/passport control and claim and recheck your luggage when you land in Miami, so if you have a visa that allows you to fly through Miami, you can probably leave the airport, but I can’t say for sure. The other thing though is that I don’t think you’ll have enough time to really go into the city or anything. I agree that 6 hours is long enough to want to leave and longer than you want to sit around the airport, but it’ll probably take you an hour or so to get off the plane and through customs and dealing with luggage, and then if you left the airport, you’d need to be back there 1-2 hours before your next flight (they still recommend at least 2 hours for an international flight) and then you have to add in transport time. So I think you’re looking at maybe an hour or 2 tops outside the airport…I’m not sure that’s worth the effort or stress. But if you really want to try it, check with the embassy about what your visa allows you to do, and plan your transport well so you don’t get delayed going back to the airport and miss your flight.
Hope
January 11, 2018 @ 10:22 pm
Hi! My husband and I are traveling to Paris in April from the US. We have an 18hr overnight layover in Munich. Will we need a visa to leave the airport? Will our luggage be transferred on to Our Paris flight. What is the procedure for leaving the airport?
Thank you in advance!
Ali Garland
January 12, 2018 @ 3:10 pm
Hi Hope! France and Germany are both part of the Schengen Zone, which makes your situation pretty easy. US citizens (and many other nationalities) don’t require a tourist visa to enter the Schengen Zone. So when you land in Munich, you’ll go through customs and immigration whether you’re leaving the airport on your layover or not. Then when you fly from Munich to Paris, it’ll be similar to a domestic flight within the US, so no immigration/passport control in Munich or Paris. This means if you want to leave the airport on your 18 hour layover (I definitely would!) you don’t need to do anything about visas. In most cases, your checked luggage will be transferred from one flight to the next, but with such a long layover, I recommend checking with the airline to be sure. Sometimes with long layovers like this, they can’t even print your next boarding pass. That’s happened to me when flight #2 left more than 24 hours after flight #1’s departure time. If they can’t transfer your luggage due to the long layover, you still have a few options. If you’re getting a hotel for the night, go there first and drop off your luggage. Most hotels will hold it for you even if your room isn’t ready yet. If you’re not getting a hotel, it looks like there are some left luggage options at the Munich airport, though I can’t tell which side of security they’re on: https://www.munich-airport.com/left-luggage-851650. And your third option is to get a locker at the Munich train station. There’s an Sbahn (local transportation train, similar to a subway/metro) that connects the airport to the train station (Munich HBF, or Hauptbahnhof) and it looks like it takes less than 45 minutes. They’re easy to use, and once you’re in the train station, just look for the lockers on the same level as the mainline trains. Aside from luggage, just make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport, and you’ll want to be at the airport at least an hour or so before your flight to make sure you can get through security again, and especially if you still need to get your next boarding pass. I hope this helps, and check out our post on things to do in Munich and things to do in Paris!
Hussein
January 8, 2018 @ 9:14 am
Hi it’s my wife’s first time to fly to Kenya with me and I was gonna book a ticket with long layovers and I have found Zurich to and some places in the states too there like 20 to 24 hours layover is dat a good time frame I need and I think Zurich u can get visa upon arrival your thoughts please
Ali Garland
January 8, 2018 @ 12:48 pm
Hi Hussein! It depends on what nationality you are. If you are from a country that does not require a visa ahead of time for the Schengen Zone, there’s not much to it. In that case, you would land in Zurich, go through customs and immigration to get stamped into the Schengen Zone, and then you can go enjoy the city for the day. Then you should get to the airport about 2 hours before your flight to Kenya so you can get your next boarding pass (many airlines won’t be able to print both for you at the first flight since a 20-24 hour layover is longer than normal) and then go through exiting immigration/passport control and the security check. And 20-24 hours in Zurich will give you a nice view of the city, and I imagine you’ll want a hotel to get some sleep that night. I hope this helps, and enjoy your trip!
Hussein
January 9, 2018 @ 3:41 am
Thank u and I am a Canadian so is my wife
Ali Garland
January 9, 2018 @ 2:45 pm
Then yes, you can enter Switzerland and the Schengen Zone without needing a tourist visa, so you’ll just have to get stamped in to start your long layover, and then get stamped out again before your flight to Kenya. Have fun!
Tony
January 12, 2018 @ 7:08 pm
Hi Ali,
I am traveling from the US to Berlin with a 7 hour layover in Copenhagen. I have a Singapore passport with a US green card. My travel agent told me that there is a minimum 10 hour layover required for me to leave the airport to see the sights during my layover. Is he is right? I will only have a carry-on as this is a short trio to Berlin.
Thanks in advance for your expert guidance,
Tony
Ali Garland
January 13, 2018 @ 9:09 pm
Hi Tony! That’s a really strange thing for your travel agent to say. There is no minimum number of hours required for leaving the airport during a layover. Obviously you’ll be able to see less of the city with 7 hours than you would with 10, but no one is going to stop you from leaving the airport if you want to. Denmark and Germany are both in the Schengen Zone, so you’ll go through customs and immigration when you land in Copenhagen, and then you won’t have to deal with it in Berlin, so there are no visa issues. (There’s more info here on countries that need a visa to travel to Schengen countries, but I don’t see Singapore listed, and the fact that you have a US green card seems to help, too.) So really, you just need to account for the time it will take to get off the plane and get through customs, the time it’ll take to get into the city and back to the airport, and get back to the airport an hour or so ahead of your flight to go through security and get to your gate. That might only leave you with 3 or 4 hours to see the city, depending on the lines at customs and the actual travel time to and from the city, but I think it’s doable. When I went to Copenhagen a few years ago, I took the train/metro from the airport, and it was pretty easy to use. There’s info about transport to and from the Copenhagen airport here. Definitely leave yourself a little extra time to get back to the airport so you don’t miss your flight. I’d suggest either just taking a few hours to explore the center of the city, or look at one or two really specific places you want to go to because you won’t have a ton of time. Copenhagen is a nice city, I hope you enjoy it, and have a great time in Berlin, that’s where I live and it’s wonderful!
M
January 7, 2018 @ 5:23 am
Hi there, I’m from Canada travelling to Barcelona and will have a 9 hr layover in Lisbon. I don’t have much experience travelling internationally and have never left the airport during a layover. What are the procedures for leaving and returning to the airport with no visa requirement? (Must obtain another boarding pass? Re-enter customs and immigration? etc.) We also will not be checking in our luggage. Thank you!
Ali Garland
January 8, 2018 @ 12:43 pm
Hi! Chances are you will receive both boarding passes when you check in for your first flight. If not, you just want to make sure you’re back at the Lisbon airport an hour or so ahead of time to get your next boarding pass. Since Spain and Portugal are both in the Schengen Zone, you will go through customs and immigration when you land in Lisbon, and then you won’t have to deal with it again for the next flight, it’ll be like flying domestic within Canada. So if you want to leave the airport in Lisbon during your layover, proceed through customs and immigration, and then go enjoy the city for a few hours! Make sure you take note of how long it takes to get from the airport to the city and allow at least that much time to get back, plus you should be back an hour or so before your next flight since you’ll have to go through security again. Enjoy!
Sierra
December 29, 2017 @ 9:05 pm
Hi! I’ll be travelling to the UK for a semester abroad on January 3rd.
I have a connecting flight from Charlotte to New Jersey, where I’ll have a layover of four hours and fifty minutes. From the Newark Liberty International Airport, I will be flying to the Manchester airport in England.
Since New York City is about thirty-five minutes away, I would like to explore for a bit while I’m there. Do you think I will have the time, or should I stay put? Will I need to check my bags again?
On my return flight, I will have a nine hour layover at the same airport. Do you have any tips for what I should do then? This is my first time travelling by plane, so I’m terribly afraid of missing a flight or forgetting to do something.
Thank you!
Ali Garland
December 30, 2017 @ 3:31 pm
Hi Sierra! Honestly, I wouldn’t chance it on your flight on January 3rd. I know 4 hours 50 minutes sounds like a long time, but by the time you get off the plane (which takes longer than you’d think) and into the city, you’ll probably be down to less than 4 hours, maybe even 3 hours 30 minutes. Then you have to account for the time back to the airport and getting to the airport at least an hour ahead of your flight, especially since you’ll have to go through security again, and really this leaves you with only about 2 hours or less. Obviously it’s up to you, but less than 2 hours to explore doesn’t seem like it’s worth the stress of getting in and out of the city and any potential delays along the way. In this case, I’d probably just stay in the airport.
But for your layover on the way back, 9 hours should be plenty of time, but remember you’ll have to go through customs and immigration, plus claim and re-check your luggage when you land in Newark. So that plus the time you need to get in and out of the city plus getting back to the airport an hour ahead of time, you’ll probably have 5-6 hours. Definitely give yourself more time than you think you need to get back to the airport just in case. Better to get back earlier than necessary than to be late and miss your flight. Here’s some info about transport between the airport and the city: https://www.panynj.gov/airports/ewr-to-from.html. Make note of the schedule when you’re there so you know what time you need to be back to get to the airport. I hope this helps, and enjoy your trip!
Jimmy
December 29, 2017 @ 3:48 am
Hey m going India 1 feb by shiri lanka air lines and I have 15 hours stay there can I go out side to see Columbia????
Ali Garland
December 29, 2017 @ 10:10 am
Hi Jimmy! As long as your nationality isn’t required to have a visa to enter Sri Lanka, you should be fine to leave the airport on your layover and go explore Colombo. Verify with the airline that they will transfer your checked luggage from the first flight to the second. They almost always do, but it’s always good to check with a long layover like this. And make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport before your next flight.
Chaya
December 10, 2017 @ 5:21 pm
Thank for taking the time to explain this.
Do you know if I can leave the Warsaw Airport during a 9 hour layover without a visa?
Ali Garland
December 11, 2017 @ 11:02 am
Hi Chaya, it depends on several factors. Are you a passport holder of a country that requires a visa to visit the Schengen countries? If so, you would need a visa to leave the airport on a layover in Warsaw. If you’re already getting a visa to visit another Schengen country, it should be valid for every country in the Schengen Zone, which means you would be able to leave the airport in Warsaw. If you’re from a country that doesn’t need a visa to visit, such as the US or Canada (there are several others), then you would also be allowed to leave the airport on your layover. I hope this helps!
Bob
December 5, 2017 @ 5:08 am
I am an US citizen who will be traveling from Sydney Australia back on Qantas to NYC and there will be a layover in SFO for about 12 hours. Can I leave the “In transit” area and hit the town for a few hours if my checked bags are being sent thru to NYC? Will there be any customs issues when I leave SFO for a few hours since I’m coming back to US from Australia and I do not have my bags to clear customs or will I still be clearing customs in NYC? I know I will have to go thru TSA security check again when returning to SFO. New to this international travel situation.
Thank you for your anticipated assistance.
Ali Garland
December 5, 2017 @ 11:32 am
Hi Bob! When you land in SFO from Sydney, you will have to go through customs and immigration, plus claim and recheck your luggage. How and where you recheck your luggage varies from one airport to the next, and I’ve only flown domestic from SFO so I’m not sure how they do things. But some airports have a way to recheck your luggage right after you go through customs, so if that’s how SFO does things, I see no reason why you can’t leave the airport and check out the city for a few hours. However, some airports don’t have a recheck area at that point, and instead you have to go to the check-in counter, as if you were starting from that airport, and check your luggage there. In that case, it’s up to the airline’s policy as to whether or not they will take your checked luggage that far ahead of your next flight. If they won’t take your luggage, you might have to take it with you into the city or stay in the airport. Your best bet is to call the airline you’re flying from SFO to NYC and ask them if you will be able to recheck your luggage right away after you land from your international flight. Probably worth having them pull up your flight details so they can see your specific situation when answering your question on this. As for landing in NYC, you won’t do anything special there since all customs procedures are done at the first US airport you land in. Hope this helps!
Susie
December 3, 2017 @ 11:08 am
Hi,
I live in Australia, I expect the rules here to be very similar to the USA so I was wondering if you could book a domestic flight to say Melbourne from Brisbane with a layover in Dubbo, NSW, and then leave permanently at the layover in Dubbo? It would be only a one way ticket.
I just have a situation where a direct flight to Dubbo is quite expensive for me, while the longer flight to Melbourne via Dubbo is half the price? It seems a little ridiculous to me of how a much longer flight is much more economical than the direct one?
These two flights are within the same company, same luggage weight and carry-on, same everything. I have been on the direct flight to Dubbo several times, so I know there’s nothing special about it; it is only a very small plane seating up to 30 I believe.
Ultimately I am just wondering if it is ethical to leave the airport completely and not return without repercussions to possible future flight booking with the same company. Would it better to tell them so they don’t worry where I am; since it is a very small passenger load and smaller company.
Thank you very much.
Ali Garland
December 4, 2017 @ 1:24 pm
Hi Susie! I’ve definitely heard of airlines giving people a lot of trouble on future flights if they are a no show for a leg of a flight, like you’re describing. Another thing to consider is your luggage – on such a small plane, your carry-on allowance is likely to be much smaller than normal, so if you have to check a bag, you won’t be able to get to it during your layover. If you are able to go carry-on only, you could leave on your layover instead of taking the next flight. It’s probably worth doing some searches on the airline itself relating to only taking one leg of a flight with a layover and see if you can find people who have done the same thing, whether they have had any problems using that airline in the future.
Susie
December 5, 2017 @ 5:58 am
Thank you for the response 🙂
I actually ended calling the airline to see what would happen and how they would react aha, but they actually informed me that the passengers don’t actually get off the plane during the layover.. which is a little annoying for me but what can you do, I suppose.
Thank you 🙂
Ali Garland
December 5, 2017 @ 11:34 am
Ah, ok! With an airline that small, it does seem reasonable that the flight would just continue on. Not really the same as if you were flying Qantas or something and they have tons of planes going all over the place, so you’d get out and switch. Sorry!
Jerry
November 14, 2017 @ 3:22 pm
Hello thank you for taking the time to help people with there questions. I have a somewhat complex travel plan.
I will be flying from London UK to Helsinki where I will be meeting friends before flying out of Helsinki to Tokyo with a 11 hour Layover in Doha in Qatar. I am looking to book a room in the city while in Doha as we arrive mid morning and the connection departs early hours the next morning. Would I have trouble doing this due to visa. Does Qatar have Visa-free entry waiver for British citizenship? Or would be be decided based on the fact I arrived into the country from Finland. Once again thank you.
Ali Garland
November 16, 2017 @ 6:50 pm
Hi Jerry! According to this https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/qatar/entry-requirements, British citizens get a 30 day visa waiver on arrival in Qatar. Check with the Qatar embassy to be sure though, I am not a visa expert. In any case, it will always be determined by your citizenship, not the country you’re flying in from. Enjoy your trip!
Christina Zhou
November 12, 2017 @ 1:38 am
Hi, Ali,
Thanks for helping people understanding the layover policy at the connection airport.
For getting cheaper tickets and get a chance to visit Shanghai, I want to buy China Eastern Airline tickets from San Francisco to Tokyo, then I have to layover in Shanghai for 15 to 18 hours.
I want to leave airport to get some Chinese food, even a hotel to spend the night for 10 hours, Am I allowing to leave airport? Do I have to have Chinese visa to leave and back to Shanghai airport?
It seems I need Chinese visa. But my airplane tickets are not going to China, But to Tokyo, how can I apply Chinese visa?
Great Thanks for your advice!
Christina Zhou
Ali Garland
November 13, 2017 @ 10:56 am
Hi Christina! China allows visa free transit for certain situations. Looks like there’s a 24 hour option and a 72 hour option. It’s only available for certain airports, and it looks like Shanghai is one of them. Here’s some info I found: http://ca.china-embassy.org/eng/sggg/t1047802.htm and https://thepointsguy.com/2017/04/china-without-a-visa/. I’m definitely not an expert on visas, but those articles are a good starting point. Check with the embassy about how to apply for the transit visa, and it sounds like as long as you’re from one of the countries listed, you should qualify. Have fun!
Atra Singh
May 17, 2019 @ 12:11 am
Hi I am travelling to Spain for 15 days from delhi but I have a layover at Helsinki airport for 5 hrs. Then I have a flight to Malaga. Can I exit the airport
Ali Garland
May 17, 2019 @ 9:29 am
Hi Atra! I’m not sure you’d get to do a lot in that amount of time, but you can leave the airport in Helsinki. Remember you’ll need time for getting off the plane, getting through customs and immigration, and getting into the city. Then you’ll need time at the end of your layover to get back to the airport and back through security. (No customs/immigration though since you’ll already be in the Schengen Zone.) So just make sure you calculate all of that before you decide if you’re going to leave the airport. When I look at google maps, public transport seems to take 45 minutes to an hour from the airport to the city center, while by car/taxi would take around 30 minutes, assuming there’s no traffic at the time of day when you’re doing this. So going by taxi with no traffic, you’d probably have 2 hours tops in the city, maybe a little less. Going by public transport, you’d have an hour at the most. Make sure it’s worth the stress!
Charles Green
November 7, 2017 @ 5:31 am
I will be arriving around 1 am morning from an int’l flight at Terminal 2 at Mumbai, then leave my bags at the left luggage area outside the terminal somewhere near taxi rank. Then I want to enter the departure lounge to spend about 4 hours till it’s daylight.
Can I exit the departure terminal and return around 3.30 pm for my domestic flight from terminal 2
Ali Garland
November 11, 2017 @ 10:59 am
Hi Charles! Yes, you shouldn’t have a problem leaving the airport during your layover. Check with the airline to see if they’re going to transfer your checked luggage from the first flight to the second. Usually they do, though with a longer layover like this, there’s a chance they won’t. But if they do transfer your luggage, you won’t have to deal with the left luggage area. Also, is the departure lounge past the security checkpoint? Sounds like it would be, which means you’ll have to go through security again to hang out there. Just something to keep in mind.
Diwakar
October 29, 2017 @ 9:17 am
Hi
How luggage system works in layover time. I have 12hr of layover time and if I want to go out side of airport, do I need to collect luggage or can leave at the airport (as per transfer facility). How does it work? I am flying from Delhi India to Bangkok and layover at Kolkata city.
Diwakar
Ali Garland
October 30, 2017 @ 5:31 pm
Hi Diwakar! Usually your luggage is automatically transferred from one flight to the next. Sometimes with a long layover, like your 12 hour layover, they won’t be able to transfer it, but most of the time they do. To confirm, you should call the airline and have them look at your itinerary and you can ask if they will be transferring your luggage despite the long layover time. Probably also worth confirming it with the agent when you check in since they’re the one actually putting the tag on your luggage. If they will transfer it, perfect! If they can’t, you’ll have to collect it and recheck it in before your next flight. If there are lockers or a luggage hold at the airport, you can leave your bags there while you go into Kolkata, otherwise you’ll have to take the luggage with you.
Oscar
July 7, 2018 @ 9:21 am
Hi ! I will be traveling from usa to milan but on my way back from milan to london, and conecting flight from london to atlanta I have a layover of 13 hours, can I live the airport on london to go to a hotel to have some rest and come back to the airport? What about my lugagge? I’m flying on brithish airways from milan to london and virgin atlantic from london to atlanta, do they transfer my lugagge or do I have to get it and re check it?
Thanks
Have a woderful day
Ali Garland
July 7, 2018 @ 10:37 am
Hi Oscar! I’m going to assume you’re a US citizen since you mentioned traveling from the US and back again. If that is the case, you don’t need a visa to enter the UK, so you’ll be able to go through immigration/passport control and customs in London and then go explore the city for a few hours or go to a hotel. As for your luggage, that depends on a few things. Did you book the two flights on one itinerary? As far as I can tell, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are not in the same airline alliance, which means they might not be able to access each other’s info. That means they might not be able to tag your checked luggage in Milan to be transferred to the second flight in London. If that’s the case, you’ll need to claim your luggage and recheck it. I suggest contacting British Airways to see if they will be able to transfer your luggage to the Virgin Atlantic flight, and contacting Virgin Atlantic to find out how far ahead of your flight you can check your luggage if it can’t be transferred. If the luggage check time frame doesn’t work with your arrival time, you can probably find a place to store your luggage. I found a few sites with info, for Heathrow here and for Gatwick here. Although if your plan is to go to a hotel, it might just be easier to take your luggage with you. And finally, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport for your next flight. Aside from potentially having to check your luggage, you’ll also have to go through exiting passport control and security. I hope this helps, and have a great trip!
Pam
November 23, 2018 @ 3:25 am
Hello I am in the same boat 5 hours in London. American citizen traveling back. Is it worth grabbing a quick bite to see London?
Ali Garland
November 23, 2018 @ 11:22 am
Hi Pam! Unfortunately I wouldn’t bother leaving the airport with a 5 hour layover in London. I’m not sure where your first flight is coming from, but if it’s from somewhere outside of the UK, you’ll have to go through immigration and customs in London, which could take quite a bit of time depending on the lines. Plus just the time to get off the plane and through the airport. Then it takes a minimum of 30 minutes, maybe a lot more depending on which airport you’re talking about and the mode of transport you choose, to get into the city. Let’s say it takes an hour each direction, then you’ve already lost 2 hours, plus you’re probably losing another hour getting off the plane and through immigration, so you’re up to 3 hours. Now you still need to get back to the airport before your next flight, and if your next flight is to the US (sounds like it is) you’ll have to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out of the UK, and there could be long lines there too. Plus you have to go through security again. The normal suggestion of getting to the airport 2 hours ahead of an international flight is still valid in this situation. So you really don’t have enough time to go into the city on your layover. I know 5 hours sounds like it should be enough, but I don’t think it will work in this case. Even if your timing was perfect with the trains into and out of the city and it only takes you 30 minutes or so in each direction, I think you’d have maybe 30 minutes in the city, and what a stressful 30 minutes that would be. I’d suggest staying in the airport.
Jenny Corona
February 25, 2019 @ 11:17 pm
Hi Ali,
I am in a similar boat as the two others here. I have an 11 hour layover in London from Milan to Orange County, CA. Is the current status that I still do not have to secure an additional visa? Also, I am thinking of only having a carry on so there would be no need to check-in any bags.
Ali Garland
February 26, 2019 @ 6:11 pm
Hi Jenny! It depends on your nationality. If you’re a US citizen, Canadian citizen, citizen of an EU country, or several others, you do not need a visa to visit the UK/London. I’m not a visa expert, but this website looks like a good place to start to see if you are required to get a visa: https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa. So assuming you don’t need a visa, when you land in London, you’ll go through customs and immigration to get stamped into the UK. Then you can go check out the city for a few hours. Be sure to get back to the airport with plenty of time because you’ll need to go through exiting passport control to get stamped out of the UK, and you’ll need to go through security. Check out this site https://www.toandfromtheairport.com/london.php to look up the airport your layover is in and then find transport options in and out of the city.
jonnalou
August 29, 2017 @ 7:55 am
I have 2 days of layover in barcelona my question is can i leave the airport to take a tour in barcelona? Thank you
Ali Garland
September 4, 2017 @ 11:10 am
If you have 2 days for a layover, you will probably need a Schengen visa, depending on which country you’re from. Most airlines will look at your flights as two separate flights, and there’s most likely no way to avoid going through customs and immigration. You will most likely have to claim any checked luggage and take it with you as well. So if you’re from a country that is required to get a Schengen visa, make sure you apply for that, and then enjoy your quick visit to Barcelona during your layover!
James
May 22, 2016 @ 1:50 am
There really is a lot of considerations for those hoping to leave the airport on a layover … for the longer ones, it’s a good idea to try if it’s legal though!