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?
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.
This means for domestic connections, if you leave the airport on your layover, you’ll have to go through security again 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.
>>Read: Amsterdam Layover Guide: How to Spend a Long Layover in Amsterdam
Do you need a visa for your layover?
Many (but not all) 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.
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.
Always check visa requirements for your nationality for each country you travel through, even for layovers. Every country has its own rules for entry and transit passengers.
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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.
Iceland is another popular choice for transiting between North America and Europe. Check out what you can do and see on a 24 hour Reykjavik layover.
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 usually lower than most luggage lockers or left luggage services. Note that 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
sarah joanne
September 8, 2021 @ 3:20 pm
I am flying from London to Belize december 24th 2021 and have an overnight layover of 17hrs in Atlanta. My bags travel from LHR through to BLZ.
Do I need any visa to remain in Atlanta airport for 17hrs? I will not be crossing immigration nor do I need to collect my bag. it will just be a very boring 17hrs.
AND IF I want to leave the airport to explore and sleep in a hotel overnight, is this possible and what visa do i require for this? TIA
Ali Garland
September 10, 2021 @ 1:41 pm
Hi Sarah! You actually WILL have to go through immigration and customs and claim and recheck your luggage. The US doesn’t operate like most other countries when it comes to transiting through. Every single passenger, regardless of final destination, goes through customs and immigration, so if you are required to get a visa due to your nationality, you’ll need one even if you don’t plan on leaving the airport since you have to go through immigration anyway. So you’ll need to check the requirements for your nationality, I can’t help with visa questions since there are so many variables. This is a good place to start: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html. Plus you’ll need to check for any covid rules, and keep up to date with the covid rules since things change so frequently. Here’s a helpful blog post about things to do in Atlanta if your layover time allows for some sightseeing.
wahdat
July 24, 2021 @ 1:22 am
HI, I am travelling from Canada to ukrain. i have transite of 14 hours from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm in frankfort germany.
i took 2 vaccine in canada. can i go out in frankfort to see my friend and a short city toure from airport ????????
Ali Garland
July 26, 2021 @ 11:15 am
Flying from Canada to Frankfurt to Ukraine means you wouldn’t deal with customs and immigration in Frankfurt since Germany is in the Schengen Zone but Ukraine is not. So they treat you like you’re not entering the country or the Schengen Zone. But if you want to leave the airport during your layover, you WILL have to go through customs and immigration to get stamped in, and then you’ll have to do exiting passport control to get stamped out. On that note, leave yourself PLENTY of time to get through exiting passport control, I used to live near Frankfurt and used that airport a lot, and the lines can get really long.
As far as covid-related restrictions, you should be fine, but please check the official websites for current info. A friend of mine from the US just came to Berlin (where I live now) and had no issues since he is vaccinated. At one point you needed a test regardless of vaccine status, but I’m not sure anymore…I’m having a hard time keeping up with all the changes. But it’s always worth checking the government websites.
Sorry I can’t give you a 100% guaranteed answer, but as far as I know you can leave the airport during your layover in Frankfurt, but you’ll need to look at a few sites for details about the requirements.
Sandra Wood
June 27, 2021 @ 9:18 pm
I am scheduled to travel from Seattle to Zurich on Air Canada with a 4 hour layover in Canada. Are there currently any Covid-related problems with this?
Ali Garland
June 29, 2021 @ 10:40 am
Hi Sandra! Unfortunately I can’t keep up with all the different regulations since there are so many variables, each country does its own thing, and the rules change daily. Canada is like the US in that you typically have to go through customs and immigration even on a layover, which means you technically enter the country. This means they *might* enforce whatever rules they have in place for people who are actually entering the country. It looks like there is some good info on the government page to start you off: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid.
andy
May 10, 2021 @ 12:08 am
Hello, I will be travelling via Schiphol in 2 weeks from London to Aruba. I have a 24 hr layover as I am travelling in 2 airlines.
Can I stay in any hotel airport for the night without having to quarantine (I leave the next day)? I will have a PCR test for Aruba with me. The 2 transit hotels inside security are not available so I was thinking the next closest with is sheraton or marriot. but I will have to pass customs and security for that and re check again the day after.
Ali Garland
May 12, 2021 @ 10:12 am
Hi Andy! This is a tricky one with all the extra regulations these days. Whatever rules are in place for entering the Netherlands will apply since you will have to leave the transit area. I recommend reading the rules here and here. The UK is NOT listed in the “safe” countries on that second link. Unfortunately I don’t know what the right answer is for you since things change all the time. But those links are a good starting point for you since they’re from the NL government. Absolute worst case, you could try staying in the airport, but 1) I know that sounds like torture for 24 hours, and 2) I’m not even 100% sure that’s allowed right now. You can read about sleeping in AMS here, but even they say the info was all written before March 2020, so they’re not sure what might have changed during the last year.
Billie
March 29, 2021 @ 1:28 am
Hi,
I would be traveling to Belize and I have to transit through Newark for 9hrs and in Houston for 11hrs with a transit visa from Sierra Leone, would I be able to leave the airport during my layover or they can’t allow me to exit the airport.
Ali Garland
March 30, 2021 @ 10:34 am
Hi Billie! If you are not a US citizen, you need a visa even to transit through the US, which you probably already know, which means there really isn’t anyone to stop you from leaving the airport during your layovers. You may want to research any current restrictions/rules that those locations might have due to covid, but I don’t think there’s much beyond wearing a mask in certain locations. When you land in Newark, you will have to go through customs and immigration as well as claim your checked luggage. It might be too early to recheck your luggage for the Newark-Houston-Belize flights, but definitely ask the airline. And sometimes the airline can’t check you in for a flight on your itinerary if it’s too far after your first flight, usually 24 hours, so you might have to check in again in one of those airports. Take all of this into consideration when planning what you want to do when you leave the airport so you have enough time and get back to the airport early enough before your next flight. And if you were thinking of just getting some sleep, try to find a hotel close to the airport.
Tristan
January 18, 2021 @ 5:29 pm
I have a few questions. First I will be 14 so would I still be able too leave the airport? Second, my layover is 7 hrs so is that enough time? Third, would I have to go through security again if I leave the airport? And also my layover is in New Orleans so do they have any tours to take?
Ali Garland
January 26, 2021 @ 3:37 pm
Hi Tristan! I don’t know a ton about minors traveling alone, so you probably have to check with the airline (and you know, your parent(s) or guardian) about if that is allowed. Since an airline employee is usually in charge of you, my guess is that you wouldn’t be allowed to leave the airport during your layover, but I’m really not sure on that one, it would be up to the airline’s policy. I don’t see anything about layover tours the airport has on offer (I don’t think it’s too common in the US) but you could look at Viator and see what they have for New Orleans. But also keep in mind that a lot of things aren’t running right now, and it might be safer in general to just stay in the airport.
Aalishaa
December 8, 2020 @ 9:40 pm
Hi,
I’m flying with KLM from Kyiv to Amsterdam and then have a 5h35m layover followed by a flight from Amsterdam to Manchester with KLM. I have a friend in Amsterdam so was going to visit them in the layover time. I have a few questions…
(BTW I have a UK passport)
1. Can I leave the airport in the layover time?
2. Do I have to check out my luggage when I leave the airport?
I’ve read so many articles and they all confuse me. I also contacted KLM and the airport but they haven’t given me answers.
Please help! Thank you!
Ali Garland
December 10, 2020 @ 11:46 am
Hi Aalishaa! Normally I’d say yes, you can leave the airport during your layover, but these days with all the changing covid restrictions, it really depends on the situation at the time of your flights. This means you’ll need to check the current rules and restrictions the Netherlands has for people traveling into the country. The Netherlands is part of the Schengen Zone, but the UK and Ukraine are not, which means in order to leave the airport during your Amsterdam layover, you’ll have to go through customs and immigration. (If you aren’t leaving the airport, you can almost always skip customs and immigration and stay in the international area, so technically you wouldn’t enter the country.) And if the Netherlands is requiring a negative covid test or something else at the time of your trip, you won’t be able to clear immigration without fulfilling the requirements. And since things change all the time, you’ll need to check the regulations as close to your trip as possible.
You don’t have to claim your luggage whether you’re leaving the airport or not. KLM should tag your luggage to go from Kyiv to AMS to Manchester automatically. If you somehow missed your AMS to Manchester flight, they would take your checked luggage off the plane before departing.
Shyrha
November 25, 2020 @ 12:36 am
Hi I am going to travel in ecuador from Philippines and I have a layover in Seattle Washington usa . My question is do I need a visa even if I am just in the airport waiting for my next flight? Thank you ?
Ali Garland
November 29, 2020 @ 5:46 pm
Hi Shyrha! Unfortunately the US does require anyone entering the country – even if you’re only transiting through – to get a visa. You have to go through customs and immigration, as well as claim and re-check your luggage, no matter where your final destination is. I don’t have information on the process though, so you’ll need to check the US embassy website and see what the requirements are for your citizenship.
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. 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 can’t answer 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 can’t really help with visas, but it looks like you both might need an electronic visa, which looks to be pretty inexpensive. I recommend checking with a company like 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 can’t advise you about visas. I recommend checking with 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.
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.