The layover journal
Field notes on the stop worth taking.
City guides, strategy, seasonal tips. The contrarian take on making the layover the best part.
Strategy
JFK to São Paulo: Direct vs. Panama City Layover
The direct flight from New York to São Paulo costs $340 more than via Panama City. Here's the full comparison: price, time, what you get, and what you give up.
Strategy
US to Africa: Which Layover Cities Actually Earn the Stop
US flights to Africa almost always connect somewhere. Addis Ababa, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Casablanca. Here's which stops are worth making. And which ones aren't.
Strategy
How LayoverScore™ Works: What We Measure and Why
LayoverScore runs from 0 to 100. Here's exactly what goes into it, why those four things and not others, and what the number actually tells you before you book.
Strategy
The 10 Best Layover Cities on US→South America Routes
Every US flight to South America connects somewhere. Panama City, Bogotá, Lima, São Paulo. Here's where the stop is worth making. And where it isn't.
City guide
Warsaw WAW: 3 Hours, 25 Min to the City
Warsaw is 25 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Budapest BUD: 3 Hours, 30 Min to the City
Budapest is 30 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Prague PRG: What to Do on a Layover
Prague is 45 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Oslo (Gardermoen) OSL: 3 Hours, 20 Min to the City
Oslo (Gardermoen) is 20 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Toronto YYZ: 3 Hours, 25 Min to the City
Toronto is 25 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Newark EWR: 3 Hours, 30 Min to the City
Newark is 30 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
New York JFK: What to Do on a Layover
New York is 50 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Kansas City MCI: What to Do on a Layover
Kansas City is 35 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Portland PDX: What to Do on a Layover
Portland is 40 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Salt Lake City SLC: 2 Hours, 20 Min to the City
Salt Lake City is 20 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 2+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Charlotte CLT: 2 Hours, 15 Min to the City
Charlotte is 15 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 2+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Orlando MCO: What to Do on a Layover
Orlando is 40 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Las Vegas LAS: 2 Hours, 20 Min to the City
Las Vegas is 20 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 2+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Phoenix PHX: 2 Hours, 25 Min to the City
Phoenix is 25 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 2+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Detroit DTW: What to Do on a Layover
Detroit is 55 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Minneapolis MSP: 3 Hours, 30 Min to the City
Minneapolis is 30 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Rio De Janeiro GIG: What to Do on a Layover
Rio De Janeiro is 59 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Cancún CUN: 5 Hours, 20 Min to the City
Cancún is 20 min by taxi from the airport. Here is how to use 5+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Seattle SEA: What to Do on a Layover
Seattle is 86 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Boston BOS: What to Do on a Layover
Boston is 34 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Denver DEN: What to Do on a Layover
Denver is 37 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 5+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Houston IAH: What to Do on a Layover
Houston is 67 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Los Angeles LAX: What to Do on a Layover
Los Angeles is 84 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
San Francisco SFO: 4 Hours, 30 Min to the City
San Francisco is 30 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Dallas-Fort Worth DFW: What to Do on a Layover
Dallas-Fort Worth is 123 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Miami MIA: What to Do on a Layover
Miami is 45 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Chicago ORD: What to Do on a Layover
Chicago is 48 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Atlanta ATL: What to Do on a Layover
Atlanta is 62 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Ferno (VA) MXP: What to Do on a Layover
Ferno (VA) is 40 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Beijing PEK: 6 Hours, 20 Min to the City
Beijing is 20 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Santiago SCL: What to Do on a Layover
Santiago is 50 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Sydney (Mascot) SYD: 8 Hours, 13 Min to the City
Sydney (Mascot) is 13 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 8+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Cairo CAI: 6 Hours, 30 Min to the City
Cairo is 30 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Spata-Artemida ATH: What to Do on a Layover
Spata-Artemida is 58 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 5+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Reykjavík KEF: What to Do on a Layover
Reykjavík is 45 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Kuwait City KWI: What to Do on a Layover
Kuwait City is 40 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 2+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Colombo CMB: What to Do on a Layover
Colombo is 40 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Mexico City MEX: What to Do on a Layover
Mexico City is 72 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
São Paulo GRU: What to Do on a Layover
São Paulo is 104 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Jakarta CGK: What to Do on a Layover
Jakarta is 71 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Manila (Pasay) MNL: What to Do on a Layover
Manila (Pasay) is 35 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Mumbai BOM: What to Do on a Layover
Mumbai is 79 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
New Delhi DEL: What to Do on a Layover
New Delhi is 74 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Shanghai (Pudong) PVG: What to Do on a Layover
Shanghai (Pudong) is 45 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Osaka KIX: What to Do on a Layover
Osaka is 38 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Rome FCO: What to Do on a Layover
Rome is 32 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 5+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Manama BAH: 2 Hours, 30 Min to the City
Manama is 30 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 2+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Barcelona BCN: What to Do on a Layover
Barcelona is 37 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Lisbon LIS: What to Do on a Layover
Lisbon is 58 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Madrid MAD: What to Do on a Layover
Madrid is 65 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Zaventem BRU: What to Do on a Layover
Zaventem is 32 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Dublin DUB: What to Do on a Layover
Dublin is 35 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Bangkok BKK: 4 Hours, 30 Min to the City
Bangkok is 30 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) CDG: What to Do on a Layover
Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) is 61 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 5+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Tel Aviv TLV: What to Do on a Layover
Tel Aviv is 66 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Sepang KUL: 4 Hours, 28 Min to the City
Sepang is 28 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Frankfurt am Main FRA: What to Do on a Layover
Frankfurt am Main is 50 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Stockholm ARN: What to Do on a Layover
Stockholm is 37 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
London LHR: What to Do on a Layover
London is 44 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 5+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Helsinki (Vantaa) HEL: What to Do on a Layover
Helsinki (Vantaa) is 45 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Vienna VIE: 4 Hours, 25 Min to the City
Vienna is 25 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Geneva GVA: What to Do on a Layover
Geneva is 60 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Copenhagen CPH: What to Do on a Layover
Copenhagen is 57 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Munich MUC: What to Do on a Layover
Munich is 52 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Doha DOH: What to Do on a Layover
Doha is 51 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Taoyuan TPE: What to Do on a Layover
Taoyuan is 83 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Abu Dhabi AUH: What to Do on a Layover
Abu Dhabi is 45 min by bus from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Hong Kong HKG: What to Do on a Layover
Hong Kong is 71 min by metro from the airport. Here is how to use 4+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Zurich ZRH: What to Do on a Layover
Zurich is 51 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 3+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Tokyo HND: 6 Hours, 14 Min to the City
Tokyo is 14 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 6+ hours without wasting the connection.
City guide
Seoul ICN: What to Do on a Layover
Seoul is 43 min by rail from the airport. Here is how to use 5+ hours without wasting the connection.
Tips
Overnight Layover: Hotel or Airport? The Honest Answer
Sleeping in airports sounds free but costs you in sleep quality. Here's when to book a hotel, when to stay airside, and how to do each without regret.
Strategy
No Visa, No Problem: Layovers Americans Can Do Without Applying
US passport holders get visa-free access to most of the world's best layover cities. Here's which stops require nothing but a boarding pass.
Strategy
Why Frequent Flyers Always Take the Connection
Direct flights cost more and give you less. Here's the math frequent flyers already know. The connection is almost always the better deal.
City guide
Johannesburg JNB: The Stop Between Here and Everywhere in Africa
OR Tambo is the transfer hub for southern and eastern Africa. Americans arrive visa-free. Soweto and the Apartheid Museum are within layover range.
City guide
Casablanca CMN: Morocco's Gateway Rewards the Stopover
Royal Air Maroc makes Casablanca a major Africa hub. Americans get a visa-free 90 days. The old medina and Hassan II Mosque are 30 minutes from CMN.
City guide
Nairobi NBO: Safari Access on a 12-Hour Connection
Nairobi has Giraffe Centre, a national park inside city limits, and the best nyama choma in East Africa. Americans need a visa. Here's the fast way to get one.
City guide
Addis Ababa ADD: The Gateway to All of Africa
Ethiopian Airlines runs the best hub on the continent. Bole airport is 20 minutes from the city. Injera, coffee, and the birthplace of the coffee ceremony await.
City guide
Buenos Aires EZE: When the Layover Is the Trip
Buenos Aires is one of the great cities of the Americas. Ezeiza airport is 45 minutes from Palermo. Americans arrive visa-free.
City guide
Lima LIM: 10 Hours in the Best Food City in the Americas
Lima has the best food in South America. Miraflores is 40 minutes from Jorge Chavez airport. Americans arrive visa-free. Here's the itinerary.
City guide
Bogota BOG: The South American Stop Worth Making
Bogota is Colombia's capital and a city that's transformed in 10 years. Americans arrive visa-free. El Dorado airport is 30 minutes from La Candelaria.
City guide
Nassau NAS: The Bahamas Between Flights
Nassau is 15 minutes from the airport. Americans arrive visa-free. Bay Street and Cable Beach are worth leaving the terminal for.
City guide
San Juan SJU: The US Territory You Keep Flying Past
No passport required for Americans. Old San Juan is 20 minutes from the airport and one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the hemisphere.
City guide
MBJ Layover: Jamaica in 8 Hours (Without a Resort)
Montego Bay airport sits 5 minutes from the Hip Strip. Americans don't need a visa. Here's how to actually see Jamaica on a connection.
City guide
Panama City PTY: The Hub That Connects the Americas
Copa Airlines made Panama City the transfer capital of Latin America. Turns out Casco Viejo is worth the detour. No visa for Americans.
Strategy
Layovering Is a Verb Now
You don't have a layover. You're layovering. The difference matters.
Strategy
Why Your Next Flight Should Have a Stop
Direct is not always better. Here's the math.
City guide
NRT: Getting Tokyo Right on a Tight Schedule
Narita is an hour from the city. That's not as far as it sounds.
City guide
AMS: The Shortest Great Layover in Europe
Amsterdam is 17 minutes from Schiphol. That changes everything.
City guide
Istanbul: Two Continents, One Connection
Istanbul IST is enormous. The city it sits near is one of the world's great ones.
City guide
Singapore: The Layover That Doesn't Feel Like One
Changi is a destination. The city outside is better.
City guide
18 Hours in Dubai
Dubai rewards the long connection. Here's how to actually leave the airport.