“Screw it, let’s stop in Zurich.”
I told my wife as I put the final credit card numbers in the Air Canada check out window.
I foolishly waited a little too long to book a return flight from Greece, and was now facing some less than desirable options for getting that coveted spot in business class.
40 minute impossible layovers. Connecting flights in Newark. 3 AM departures. The situation was bleak.
But an alternative suddenly appeared. An itinerary with a 24 hour layover in Zurich, Switzerland. I decided to learn how to book a flight with a long layover and embrace it. Instead of suffering through a red eye flight, we’ll take a chilled out layover with chocolate, the Alps and a bar where you can hang from a beam and kill a glass of wine.
Seriously.
What’s a long layover?
You might think of a long layover as anytime you have a chance to sit and think about why you’re in an airport for 3 hours or more. But friend, it’s much better than that, and it’s all how you frame it.
To really start cooking on your long layover, start thinking of it as 9 hours or more. This can range from an afternoon leading up to a late night flight, or an overnight entirely. Really the long layover we’re looking at is any amount of time that you’ll be able to comfortably leave the airport, see something neat, and then pop back to the airport for your journey onward.
Zurich wasn’t on my list until I chose to learn how to book a flight with a long layover
Why learn how to book a flight with a long layover?
I get it, especially if you’re anxious to get to your destination or at the end of your trip. Why the heck would you want to delay either by taking a flight with a layover of longer than a few hours.
For me, considering a flight with a long layover comes down to a couple of factors:
1: Can I sit in a better seat for less money or fewer points?
2: Can I take a layover in a city I’m interested in, or perhaps haven’t considered traveling to before?
3: Can I get from the airport to cool stuff efficiently?
If I’m answering “yes” to 2 or 3 of these, I’m definitely giving a long look at that long layover.
When you begin thinking of those flights with long layovers as opportunities, instead of disruptions, you’re opening yourself up to some potentially unforgettable adventures.
How to book a flight with a long layover:
Alright I’ve got your ears perked up wondering how to book a flight with a long layover. Let’s get into it.
How I did it
I’m a big fan of points search engines like seats.aero and Pointsyeah. There’s a good number of these airline sites that allow you to search for rewards flights, but these are my go tos.
From here, I searched for my particular itinerary (in this case, Athens, Greece to Any USA Airport). Once the options returned, it was slim pickings for direct or 1 stop flights.
Soon though, I saw that I could book business class travel starting at 70K points via Air Canada, with an overnight layover in either Brussels or Zurich.
Having been to Brussels before, the new destination of Zurich was the immediate winner. After transferring points for my wife and I’s seats from our Chase card to Air Canada, the flights were booked and I was now researching the Greek Isles AND Zurich’s bar scene!
Other methods and considerations
If you’re tied to a particular airline, it’s no problem to book a flight with a long layover. When you do your itinerary search, look for a slider in the filters area that allowed you to select a length of layover and then max it out to your comfort level.
This too can be done on most of the rewards flight search engines, but your mileage may vary.
Finally, you can look for airlines that offer free city stopovers on their routes. For instance, TAP Air Portugal will give you up to 10 days of a layover without changing your ticket price. Additionally, you can call most airlines and request a longer layover on your itinerary, often with minimal price changes.
Munich’s beer halls are a perfect stop after you learn how to book a flight with a long layover
How to make the most of a flight with a long layover
Alright, so you’ve found your unicorn itinerary. You’re looking at sweet business class seat with a long layover in a city you’ve always been a little curious about. First off, good on you. Now what?
Now it’s time to learn how to book a flight with a long layover and squeeze that juicy stopover for everything it’s worth. But let’s be clear: this isn’t the time to go full Amazing Race. You don’t need to see every cathedral, museum, and must-eat sandwich spot in 8 hours.
That’s not even remotely feasible my friend.
The real win? A laid-back adventure with just enough structure to feel satisfying, but flexible enough that if you end up just bumming around the old-town hopping from cafe to bar to cafe you’ll still have a good time.
Be realistic about your time—it’s limited
Listen, I love a travel fantasy as much as anyone. But let’s be honest here, an overnight stay in a city isn’t the way to see everything. Even if you’re training for a speed walking marathon, there’s no way you’ll make it to everything you want to see.
To start, you’re going to need to account for the time it takes to leave the airport and get to the part of town you actually want to be in. On the other hand, you have to be mindful of the return journey to meet up with your connecting flight on time. Trust me, it won’t be fun sprinting through a foreign terminal because you overestimated how much you could do in a 14 hour layover.
Instead, zoom in. Pick one neighborhood or one experience. Think: a stroll through a market, a famous viewpoint, a weirdly specific museum. Make peace with the fact that you’re just getting a taste, not the whole buffet.
Focus on getting to and from the airport efficiently, keeping your sightseeing and activities in check and just doing what you can within reason on your long layover. Remember: you can always come back for the full experience in the future!
Try a place that’s a big contrast from where you’re coming from or going to
Here’s where things get really fun.
A layover can be sort of a travel palate cleanser. Coming from the beachy calm of the Greek Isles, a layover in Zurich for a crisp blast of Alpine order and chocolate will be an exciting contrast!
So as you explore the long layover options when booking flights, keep that in the back of your head. Whether you’re hitting the long layover coming or going, look for a place that’s decidedly different from your main travel itinerary.
And just imagine the whiplash you’ll give your social media followers.
Brussels is small enough to give you some easy fun when you’re on a long layover
Destination: Do your research when learning how to book a flight with a long layover
This part might sound boring, but it’s the key to unlocking layover magic.
Before your trip, spend plenty of time poking around Google Maps, Reddit, and travel blogs for your stopover city. Try to find out things like:
- How fast can I get into the city from the airport? Places like Amsterdam, Munich and Zurich get high marks here for having very accessible airports. Paris or London are doable, but their size makes them a bit more hectic to try and fit into a long or overnight layover. Getting through their large airports and traveling to the city centers will eat into a big portion of your time so be cautious here.
- Is public transportation a dream or a nightmare? Again, efficiency is key here.
- What’s one local food I can’t miss? You’ll have time for 1 maaaaybe 2 special meals so what are you going to do about it?
- What sights can I reasonably see in the time I have? There might be a special museum, or just a tidy old town to explore, make sure your timing actually allows a bit of exploring.
- Are things actually open during my layover hours? This is one people don’t think of instantly but you’ll want to check the hours of place you’ll visit. Doubly so in summer, make sure you aren’t booking a long layover in a town that’s been emptied out as its locals head on vacation.
Knowing the lay of the land means less time fumbling with train apps and more time soaking in that fleeting view.
Plan the day out—but mostly focus on exploring
Map out a loose plan: where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, what’s around. But don’t go full spreadsheet. This isn’t your cousin’s Disney itinerary.
The beauty figuring out how to book a long layover is that you’ll suddenly have the freedom to wander a bit. You likely planned the main itinerary out, so give this little side quest a bit more breathing room.
You can break it down into stages a bit. If you’re in town for 24 hours, realistically you’ll need to check into the hotel, have at least 1 meal and then spend some time exploring. Not too overwhelming right?
Once you’ve got the basics down, follow your curiosity. See an interesting side street? Take it. Smell bread baking? Follow your nose. Hear music down the street? Go check it out.
Just remember to give yourself a clear time to turn around and head back to the airport. Set an alarm. Maybe two.
The “1 Big Thing a Day” rule applies big time when you book a flight with a long layover
This is my golden rule for travel in general, but it especially applies when your time is short and the margin for error is slimmer than an economy armrest.
Pick one main thing. The Big Thing. Maybe it’s a walking tour in the old town. Maybe it’s a visit to a museum you just discovered. Maybe it’s just lying in a park and pretending you live there. Do your big thing, then let the rest breath a bit.
If you try to cram in too much, you risk turning a fun bonus stop into a stress-inducing scavenger hunt. And no one wants to board their next flight sweaty, frustrated, and clutching a souvenir magnet like it’s a victory trophy.
Final thoughts on long layovers: bonus city, bonus vibes
Look, no one dreams of a layover. It’s the stuff of airport chairs, lukewarm coffee, and wondering why the hell you have to now take a bus to your plane at Charles de Gaulle. But once you flip the script and start thinking of long layovers as tiny bonus vacations? Game-changer.
You get to sample a new city, stretch your legs somewhere interesting, and maybe even check a place off your bucket list that wasn’t even on the itinerary when you first got the idea for this trip at all.
Learning how to book a flight with a long layover opens up new chances to explore. And the best part is if your surprise destination piques your interest, you’ve already got a head start on planning a longer visit in the future!
So next time you’re flight hunting and see that weirdly long stop in Lisbon or Brussels, don’t scroll past it. Lean in. Take the detour. Ride the tram. Eat the pastry. And know that sometimes, the best parts of travel happen in between the places you thought you were going.
