How to take advantage of long layovers?

When you are traveling to a new destination there are times when it would be necessary to have a long layover in a different city than the one you want to visit. This could sound like such an inconvenience but I have found that long layovers can be a great opportunity to explore a new city instead of just staying at the airport. So, the idea of this post is to share some of my tips and experiences with long layovers and how I took advantage of them.

1- Make sure that you have enough time to go exploring

When you are selecting your flight make sure that you pick the option that gives you enough time to go to the city and explore. A layover of 4-5 hours it's too short because you always have to return to the airport with a few hours before your boarding time so try to choose layovers of 9-10 or even more hours if you are planning to visit a few places. 

A couple of images from the new Zagreb Airport

2- Find out if the airline offers any kind of tour service

Some airlines like Turkish Airlines or Emirates normally have some super long layovers in Istanbul or Dubai because that's where their base is located, but they offer some special services so that the layover in those cities is not an inconvenience for you. In my particular case, I have traveled with Turkish Airlines a few times and they offer a Hotel Service, in case you are having a layover of more than 9 hours at night you can stay at a hotel provided by the airline and also they take care of the transfer to the hotel and back to the airport, at no extra charge. Or if you are having a long layover of more than 6 hours but during the daytime, they offer you a city tour, at no extra cost! So, in case you are flying with any of these airlines make sure you take advantage of these benefits. Also, if you want to know more about my 20-hour layover in Istanbul you can read my post here ;)

Enjoying a bus tour in Istanbul during my layover

3- Do some research on how to get to the city

Most of the airports are located a little bit far away from the city center so in case you are considering to explore a little bit while you are having your layover, make sure to check out how to get to the center. If it's easy and accessible then go ahead and book that flight option! 

The Main train station in Frankfurt is very easy to reach from the airport

4- Choose the places you would like to visit in advance

As you are not going to have a lot of time to visit everything that city has to offer, make sure you already have chosen all the main spots you would like to cover. Don't go too crazy on this one because remember you are probably tired from your trip so you want to focus on 2 or 3 main spots or activities. This would be like a nice first impression of the city and in case you feel like there is more to see there, remember you can always go back ;)

The Blue Mosque was very high on my Must-Visit places in Istanbul

5- Check if there is an option to leave your hand luggage at the airport

This is a lesson I have learned from my last two long layovers (you can read everything about my day in Zürich and also how I have spent my 10 hours in Frankfurt), I didn't manage to leave my backpack at the airport or train station and I totally regret it because I got super tired of carrying it around the city. Most of the airports or train stations offer this kind of service where you can leave your luggage and it's very convenient. So, keep this in mind when you are planning your layover and if you can't do this, try to pack as light as possible so you can explore more comfortably. 

So, these would be all my tips when it comes to making the most out of your long layover, it's a great way to visit an extra city when planning another trip. I hope you find this post useful and please let me know if you have had a long layover in the past and what did you do in those hours?