What to do on a long layover
A seven-hour layover can be a wasted day or half a city seen. The difference comes down to three checks made before you fly.
Three checks before leaving
First, whether you need a visa or authorisation to enter that country, even for a few hours: this is the mistake that strands people in the terminal. Second, how long it really takes from airport to centre, both ways. And third, whether your luggage is checked through to your final destination or you must collect and re-check it.
The hours rule
Under five hours, don't leave: between immigration, transfer and returning with margin, there's no time and you're taking a risk. Between five and eight hours, it works if the centre is under 40 minutes away. Over eight, it almost always pays off.
How much margin to leave
Return to the airport at least three hours before an international flight. It sounds excessive and it isn't: a traffic jam or a metro breakdown with two hours' margin means a missed flight, and on a layover the airline isn't always obliged to rebook you.
Where to leave your luggage
Most large airports have left-luggage facilities, and many cities have storage services in the centre and at stations. Never head out dragging a suitcase: you lose half your time and half your enthusiasm.
Airports where it's worth it
Those with the centre half an hour away by direct train. Some airports are so far out that an eight-hour layover becomes three hours of city and five of transport. Check it on a map beforehand rather than assuming.
If you stay inside
Many large airports have rest areas, paid showers, lounges accessible by paying without being an airline customer, and sometimes nap zones. Checking this in advance changes an overnight layover considerably.
Overnight layovers
If the layover is long and overnight, consider whether an airport hotel beats sleeping in a chair. Many offer hourly rates and free transfers. Six hours in a bed versus none on the floor changes the rest of the trip.
What not to do
Buying the shortest possible connection to save money. A forty-minute connection is a gamble: if the first flight is fifteen minutes late, you miss the second. Always leave two hours in Europe and three on international routes.
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