Tips On Surviving Long Layovers At The Airport.
Quick answer: The best tips for surviving long layovers at the airport are to leave the airport and see the city (many hubs offer free layover tours), pamper yourself with an airport lounge, or catch up on sleep in designated sleeping areas. Let’s face it, no one likes long layovers, especially at an airport with only basic facilities. But flights with long layovers are often cheaper than those with shorter connections, so it pays to know how to make the most of them.
I recently had an eight-hour layover in Hong Kong while flying from Denpasar, Bali to Mumbai, and that trip gave me a whole new perspective on layovers. Here are my tips to make the most of yours.
Leave the Airport and See the City
If your passport allows you to get a visa on arrival, you can take a glimpse of the city; if not, you may be able to arrange a visa in advance.
Plan a rough itinerary and know what transport you will need to get to the city centre.
Many airlines offer a free layover tour, regardless of your class of travel, while you transit through their hub, as long as you have enough time between flights. Below are some airports that offered free layover tours when this guide was written. Programmes change, so check the latest details via the links before you travel.
Singapore Changi International Airport
How to sign up: head to the Free Singapore Tours counter at Terminals 2 and 3. There are six departures every day, and you need to register your name at least an hour before the tour begins.
Minimum layover time: tours last two and a half hours, so your layover should be at least five and a half hours (six hours for the night tour).
Click here to know more about the tour.
Seoul Incheon Airport
How to sign up: visit one of the Transit Tour desks in the terminal. Tours depart every day at set times, and you can also reserve online in advance.
Minimum layover time: tours range from one hour to five hours, and you need at least 2 extra hours in your layover. For example, a two-hour tour requires a layover of at least four hours.
Click here to know more about the tour.
Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar)
How to sign up: if flying in and out with Qatar Airways, visit the Doha City Tour desk.
Minimum layover time: five hours.
Click here to know more about the tour.
Istanbul Ataturk International Airport
How to sign up: if flying in and out of Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, visit the Hotel Desk in the arrivals lounge at least half an hour before the tour starts. Tours run 9 am to 3 pm, 9 am to 6 pm and noon to 6 pm daily.
Minimum layover time: tours last six to nine hours, and you must be back in the terminal at least an hour before your departing flight. For a six-hour tour, you should have a seven to eight-hour layover.
Note: Ataturk Airport has since closed to regular passenger flights, and Turkish Airlines now operates from the new Istanbul Airport, so check the current arrangements.
Click here to know more about the tour.
Tokyo Narita Airport
How to sign up: sign up at the reception in the arrivals lobby of Terminals 1 and 2. The desk is open from 9 am to noon daily. Transport is not provided free.
Minimum layover time: tours all last roughly three hours, so your layover should be at least five hours.
Click here to know more about the tour.
Taipei Taoyuan Airport
How to sign up: tours start from the tourist centre desk in the arrivals lobby. There are two daily tours, a morning tour at 8 am and an afternoon tour at 1:30 pm.
Minimum layover time: tours normally take five to six hours, so you should have a layover of at least eight hours.
Click here to know more about the tour.
Free Layover Tours at a Glance
| Airport | Where to sign up | Minimum layover |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Changi | Free Singapore Tours counter, T2 and T3 | 5.5 hours (6 for night tour) |
| Seoul Incheon | Transit Tour desks or online | Tour length plus 2 hours |
| Doha Hamad | Doha City Tour desk (Qatar Airways) | 5 hours |
| Istanbul Ataturk | Hotel Desk, arrivals lounge (Turkish Airlines) | 7 to 8 hours for a 6-hour tour |
| Tokyo Narita | Arrivals lobby reception, T1 and T2 | 5 hours |
| Taipei Taoyuan | Tourist centre desk, arrivals lobby | 8 hours |
Pamper Yourself in an Airport Lounge
If you plan to stay in the terminal, pamper yourself by upgrading to an airport lounge. Most lounges charge around 40 USD on average for 6 to 8 hours.
Get Some Sleep
Many airports have special sleep chairs or designated sleeping areas for painless napping. South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, Vancouver International Airport in Canada and Hong Kong International Airport are a few major hubs with padded benches and comfy lounge chairs where travellers can stretch out completely.
Check out SleepinginAirports.net for more information on sleeping in airports. It is an excellent resource for drowsy travellers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave the airport during a long layover?
Yes, if your passport allows a visa on arrival or you arrange a visa in advance. Many hubs also run free transit tours.
How long does a layover need to be for a free city tour?
It depends on the airport: from around five hours at Doha and Narita to eight hours at Taipei Taoyuan.
How much does an airport lounge cost for a layover?
Most lounges charge around 40 USD on average for 6 to 8 hours.
Which airports are good for sleeping during a layover?
Incheon, Vancouver and Hong Kong offer padded benches and comfy lounge chairs where you can stretch out.
Conclusion
A long layover doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Whether you head out on a free city tour, relax in a lounge or grab some sleep, a little planning turns hours of waiting at the airport into part of the adventure.
I’ve had plenty of long layovers but never long enough to see the city unfortunately. Dubai Airport is decent! I’d love to try one of those sleep pods.
Layovers are many times a bane as well as a blessing. Best is when you have enough time and get out into the city and spend some time there. If not hanging around in an airport for hours is really a drag. Have spent hours in airports like Dubai, either reading or watching people, waiting for a connecting flight.
I wish I had stumbled upon your post couple of months before. Actually there was a layover that we had in a journey but not long enough for us to venture out. So, we had to spend time on the airport itself. Your tips to pamper oneself are worth giving a try.
Thanks for sharing the various options in different airports for the layovers. We missed the Singapore city tour the last time we were there but the Changi airport just has so many other options that an 8 hour layover just did not bother me. Hope a lot of the other airports learn from that. Cheers
I have heard a lot of great things about Changi airport. It is a very useful post. Due to my frequent travel, I often get stuck up at airports. But then I know how to use my time well. I was once stuck in Sharjah airport and I explored it all day, either people watched or just checked out shops. It was interesting.
Using the layover time to go on short trips sounds like an excellent idea! You have got many airports covered by giving useful information. Ah these cute sleeping pods must be easy on pocket compared to the airport hotels/transit hotels.
You were lucky your layover was at a decent airport.
Hong Kong at least has plenty of seating areas, options for eating and not to mention places where you can power your laptop or other devices.
Long transits at older, less well equipped airports make an old school paperback book or a deck of cards a great option 😉