We LOVE long layovers, and we have the best tips for long layovers with (or without) kids! We’ve left the airport for layovers in Istanbul, Bangkok, Paris, Taipei, Munich, Hong Kong, London, Frankfurt, Seoul, New York, San Fran, Chicago… the list goes on. You could say that we are the royal family (queens and kings) of leaving the airport during long layovers.
And we know it's not for everyone, but we spend hours combing the internet in search of these long layovers. Why?? Isn't it sometimes a huge hassle? Sure. But it is an opportunity I’ll always take. Think you about. You quite literally only live once, and you can use this layover time to see cities you may otherwise miss. Consider it a gift. And before you say that you can't see a city in a layover, you'd be amazed how much you can do if you plan ahead!
Anyway, read on for a little list of layover tips…
plan ahead for luggage storage
Of course for a quick trip out of the airport, you don’t want to have to lug around ALL your bags. This is spoken as a light packer but someone with FOUR KIDS... so... bags... If you travel with just one overnight bag, good for you. Skip this section. ;)
There are lots of ways to be luggage-free for a few hours of exploring, so I suggest planning ahead to make sure you’re prepared! Some of your options are:
If you’re comfortable checking bags and the airline allows you to (based on flight timing), check the big luggage before leaving the airport! Honestly we usually won’t do this unless it’s the last leg of the trip (just because we hate checking). But we used this method during a recent layover in NYC, and the added benefit was that we could get a whole bag of toys from FAO Schwartz because we’d checked the overhead bin luggage and had ability to take on another carry-on! Priorities, guys.
Leave your luggage in a locker at the airport. A lot of the big international airports have lockers (SFO, IST), but some are cheaper/easier/faster than others... so do your research before you travel!
Get a hotel and keep your luggage there. If you have a short overnight layover, then you need to get a hotel anyway, so you may as well drop your stuff there before you go exploring. If you don’t have an overnight layover, then this would obviously be kind of a frivolous expense… unless you need showers and clothing changes or need a nap… and can find a good price... then I’d consider the hotel anyway!
Note: If you have a reservation, a hotel will almost always let you drop your luggage at the concierge - even if it’s way before your official “check in time”. So don't be shy. Always ask!!
plan ahead for the bags you’ll take with you
You’ll want/need to take some of your belongings out on your little jaunt. I’d suggest that you move stuff around to narrow it down to a couple little bags before you even get on that first flight, so that you have everything you need in the bag that’s coming with you on your excursion.
If you can change clothes on the plane in preparation for your outing, that’s the gold standard. But we know that’s not easy, and we do quite often break this rule and change in the airport bathroom… just remember that everything you do after the landing takes time away from the excursion. (Like even just getting 3 kids to go to the bathroom and changing 1 diaper can take up precious time when you could just do it on the plane!) But again, do what you need to do.
plan your itinerary
Plan your itinerary ahead of time - to the absolute minute. Read the blogs and books ahead of time, and make sure you know exactly what you want to see (and in what order) when you land. Make sure it’s all open that day. Make sure you have a plan for transportation (and look it up before you hit the ground). Make sure you know how much time it will take to get between stops. Make sure you plan for food stops. Make sure you get tickets for anything ahead of time if you can.
You’ll need all the time you can get just to see the city. You don’t want to be sitting on a bench for 20 min trying to find the best restaurant when your time in the city is only a few hours. And of course, make sure you mentally prepare yourself for the need to drop one or two things…. as a layover excursion very often doesn’t go exactly to plan. It's just a fact. But if you already have a plan with priorities, it’s easy to adjust!
plan for layover city weather when packing
Sometimes, your main vacation spot is in a warm climate and your long layover is in a cold climate. Or vice versa. If there is a chance to keep weather somewhat consistent during all our stops, we’ll take it. But we’re usually picking the cheapest flights… so we often end up in this situation.
But don't worry. Depending on your packing capacity, the length of the layover, your plan for that city, and your sheer ability to deal with being over or under dressed… you have some options.
The predominantly cold vacation with a warm layover is a bit easier since warm weather clothes don’t take up much space - it’s just a matter of storing the cold weather stuff somewhere as you tour around (see first bullet point).
But the predominantly warm vacation with a cold layover is trickier. Here are some ideas for a one-off cold layover.
If your one-off cold layover is at the end of an otherwise warm trip, we’ve actually done the layering approach. Meaning we re-wear all the clothes together to stay warm. Pictured above during a Hong Kong layover.
If it’s at the beginning of the trip, we have to get more creative. Last year we had a layover in early March in NYC, and we opted for trying to do almost all indoor activities - plus we brought sweaters and disposable ponchos as windbreakers. It wasn’t perfect, but it was 100% better than packing real coats for literally 1 day of the entire vacation.
And also... if you have a cute set of pajamas and a short layover, there's no shame in just wearing those right out into the city. (Documented in the main picture above!)
plan for visa and vaccination requirements
Don't forget! Even if you only leave the airport for a few hours, you'll still need to meet all the visa and vaccination requirements of that country! See our post dedicated to that information how we pick our international destinations for all the info you need! (And don't forget that occasionally your final destination country will have additional requirements based on your stops along the way - so check it all out before you travel!)
plan for only long layovers
Last little pro tip... if you're planning a trip around a series of long layovers, do not add in a short layover. Do not do it. Don't. Because if you miss one flight, your entire trip can be thrown off... If it sounds like I'm speaking from a place of dark experience, it's because I am - trust me!
Summarized, my tip for layover excursions is simple - PLAN ahead! Think of absolutely everything, but also expect you’ll need to pivot at some point too! And I know it’s not for everyone (and it can feel like a huge amount of effort)… but it's very worth it. Go for it every time you have the opportunity!!
Comments