Free Stopovers: How to Add a Second Destination to Your Flight

Long-haul flights often connect through a hub city. If you spend a short time there, that's a layover. If you stay long enough to leave the airport and see the city, it's a stopover. Used well, a stopover turns one trip into two for a small extra cost, and sometimes none at all.

Layover vs stopover

There's no single universal definition, and it varies by airline and region. As a rough guide, a layover is a short connection of up to around a day, while a stopover is a longer stay. The practical difference is how it's ticketed. A stopover is usually built into one itinerary, so it may add little to the fare, and your bags may need to be collected and re-checked depending on the booking.

Why airlines offer them

Some airlines based at big connecting hubs promote stopovers to encourage travellers to choose their hub over a rival's. They may promote stopover packages with discounted hotels or tours. Offers, rules and time limits change often, so treat any list as a starting point and check the airline's own page for the current terms before you plan around one.

How to find a stopover route

Search your main route, then look at the connecting cities offered, and see which are interesting enough to visit.
Use the multi-city option on a search tool to enter your origin, the stopover city, and your final destination as separate legs, with the dates you'd like.
Compare the total with a straight through-fare. Sometimes it's the same, sometimes a little more, and occasionally cheaper.
Check the airline's website for an official stopover programme, which may allow it at a reduced or zero cost on eligible fares.
Check the visa and entry rules for the stopover country, as even a short stay may need a visa, and some places have transit rules that differ from entry rules.

Making a stopover worthwhile

Pick a length that suits the city. One to three nights is enough to see the highlights of many hubs.
Check airport transfer costs and times, because a cheap stopover can lose its value in a long taxi ride.
Book accommodation with flexible cancellation, in case flights change.
Think about your bags. A carry-on-only traveller has the easiest time, as covered in our carry-on guide.
Keep it all on one ticket where you can. If you book the stopover as separate tickets, you're responsible for the connection if something goes wrong.

Stopovers on a backpacker trip

For a backpacker, a stopover is a way to add a country to the trip without paying a separate long-haul fare. It works especially well on routes between Europe and Asia or Oceania, where the main connecting hubs are interesting places in their own right. Combined with an open-jaw ticket (see our backpacker flight guide), it can stretch one flight into a much richer trip.

Ready to compare? Use the FareHacker flight finder to open your route on Skyscanner, Kayak and Kiwi.com side by side.