While you could spend your next layover scouring the terminal for an electrical outlet to plug your lifeline (i.e. laptop) into, why hole up in the airport when you can get out and see a new city for a few hours? Before you spend another layover trying to sleep on a row of airport terminal chairs, read up on how to do some sightseeing during a layover.
Plan a long layover
While a five-hour layover in Atlanta or Toronto might seem like a hassle while you’re looking for flights between the East and West Coasts, it’s really an opportunity to get a quick taste of the city. When booking your flight, look for longer layovers that will give you a chance to leave the airport and hit the city’s top must-sees. Remember that you’ll need a longer layover in an international destination versus a domestic one, as leaving the airport means you’ll be clearing customs and immigration. In these cases, it’s sometimes worthwhile to opt for those 12-hour layovers that travelers usually avoid like the plague. Domestically, a few hours could be plenty to see a local attraction or two.
Look for tours
Guided layover tours are one of the easiest ways to dig into a city’s top attractions both quickly and effectively, hands down. A tour guide will pick you up from the airport, shuttle you around to the top sights and have you back at the airport in plenty of time to catch your connecting flight. An eight-hour layover in Beijing is plenty of time to see the Great Wall with Tour Beijing, or you can check out where your favorite TV shows are filmed with a layover tour in Los Angeles.
Logistics
When laying out your layover itinerary, you’ll want to make sure the attractions you choose are accessible and feasible with your schedule. Try not to venture out too far from the airport, just in case. You’ll also need to figure out the best way to get to these attractions, whether it’s public transportation, a taxi or a shuttle.
Most airports have some sort of luggage storage available, but be sure to work out the details before you arrive. Sightseeing on a schedule is much easier without your bags in tow.
Do you plan long layovers for sightseeing? Let us know in the comments!
(Main image: Benson Kua used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)
