You have your passport, you have your flight tickets, you have your plan, and you are excited. However, in front of you is 20 hours of travel with a 7+ hour layover….YIPPEE! The layover, if you are unsure, is the time spent between connecting flights while travelling across the globe. For us in Australia common layovers occur in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi and Doha on the way to Europe. However, layovers can happen anywhere in the world.
Let’s be honest travel is incredible, I mean I wouldn’t have this blog if it wasn’t, but the ACTUAL travel, the aspect that gets you to the place you want to be, is tedious. The long time spent on planes is the part of travel I now dread. However, if I can jazz it up with a fun layover, either in a cool airport or possibly out to explore a city (if visas permit) can change my mindset dramatically. The layover, can actually become a strategic part of your exciting holiday and more and more we are doing this.
The layover we most recently enjoyed was in Perth, Australia. While travelling to Bali, Indonesia it was cheaper for us to buy flight tickets with two different airlines and go via Perth to Bali than it was to go directly from Adelaide. Because we booked with two different airlines, I made sure we gave ourselves ample time between flights to ensure we could still make the second flight even if delays occurred. For this reason, we made sure we had 8 hours in Perth before needing to make our flight to Bali. So, what did we do with those 8 hours?
Firstly, we are Australian citizens, so this allowed us to leave Perth airport. However, please check if you are travelling through Australia that you have the necessary visas to leave the airport while on a layover, likewise in any country you are travelling through. So, again what did we do? Well, for us we headed straight to the car rental counters. We asked at a few different companies before finding the cheapest hire car we could for 6 hours to explore Perth and its glorious beaches. From Scarborough to Cottesloe to Fremantle we drove this beautiful stretch of coastline and explored part of our own country we were yet to visit. Without the layover this would not have been possible.
Another great layover is in Singapore. Whether you stay put in the airport, which is incredible in itself or manage to get yourself on a free city tour, Singapore is a fantastic city for a layover. The airport is home to a swimming pool, cinemas, gardens, shops and interactive games. Therefore, if you can’t get yourself on the free city tour, which is often full, there is still plenty to keep you entertained. However, my ultimate suggestion would be if you are flying through Singapore sometime in your future allow two or three days in the city as part of your holiday, you certainly won’t regret it.
Have you enjoyed a cool layover in your travels? Do you want to include a layover in your upcoming travels? Please yell out! I would love to have a chat about other layovers we have experienced or help you plan or decide on the best layover options for you.