The Best Airports in Europe for 23-Hour Layovers
A little-known trick to maximize the value of your airfare is to take advantage of layovers. A layover on an international ticket is any stop up to 24 hours. Anything longer than that is considered a stopover and often subject to higher prices.
I’ve taken 23-hour layovers at over 20 airports by scheduling them in cities that have good connections from the airport to downtown, have good airport facilities like luggage check, showers and places to nap and easy immigration policies. Not all of them have been seamless, but you’d be surprised how much you’re able to see if you plan carefully.
You’ll often find yourself connecting in Europe, so we’ll start this series there, despite its older airports. With lots of things to do and efficient public transit, 23-hour layovers are possible in good majority of the hubs there. The best are listed below, but I put together a 23-Hour Layover Database tracking the arrival options for the top 32 airports by traffic all over the continent. Feel free to comment below if anything needs to be updated.
Amsterdam — AMS
Enjoy some peaceful time along the canals or raucous nightlife on the way to your destination.
Schipol is a mere 18-minute train ride to Amsterdam Centraal Station, so avail yourself of Canal walks, a tour of the Heineken Experience or numerous museums. You can rent luggage lockers on the bottom floor of the arrivals hall or within Centraal station itself (near the entrance — all the way to the left as you’re leaving). Amsterdam also has great connectivity to many other parts of the world, including Africa and Southeast Asia. I also like it because you can make connections on carriers that aren’t Skyteam partners of the hub airline KLM, though lounge options are not great.
Brussels — BRU
Beer, fries, waffles, chocolate. Clearly the Belgians have figured something out.
Similarly Brussels is also a short 15-20 minutes from the Central and Midi stations, making it very easy to grab a brewery tour at Cantillon, take a tour of the EU quarter, enjoy some open air live music at Grand Place or sample some fine dining and chocolate. The airport and city center are quite small and easy to navigate and Brussels Air has a lot of availability to the US because it isn’t listed on United.com.
Madrid — MAD
Why hang out in the airport when you can go Tapa-hopping?
With easy connectivity to Sol or the Museum Corridor on the east side of the city via Subway or regional Rail, it can make sense to spend some time in a tapa bar in the Spanish Capital. Check out a Flamenco show or the San Miguel Market for some great food and wine. There are two ways into town, using either the subway and transferring at Nuevo Ministerios or using the commuter rail Cercanias. Both take about the same amount of time and which one you choose depends on where you’d like to spend your free day in Madrid.
Copenhagen — CPH
Easy connection and a compact city center make it easy to stop in for (almost) a day.
With a short 12 minute train ride into town, you should be well placed to go nearly anywhere in the city with limited hassle. The metro also stops at the airport every 4 minutes during the day and 15 at night, taking 14 minutes to downtown. This is fantastic since you can time your departure to the airport with minimal waiting and maximize your time in the city. Most museums are free on Wednesdays, which often lines up well with award availability.
Vienna— VIE
Take in a concert at Schonbrunn Palace or ride bicycles along the Danube.
The Airport Express train gets you downtown in 16 minutes and the “slow” local train does it in 25, for a mere 4.20 euro! Vienna has a great shopping district and rooftop bar scene downtown at Stephensplatz. You can also take some time to venture 20 minutes out of the city to cruise on Europe’s largest underground lake. In the summer, the riverfront beaches come alive, so you can get some rays in while you wait for your next flight. Feeling sleepy? This city has one of the best coffee house scenes in Europe.
Runners up:
- Lisbon - LIS
- Barcelona - BCN
- Paris (Charles De Gaulle) - CDG
- Dusseldorf - DUS
These cities have slightly longer train rides into the city centers, but they are quite doable.
- Geneva - GVA
- Zurich - ZRH
- Oslo - OSL
- Stockholm - ARN
Also very easy to get downtown, but the price points may make these destinations less economical.
Avoid:
- London (Heathrow) - LHR
Endless busing between terminals, an overpriced Express Train and otherwise about an hour to get downtown.
- Frankfurt - FRA
Easy access to downtown, but not much to do there, unless you’re really into banking. What are your favorite airports to stopover in?
- Moscow (Sheremetyevo) - SVO
You’ll need a visa. The airport needs some serious updating and it’s still quite a hike into Moscow. I’ll keep updating the database as we move to other parts of the world, but hopefully it will come in handy next time you’re planning a trip!
How to make the most of your layover
If you’re heading to London, Paris, Berlin or Madrid, be prepared! Get an arrival kit sent to your home or office before you leave!
I’m considering flying Finnait to Dubai with a long layover in Helsinki. Any experience as to the ease or benefits?
Geneva Airport to Cornavin Main Train Station is 18 minutes…
Thank you for this awesome post, actual useful/helpful content and no CC pushing or First Class
I already have AMS and BRU on my cities to visit/layover due to their easiness
ZRH train into city is only 10-20 minutes though, I spent 2-3 hours in a 5 hour layover no problem (walk of old town), it’s a lovely town to see
Stopovers in MUC are great. The S-Bahn is cheap and fast. I disagree with FRA. You can go to nearby hoods like Mainz.
Nice spreadsheet, thanks. One update: Gatwick is LGW, not GTW.
Gotcha, thanks for catching that. I’ll update when we move it to a Google Doc for the next installment.
Gotcha, thanks for catching that. I’ll update when we move it to a Google Doc for the next installment.
I would definitely include LIS, the only capital in Europe with airport inside the city.
OPO ought to be considered; Their metro/train/bus system with a 24-hour 7-Euro ticket, from the time you validate it, take you far, far away in a quite swift and convenient way to downtown, by the river or towards the beaches.
I totally agree both Portuguese gateways have some of the best opportunities for 23 hour layovers, they just don’t get the traffic other hubs do. LIS is 29th in passenger volume and OPO is less. Zagreb (ZAG) is another one you wouldn’t expect to present a great 23-hour layover opportunity.
I totally agree both Portuguese gateways have some of the best opportunities for 23 hour layovers, they just don’t get the traffic that other hubs do. LIS is 29th in passenger volume and OPO is less. Zagreb (ZAG) is another one you wouldn’t expect to present a great 23-hour layover opportunity, but I’d highly recommend for the cafe, bar and food culture.
I would rate VIE or BRU above CPH, MAD or AMS simply because there’s not a whole lot to do in VIE or BRU, so what there is can be done in one day. Trying to do this in CPH, MAD or AMS would be frustrating in that you would be leaving so much on the table.
True, it can be tough in a larger city, but I often use them to visit a friend or sample a particular neighborhood. Trying to see it all can definitely tire you out so much that it no longer becomes fun. Even doing several in a row will be exhausting.
True, it can be tough in a larger city, but I often use them to visit a friend or sample a particular neighborhood. Trying to see it all can definitely tire you out so much that it no longer becomes fun. Even doing several in a row will be exhausting.
Have you been able to short check your luggage on the layovers? Also, do layovers have to be strictly less than 24 hours. I am considering a potential flight into BRU which lands at 4pm and then the next day take BRU-LHR which departs at 4pm.
Generally, the airline won’t check luggage for you unless it’s the same calendar day (and some not even if it’s more than 3 hours out). You’ll have better luck if the city is the hub for the airline you’re flying, but I included luggage check options so people can factor in those costs accordingly. The prices vary widely by where you are and how much you’re checking. The main train stations in many of the cities also offer luggage check, so that may be a viable option.
Whether they’ll accept an exactly 24 hour layover depends on the carrier and whether the routing rules will force it into using the stopover or not (assuming that’s allowed). Here’s a useful flyertalk thread on exactly your problem: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/oneworld/1398497-exactly-24-hours-stopover.html Agents also may not understand the difference between a layover and a stopover, so I’ve had issues where I booked a clearly under 24 hour overnight connection but was prevented from changing it because they claimed it was an illegal stopover. Typically a schedule change that moves your connecting flight past 24 hours won’t break your itinerary, but all of this is very “Your miles may vary” territory.
Generally, the airline won’t check luggage for you unless it’s the same calendar day (and some not even if it’s more than 3 hours out). You’ll have better luck if the city is the hub for the airline you’re flying, but I included luggage check options so people can factor in those costs accordingly. The prices vary widely by where you are and how much you’re checking. The main train stations in many of the cities also offer luggage check, so that may be a viable option.
Whether they’ll accept an exactly 24 hour layover depends on the carrier and whether the routing rules will force it into using the stopover or not (assuming that’s allowed). Here’s a useful flyertalk thread on exactly your problem: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/oneworld/1398497-exactly-24-hours-stopover.html Agents also may not understand the difference between a layover and a stopover, so I’ve had issues where I booked a clearly under 24 hour overnight connection but was prevented from changing it because they claimed it was an illegal stopover. Typically a schedule change that moves your connecting flight past 24 hours won’t break your itinerary, but all of this is very “Your miles may vary” territory.
Great list, I definitely agree with you on AMS and CPH, very quick/easy/cheap to go from the airport to the center of the city. VIE is longer, but the train will get you there easily.
Thanks for the great reminder to take advantage of the rules to get what I call “an appetizer-worthy taste” of a city. That way, you’ll know whether or not you want to return for an extended period of time in the future.
Yes, I definitely try to use these as a gauge for whether I’d want to return. Taipei blew me away for the precious 23 hours I was there, so I’m definitely going back!
Yes, I definitely try to use these as a gauge for whether I’d want to return. Taipei blew me away for the precious 23 hours I was there, so I’m definitely going back!
A good list. For FRA have you tried Mainz? It’s a really short train trip (opp direction to going into Frankfurt itself) but very pleasant to walk around and have some food /drink. I did that before flying LH to EZE a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I’m fact apart from Moscow I think I’ve either done a stopover or a mini-weekend break to all the destinations you list! (Moscow was for a bit longer, seemed too far to go for just a day).
I will definitely check it out! I’ve overnighted 3 times in FRA and sadly, there just isn’t a whole lot to do. Smaller, more intimate German town may be just the trick!
I will definitely check it out! I’ve overnighted 3 times in FRA and sadly, there just isn’t a whole lot to do. Smaller, more intimate German town may be just the trick!
Cool - hope you like it. It certainly had a nice small-town feel to it with a good market and obviously plenty of nice beers! Some info on their main tourist site - http://www.mainz.de/WGAPublisher/online/html/default/attractions. I actually used WikiTravel for some ideas too! (http://wikitravel.org/en/Mainz)
Alan / Scott: I recommend next time you’re in Frankfurt you guys take a train - the S8 or S9 from the airport - and get off 4 or 5 stops later at “Hauptwache”. From there it’s about 5-7 mins walk to the river (Main) via the Romer (it’s awesome) where you guys can sit outside by the river, have a beer and sausage, and stare at a few 700+-year-old buildings, and be back at the airport within like three hours. Enough with the Frankfurt bashing already
TPG had a good writeup about it. Not sure if it’s ok to post that link, but if it is, take a look here: http://thepointsguy.com/2014/02/destination-of-the-week-frankfurt/
Nice suggestion, Patrick - thanks
C’mon Eric, Lisbon as a runner up? We’ve got the Champion’s League Final here tomorrow? You can pretty much walk to the city center
We’ve got sun (which Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Vienna and Brussels don’t have. We’ve got cheap bear by the riverside, which Madrid doesn’t have. And we’ve got the Champion’s League Final tomorrow 😀
What does it take to get Lisbon on that list?
cheap bear?
Is that animal a slut? or were you referring to the animal; the beer?
From time to time, we do have cheap bears by the riverside. Blame it on the circus. Don’t blame it on the beer
I actually went to Lisbon twice in the past 6 months because I think it’s one of the most underrated cities in Europe. It’s actually 6th on the list currently and is very convenient and cheap to get into town. The deciding edge for Vienna was the higher volume of flights. VIE (more specifically Austrian Airlines) has more connectivity than TAP, so you’re more likely to book a connection there between Europe and Asia.
There is obviously some subjectivity to weighting various factors (time, cost, connectivity etc), but I’ll be writing some followup posts analysing the data once it’s more complete. Stay tuned for North America and Asia!
I actually went to Lisbon twice in the past 6 months because I think it’s one of the most underrated cities in Europe. It’s actually 6th on the list currently and is very convenient and cheap to get into town. The deciding edge for Vienna was the higher volume of flights. VIE (more specifically Austrian Airlines) has more connectivity than TAP, so you’re more likely to book a connection there between Europe and Asia.
There is obviously some subjectivity to weighting various factors (time, cost, connectivity etc), but I’ll be writing some followup posts analysing the data once it’s more complete. Stay tuned for North America and Asia!
Wow, very usefull post, thanks!
Could I conceivably schedule a trip where I just hit a bunch of these in a row for the price of one fare?
Yes, though the real difficulty is getting departure times and availability to match up. If the cities have a ton of flights between them (as most of the Lufthansa group carriers do) then it’s pretty straightforward and hitting FRA-MUC-ZRH-VIE is very possible. There are segment caps, but depending on the agent those might be ignored.
Check out Seth’s post on hopping through eastern Europe. http://blog.wandr.me/2011/09/maximizing-award-redemption-value-sortof/ I did something similar last fall, but kind of “broke” the itinerary when the agent noticed I had four 23 hour layovers and 4 additional connections and refused to make changes (BEG-VIE-WAW-CPH-ARN-FRA-TXL-MUC-LIS-OPO) and United has seriously tightened up since then.
Yes, though the real difficulty is getting departure times and availability to match up. If the cities have a ton of flights between them (as most of the Lufthansa group carriers do) then it’s pretty straightforward and hitting FRA-MUC-ZRH-VIE is very possible. There are segment caps, but depending on the agent, those might be ignored.
Check out Seth’s post on hopping through eastern Europe. http://blog.wandr.me/2011/09/maximizing-award-redemption-value-sortof/ I did something similar last fall, but kind of “broke” the itinerary when the agent noticed I had four 23 hour layovers and 4 additional connections and refused to make changes (BEG-VIE-WAW-CPH-ARN-FRA-TXL-MUC-LIS-OPO) and United has seriously tightened up since then.
I’d put Munich in the “runner up” category. Quite a hike from airport to city center (with stuff to do), but I did it easily on a 14-hr overnight layover in January (I deeply enjoyed my flat bed to LAX the next morning :P)
Munich shouldnt even be on list. Its one hour into Altatadt on SBahn or €75 cab ride!
You clearly haven’t thought of Istanbul…
Actually I do list IST and SAW in the database. The metro does get you in, but reports seem to say it takes about an hour. I’ll confirm when I visit in September.
I actually added both IST and SAW to the spreadsheet above. The train will get you downtown from IST, but it looks like it takes close to 60 mins and involves a transfer. If you know of a quicker route, I can definitely update the spreadsheet!
Can I get some tips for a layover in Paris, please?
Sure! I just did a 23 hour layover there last month. Here’s a review of what to expect: http://bit.ly/1gYeCMi - There is a tiny restaurant near Gare D’ Est called Le Rose de Sable that had absolutely over the top service. Check it out!
Sure, here’s a review of the CDG arrival experience http://bit.ly/1gYeCMi The train drops you off at Gare Du Nord and the area is pretty pleasant and non-touristy. There was a tiny restaurant called La Rose de Sable run by this delightful couple in their 70’s whose service was over the top. Check it out!
Geneva Airport to Geneva downtown Main Station is 7 (seven) minutes !!!
Who can beat that …
Plus, GVA offers a free transit ticket. It’s valid on buses for sure, dunno about the SBB/CFF/FFS trains.
The “23 hour stopover” is also great for catching up on sleep after a long flight. I often sleep in Frankfurt on my way to other European destinations.
What about Berlin. Considered coolest city in Europe and the TXL busses get you anywhere in city in 15-30 minutes and drop you off right in front of check
I’ve taken the TXL bus several times. While the frequency and length of journey aren’t terrible, the buses themselves are really not equipped for passengers with luggage and I’ve never seen them not packed like sardines with people falling about. If they upgrade the buses they use to have luggage racks and denser seating, Berlin would likely go up in the rankings, but with the new airport (hopefully) opening soon, the whole experience will likely change and be train-based
In Zurich ZRH you can also take the Train! It’s much faster than the local public transport (takes only 10 minutes) and costs the same!
I agree that both ZRH and GVA have some of the most convenient airport transfers in the world. The only detracting factor is the overall cost of both of those cities. You’ll be hard-pressed to find hotels under $150-175/night and dinners can be pricy too, which might turn off a lot of people (obviously this varies from person to person) but yes a stroll along either of the lakes and the fresh air can be great if you’re coming from an area of the world with not-so-great air quality.
Agree re overnight costs, although these places can also be nice for daytrips if you have an extended daytime connection - I had 8h on an outbound trip DUB-ZRH-BKK-SIN and spent a very pleasant day in ZRH with just a rucksack thanks to all my hold luggage being checked through. I also did a similar brief trip into NYC on a similar layover - AirTrain + LIRR a bit of a pain (and rip-off with the multiple fees and need to buy lots of tickets) but good to nip up the Empire State Building and wander round Manhattan!
Several years back I had 13 hour layout at CPH. sadly I arrived at 2300 and had to exit Int’l terminal and trains were running. I wanted to explore Copenhagen but that time of night and with 16 hours of being awake under my belt (w/ luggage), I opted to sleep on leather sofa in front of Starbucks in domestic terminal. I hadn’t realized how short of ride to town by train it was, I might have tried to explore little.
Regardless, I woke up, about dozen Absolute Vodka stalls along the concourse were open and I got free shot for every stall passed for next five hours before flight to IAD. I don’t remember anything from take off till landed in the states. So… much.. free.. vodka.. girls at vodka stands just kept feeding me free shots.
Yep, I’ve definitely been in the duty-free mazes at 5am, with literally every rep offering me a shot of Absolut, Chivas, Bacardi etc. Can make for an interesting morning
I thought DUBlin was remarkably easy. Buses are right outside, and someone is standing there to answer questions if you’re confused. Buses go right downtown and let you off at several locations. And the buses have wifi.
I’m heading to Serbia in a month. I am going to stay somewhere on the way back for two days (its cheaper to fly back to the States on Sunday instead of Friday). What’s the best European city to stay for two days and sight see (without spending a ton of money)? We did Paris on this last trip.
Main options are Amsterdam, Athens and Rome. But I’m open to suggestions!
Some of this depends on the carrier/alliance you’re flying. I’m really partial to Brussels, Berlin, Budapest and Lisbon as “lifestyle” destinations. They are great for a weekend (not huge, easy to navigate) particularly if you like beer, music and wine.