What to do with a 7 hour layover?

What to do during a long layover
  1. Escape the airport on your own to explore the city.
  2. Take an organized tour of the city.
  3. Book yourself into a transfer hotel.
  4. Try out the local cuisine.
  5. Indulge in the comfort food you've been avoiding.
  6. Take a shower.
  7. Phone a friend.
  8. Find a meditation room.




A 7-hour layover is often considered the "sweet spot" for travelers—it is long enough to leave the airport and see a bit of the city, but short enough that you don't need a hotel room. If you decide to leave the airport, you should first subtract about 3.5 hours for transit and security: roughly 1 hour for deplaning and travel to the city center, and 2.5 hours to get back, clear security, and reach your gate. This leaves you with a solid 3 to 3.5 hours of exploration time. In cities with fast airport-to-city rail links like London (Heathrow Express), Amsterdam (Schiphol Rail), or Tokyo (Narita Express), you can easily enjoy a nice meal, visit a major museum, or walk through a historic district. If you prefer to stay at the airport, 7 hours is perfect for booking a day pass to a premium lounge, where you can shower, eat, and work in comfort. Many large hubs also offer on-site amenities like "Minute Suites" for a nap, movie theaters (Seoul Incheon), or even swimming pools (Singapore Changi). If you are in a city that offers it, look for a "transit tour" organized by the airport or local tourism board, which is specifically designed to get you back in time for your connecting flight without the stress of navigating a new city on your own.

People Also Ask

How long does a layover need to be to leave the airport? Because layovers are your choice, you can leave whenever you like, but seasoned travelers, including McGee, seldom leave airports for less than six hours. After all, airports themselves aren't usually in bustling, interesting areas.

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Factors to consider before leaving the airport during a layover. If you have an excessive layover time you may be wondering: Can I leave the airport between connecting flights? The short answer is yes. It is possible to exit and reenter the airport.

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If your layover is more than 8/9 hours, it is suggested to book a transit hotel where you can sit, relax and take a nap.

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If you are allowed to travel to the Netherlands without a visa, you can go through passport control. This means you can leave he international transit zone. You can visit Amsterdam or other places in the Netherlands during your transit period.

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Amsterdam is a fabulous place to have an extended layover for a number of reasons. First of all, you don't even need to leave the airport. There are many shops and restaurants located before and after security for a 6 hour layover in Amsterdam or less.

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While skiplagging isn't illegal, American Airlines filed a civil lawsuit earlier this month against Skiplagged.com, accusing the company of unauthorized and deceptive ticketing practices and tricking customers into believing they've gained access to a secret loophole.

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Scheduled Long Layovers If you have a long layover that is scheduled as part of your itinerary, your airline may provide you with a hotel. Generally, this is only the case if your layover is longer than eight hours.

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Do you have to go through security again for connecting flight? Yes, passengers usually have to re-clear security for connecting flights. It is recommended that travelers allow enough extra time before their connecting flight to pass through security and customs again.

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On the other hand, if you have a long stopover in Dubai then leaving the airport is absolutely fine, as long as you have the right visa. You don't need a visa if you're just transiting through Dubai airport. But, travellers from most countries will need one to leave the airport.

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My recommendation is, if you are flying from a non-Schengen country, you will have to go through border control to leave the airport and customs to get back into the airport. For that reason, do not leave the airport if your layover is less than 7 hours.

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In most cases, passengers on layover flights must clear customs and immigration at the first point of entry.

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A one hour layover should allow you to make your connection on a domestic flight without any issues in the majority of cases. If there is a substantial delay to your original flight then you might run into some trouble but even then a lot of times you can still make your connection.

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Technically, no, skiplagging isn't illegal. You're not breaking any laws by doing it. You won't get arrested or face legal action from authorities for using this strategy. But, most airlines ban the practice in their terms and conditions, which everyone agrees to when they purchase a ticket.

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No, but it's against most airlines' contracts of carriage or the rules people must follow to fly with the airline.
  • American Airlines and Southwest Airlines both put skiplagging first on their lists of prohibited booking practices. ...
  • United Airlines and Delta Air Lines also prohibit skiplagging.


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If an airline catches you skiplagging, in most scenarios it will punish you as per the terms and conditions of the ticket you're flying on. The punishments could range from financial penalties to restrictions on future booked travel.

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But skiplagging is controversial, and many airlines frown upon it — so much that it can be punishable by miles or status cancellations and even a lifetime ban from the airline.

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If you only have about 7-8 hours in Amsterdam, that should be enough time to get lunch, take a canal cruise, wander a bit around the center, get a drink, and head back. (The Red Light District is fairly close to Centraal if you're curious about it.)

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What to do during a long layover
  1. Escape the airport on your own to explore the city.
  2. Take an organized tour of the city.
  3. Book yourself into a transfer hotel.
  4. Try out the local cuisine.
  5. Indulge in the comfort food you've been avoiding.
  6. Take a shower.
  7. Phone a friend.
  8. Find a meditation room.


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That depends! If you travel to a non-Schengen country, you'll need to go through additional security and passport checks. If you stay within the Schengen region, no additional checks are needed.

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You will, however, go through immigration/passport control in Amsterdam. Unless you have an unreasonable delay, this should be plenty of time. As noted, you won't have to clear customs, but you will have to go through passport control and security.

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