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Take Advantage of your layover
Now that's a good idea
"There's just no reason to sit in the airport when you can go out and do stuff!" Kelly, staff
Don't waste precious vacation time. A little planning can turn those extra hours into an adventure!
Make the Most of Your Time and Money
It’s that exciting time again - planning your next vacation! This trip can’t come soon enough. You’re a travel addict - we understand! Just thinking back to your last vacation and all the fun you had gives you an adrenaline rush. You know where you want to go, what you want to see, and where you want to stay. Then, just when you think you’ve taken care of every detail for your new trip you realize it - you’re going to have a layover. Buzz kill!
| FIJI |
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| "It’s FIJI and you’re not paying any extra to fly there. A free stopover is just too good of a deal to pass up and you can have a great vacation for cheap!" Kara, staff |
Take our advice: make the most of those hours and explore the city. Layovers lasting up to ten hours provide ample time to leave the airport for a day trip. Or, better yet, turn your layover into a stopover and stay a few days. With STA Travel’s exclusive Blue Ticket, incorporating a day trip or stopover into your itinerary is easy, not to mention free or cheap! (And, the Blue Ticket gives you the best value for your money.)
Here’s our list of several places that offer great things to see and do, whether you’re staying for a few days or several hours.
3-5 Day Stopovers
Remember that you have to book a stopover when you arrange your itinerary and buy your Blue Ticket.
Fiji. One of the best places to kick back – a tropical island! Air Pacific stops here on flights from Los Angeles to Australia/New Zealand and vice versa. Drop your bags at The Beachcomber Resort on Mamanuca Island for fun in the sun - it’s on Fiji’s “party island,” so you know the nightlife will be hot. If you want to explore the islands, buy a Feejee Experience Pass. You’ll tour at your own pace using a hop-on-hop-off bus network.
Costa Rica. Get a new perspective of nature by arranging a stopover in Costa Rica when traveling from Miami to Latin America on Taca Airlines. Imagine ziplining over the treetops with the Selvatura Canopy Tour. See monkeys, sloths, parrots & more as you trek through the rainforest with Pure Trek Canyoning. Go white-water rafting down the Pacuare River. Soak up the soothing waters of Tabacon Hot Springs as you watch mesmerizing eruptions of Arenal Volcano. Costa Rica boasts an amazing landscape, national parks, hiking trails, and beautiful beaches. (Taca Airlines also flies from Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York. Get your STA Travel Advisor to help book this one because it might require some creative routing to take advantage of this stopover.)
| Costa Rica |
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| “It’s such an incredibly beautiful place! Swim in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, sip from freshly split coconuts, and dance salsa all night!” Carly, staff Costa Rica |
Reykjavic. You’ll stop here, the world’s most northern capital, between Boston and London on Icelandair. Enjoy a soak in the geothermal seawater of the Blue Lagoon at Reykjanes Peninsula. Visit Gullfoss Geysir, which is claimed to be the largest geyser in the world. Tour the city, enjoying such landmarks as the National Museum of Iceland. It features more than two-thousand national treasures and a look at the country’s cultural heritage. You’ll love Iceland, especially if you enjoy the outdoors! If you just can’t get enough of the country, try the 13-day tour! Some of the experiences you’ll have include seeing breathtaking scenery, going whale watching, and taking a boat ride on the famous Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon (which you’ll then recognize from many Hollywood movies). (Icelandair also stops here on flights from New York to London as well as from Minneapolis to Amsterdam.)
8-10 Hour Layovers
If you find you have several hours to kill before your connecting flight check out this list of exciting cities to explore and activities to do:
Panama City. You’ll stop here between New York and South American cities, like Lima, Peru, on Copa Airlines. Buy a $5 tourist card from the airline. Then, buy a $25 ticket for a tour of the city and Panama Canal at the tourist desk at baggage claim. The tour lasts five hours so you’ll have plenty of time to make your connecting flight. (Copa Airlines also flies to South America from Los Angeles and Miami.)
| Panama City |
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| “Sightseeing in Panama City was really interesting and really cheap. I’m so glad that I did the tour – it was fun and it killed five hours!” Caroline, staff |
Los Angeles. You’ll be in Los Angeles for a few hours when flying from the U.S. to Australia (and back) on Qantas. Go enjoy the beach, find your favorite celebrity’s star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd., or take a tour: Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes, Inside Contemporary Downtown Los Angeles or Inside Historic Downtown Los Angeles! Tourist information desks inside Los Angeles International Airport will point you in the right direction.
London. You’ll stop here when flying British Airways between the U.S. and Africa. Visit all of the major landmarks in one afternoon with the Big Bus London, visit the Tate Modern, take the Jack the Ripper Tour, stroll through Camden Market, ride the London Eye, or, take the Bath, Stonehenge & Salisbury Tour. The tour takes you to one of the world’s most important prehistoric monuments, the finest medieval cathedral in Britain, and the elegant city of Bath all in one day. Make sure to leave time to hit a local pub for a pint and fish-n-chips.
Bottom Line
Don’t waste your precious vacation time sitting at the airport during a layover. Schedules are easy to accommodate with STA Travel’s exclusive Blue Ticket. If you’re a student or under age 26, it’s the most flexible or cheapest ticket available and gives you access to our Travel Help in more than 90 countries. So, plan ahead and make the most of your money and time! Happy travels!
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