Had to pick between a direct flight or a 12 hour layover to save $180

Booking a trip to Lisbon, I had a choice: a $420 direct flight or a $240 ticket with a 12 hour stop in Madrid. I went for the long layover to save the cash. I packed a small bag with a change of clothes and spent the day walking around Madrid, seeing a free museum and eating cheap tapas. Honestly, it was tiring but felt like a bonus mini trip. Has anyone else planned a long layover on purpose to see a new city? How do you make the most of the time without spending a lot?

3 comments

3 Comments

milesj701mo ago

Packed a toothbrush and a map for a 10 hour stop in Reykjavik once. Left my main bag at the airport locker and took the bus into town. Spent the whole day walking between a hot dog stand, a public geothermal pool, and a free art gallery. My back hurt from the bus seats but I got to see the northern lights from the airport window before my next flight, so it worked out.

eric_murray261mo agoTop Commenter

Remember a long layover in Singapore where I did something like what you did, milesj70. Just had my backpack and went straight to that hawker center by the airport... ate chicken rice until I couldn't move. Then I just wandered around those fancy mall gardens for hours, completely lost. My feet were killing me but I found a quiet spot to watch the fountain show. Almost missed my next flight because I fell asleep on a bench near the indoor waterfall.

robinp721mo ago

Your Reykjavik trip sounds like such a solid move. Leaving your main bag and just hitting the town with a toothbrush is the kind of low stress travel that really pays off. The northern lights from the window was a beautiful payoff for all that bus seat pain, right?