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Pitfalls of the pit stop Stopover holidays aren’t for everyone, though, and there are several drawbacks to consider. For one, travellers need to factor in any additional costs. Not all stopover programmes include free hotel stays, and meals, experiences and local transport can quickly add up. Any savings made on cheaper flights could be completely wiped out here, and it may even end up being more expensive than the main holiday depending on where you stop. If you’re particularly time-poor, a stopover holiday is probably


not going to work either. After all, a couple of days for a stopover inevitably means a lot less time in the final destination. Done right, however, they can help you enjoy the main event even more. “If our customers can only afford time for one stopover, it’s usually on the outbound leg,” explains Chris Hawkins, programme director at Tropical Sky. “These stopovers are usually to help with jet lag and allow them to hit the ground running instead of spending the first couple of days recovering.” And then there are the extra logistics to figure out. “Juggling


multiple flights, hotels and airport transfers can get tricky, especially if the stopover isn’t built into the same airline ticket,” says Maureen Omukhango, safari expert at tour operator Go2Africa. It’s also wise to check whether any visas or other travel permits are required for the stopover destination. In some cases, a stopover holiday is simply the wrong choice


whatever adjustments you make. “For some travellers, adding an extra stop is exciting,” explains Omukhango. “For others, it might feel like travel overload, especially on a tight itinerary. It really depends on your travel style and how much ground you like to cover in one trip.”


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Stopover hotspots What’s the perfect stopover destination? Location is paramount — a stopover holiday shouldn’t require a massive detour that eats into travel time and expenses. Connectivity is also a key factor — it needs to be an aviation hub that serves many destinations. Crucially, though, it must be a destination that’s worth visiting. That’s why compact cities like Singapore and Hong Kong have


traditionally been the pit stops of choice for those heading to Australia or parts of Asia, while hubs like Dubai and Doha are well placed for travellers connecting to southern Africa. There are many emerging stopover destinations, too. Istanbul,


for example, is part of Turkish Airlines’ stopover programme, and also offers connectivity to Caucasus countries like Georgia. Aer Lingus’s stopover hub Dublin has become an alternative gateway to the US as it offers travellers pre-clearance, which saves time in immigration. In Asia, meanwhile, some of the fastest-growing hubs can be found in China. Flight Centre UK has seen a huge increase in travel to and via


Chinese cities from the UK this year. This is due to the country’s recently expanded visa-free transit policy, which came into force in December 2024 and allows UK passport holders to visit for up to 240 hours without an tourist visa. Paired with highly competitive airfares and expanded airline networks, stopovers in cosmopolitan cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu have become more appealing and accessible. So, the next time you need to break up a long-haul journey,


don’t just spend it in the airport. Consider a longer stop that will add to your experience and you might even save some money and visit somewhere new in the process.


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