Indirect flights might sound like a pain, but change the way you look at them and you can turn a two-hour stopover into two days — and you get two holidays in one. Building in a stopover rarely adds much to the cost of the flight ticket and in some cases you can even get a free hotel room as part of the deal. Whether it’s the perks on offer or the overall appeal of the destination, these are the best stopover cities to add into your next intercontinental trip.
Main photo: Indiana Tea House in Perth (Getty Images)
1. Istanbul, Turkey
The Stopover In Istanbul scheme from Turkish Airlines gives economy passengers one free night in a four-star hotel, and business-class passengers two free nights in a five-star hotel. Either way, there’s plenty of time to see the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, and take in the views of Istanbul from the top of the 63m (205ft) Galata Tower. Visit the former harem at the Topkapi Palace, then choose between a hypnotic whirling dervish ceremony at the HodjaPasha Culture Centre and getting happily lost amid the stalls of the gigantic Grand Bazaar. If you want to pay for your own hotel rather than take what you’re given, the mural-splashed Sub Karakoy brings daringly eclectic decor to one of the hippest hoods in town.
• Best things to do in Istanbul
2. Abu Dhabi
Of the Gulf carriers, Etihad has the most attractive stopover scheme. Choose the Abu Dhbai Stopover option, and you can get up to two nights free in a three or four-star Abu Dhabi hotel before resuming your journey. That gives you plenty of time for culture at the Heritage Village, big-hitting Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The latter is one of the few grand mosques on earth that non-Muslims can enter. But you can also switch the brain off and enjoy desert dune-bashing tours, the Yas Waterworld waterpark and Ferrari World — home of the world’s fastest rollercoaster.
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For added quirk factor, learn about the Emirati obsession with falconry at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, and for a better glimpse of traditional life, take a day trip to the oasis at Al Ain. Of the four-star freebies, Traders Hotel Qaryat Al Beri’s calling cards are the big bathrooms and private beach.
3. Doha, Qatar
If you’re flying with one of the other big Gulf carriers, building in a Dubai stopover with Emirates rarely costs any extra on the airfare, but Qatar Airways has a more enticing offer to stop in Doha.
The Qatar Stopover initiative offers up to four nights, with no extra airfare cost and a bargain luxury hotel room. Prices vary slightly depending on the chosen hotel, but two nights in a four-star hotel costs from $22. Many of the things that can be done in Abu Dhabi and Dubai — beach clubs, dune-bashing, meals in desert camps, big malls and waterparks — can also be done in Doha. Mercifully, Qatar also offers a few distinctive options, including whale shark-viewing cruises, the world heritage-listed Al Zubarah Fort and the IM Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art.
Souq Waqif is the area to stay in for restaurants and shopping, and Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli marries affordability with gleefully colourful design that defies Qatar’s usual business bland.
4. Reykjavik, Iceland
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Icelandair was the pioneer of the free stopover on flights between Europe and North America. There’s still no extra airfare cost, although you’ll have to pay for your hotel. The classic Iceland stopover activities are bathing in the eerily milky waters of the Blue Lagoon (near the airport) or taking the Golden Circle tour to the Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir Geothermal Area and Thingvellir National Park.
More adventurous visitors can try whale-watching, a northern lights cruise, snorkelling in the gap between two continental plates at the Silfra Fissure, or stepping inside the Langjokull glacier after a monster truck ride across the ice. Emblazoned with historic photos, Hotel Borg opposite the Icelandic parliament building in Reykjavik goes all-in on the art deco grandeur.
• Best things to do in Reykjavik
5. Lisbon, Portugal
TAP Air Portugal’s stopover program works in both Lisbon and Porto, but Lisbon is the more likely stop on the way to South America or Africa. It’s also one of the most comprehensive schemes, with discounts on hotels, restaurants, attractions and tours available. There are plenty of city tours available, but more interesting options include dolphin-watching on a catamaran, wine-tasting jaunts, surfing lessons and street art tours. Top tips outside the scheme include revelling in the decorative tiles at the Museo Nacional do Azulejo and combining fancy historic buildings and custard tarts in riverside Belem. The breezes off the river and Belem Tower views make the pool at NAU Palacio do Governador the most enviable hotel hangout for a lazy afternoon.
6. Madrid, Spain
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Iberia’s Stopover Hola Madrid scheme works in a similar way to TAP’s. It doesn’t cost you any extra to build in the stopover, and there are plenty of tour and experience discounts. Importantly, these include key Madrid sites you’d probably want to visit anyway — such as the Royal Palace and art heavyweight the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. Other cut-price mini-break opportunities include private tours of Real Madrid’s stadium, day trips to photogenic heritage city Toledo and paella-making classes. However, if you choose to do precisely none of these and spend your day hopping between tapas bars instead, you’ll still have spent your time very well. Calle de la Cava Baja is the classic tapas strip. Strutting avant-garde flamboyance and a buzzy rooftop pool make the Axel Hotel Madrid a tremendously fun stay.
7. Singapore
Much less intensely frenetic than most Asian alternatives, Singapore is perhaps the classic stopover city. You can tour the Second World War sites, have shameless theme park fun on Sentosa Island and get a culture fix at the Asian Civilisations Museum. But a Singapore swing-by is best spent eating – either hopping between hawker centres or on a food tour. Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Qantas all pass through the city, but the smartest money-saver comes if you build in a long transit time, then taking one of the four free city tours while you wait for the next flight. High ceilings, garden-surrounded pools and glass floors over archaeological diggings bring heritage romanticism to Hotel Fort Canning, a converted British military HQ.
• Best things to do in Singapore
8. Perth, Australia
The direct Qantas flight from Heathrow to Perth is often used for connecting to Australia’s east coast. But stopping over in Perth costs roughly the same as transiting — and Perth might just be the perfect stopover destination. This is an urban break that can genuinely feel like a holiday. Wine-tasting in the Swan Valley is 20 minutes from the airport, there’s a collection of glorious Indian Ocean beaches, you can go swimming with wild dolphins in Rockingham, and a quick ferry ride takes you Rottnest Island — home of the outrageously cute quokkas. Historic, café-packed port area Fremantle is the most enjoyable area to stay in — with the Warders Hotel inside limestone cottages embracing the character.
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