Layover adventure

Long layovers are a pain for many travellers who dread killing time in airport lounges. But with a bit of planning, a long layover can be an extra adventure on a trip.

Though it varies by airport, a layover of six hours or more may allow travellers to leave the lounges and explore the surroundings and even a nearby city before hopping back on the plane to your final destination.

This can be accomplished independently or by a transit tour, which a number of airports and tour companies now offer.

Changi Airport introduced its Free Singapore Tour in 1987 as a way to entertain passengers with long layovers and to encourage visits to the city.

There are two tour itineraries, a Heritage Tour of key historic sites such as Chinatown and the colonial district, and a City Lights Tour, which takes tourists to sites such as Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade, Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Flyer at night.

A Changi Airport Group spokesman says 50,000 people take the tours every year. "Thirty per cent of passenger traffic at Changi Airport are transferring passengers who, under normal circumstances, would not even step out of Changi.

"With the Free Singapore Tour, we hope that transit passengers who go on it will be encouraged to return to Singapore for a longer stay soon."

Airports around the world also offer tours and transport to destination highlights, from the beaches of California to the temples of Seoul and the forests of Frankfurt. It is like a vacation within a vacation while in transit.

A long layover may even lower the overall cost of a trip as flights with a long transit are often cheaper than direct flights and allow travellers to see a new city without having to pay for an extra plane ticket or hotel room.

Ms Alicia Seah, a spokesman for Dynasty Travel, says that by opting for a stopover, travellers will get to explore a city which they will pass through anyway. "It is like two plane tickets for the price of one," she adds.

A Delta Airlines ticket from Singapore to New York costing $1,635 return involves a 10-hour layover, which can be used to see Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

A KLM flight from Singapore to Paris, priced at $1,391 for a return trip, has an eight- to 16-hour layover in Amsterdam. That is enough to visit the city's canals and Van Gogh Museum.

You may need only a three- to four-hour layover to enjoy sights in some cities. At Seoul's Incheon, the airport offers a free one-hour tour to a nearby temple. From Frankfurt Airport, transit passengers can catch a public bus and, in 15 minutes, walk through an old oak forest and a children's playground.

There are constraints, however. Transit tours are more likely to find favour with younger and more independent travellers, says Ms Seah. "Families with young children, older folks or business travellers will opt for direct flights in view of shorter flight time and ease," she notes.

Because of long immigration, Customs and security queues in busy or intensely high-security airports such as Los Angeles International Airport or London Heathrow Airport, one is not advised to leave with a layover shorter than seven hours.

Transit passengers must also keep visa requirements, transport times and luggage restrictions in mind when planning a transit trip.

While it is best to check in one's bags all the way to the final destination, when flying via multiple airlines, travellers may have to stow baggage at a luggage storage station at the airport or take it with them.

There are websites such as Layover Guide (www.layoverguide.com) and Smart Layover (smartlayover.com) which help travellers design their transit trips. TripAdvisor also has layover information and advice for different cities.

Here are eight transit destinations to get started.

vlydia@sph.com.sg

Hong Kong

Thanks to the Airport Express, which can get travellers from Hong Kong International Airport to Hong Kong Central in about 30 minutes, spending a few hours in the territory for a delectable dim sum lunch before continuing to the final destination is a piece of cheong fun.

To spend some more time exploring Hong Kong's sights, Splendid Tours & Travel offers two transit tours for those on extended layovers.

The Hong Kong Island Orientation tour picks up travellers from the airport by coach at 10.30am daily and leads them on a tour of the city's highlights, including the Peak for a view of the skyline and harbour, and Aberdeen to see the floating restaurants and fish markets.

There is also a drive along the coast to Stanley village and a chance to do some shopping in Stanley market before the tour ends at Kowloon Station for the express train back to the airport.

The cost of the eight-hour tour - HK$650 (S$107) an adult and HK$550 a child - includes a dim sum lunch.

Those with a shorter layover can opt for the Lantau and Monastery Tour of Lantau, Hong Kong's largest island, where the airport is located.

The tour starts at the airport at 10am daily and takes travellers to see stilt-house fishing villages. There is a stop at Po Lin Monastery to see a 34m-tall outdoor bronze Buddha and a vegetarian lunch at the monastery, as well as an optional 5.7km ride on the Ngong Ping Cable Car for beautiful views of the island.

The tour lasts about five hours and costs HK$750 an adult and HK$650 a child.

Info: Go to www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/tours-walks/guided-tours/transit/hong-kong-island-orientation.jsp, call +852-2316-2151 or e-mail info@splendid.hk

Seoul

Travellers with a layover of three hours or longer at Incheon International Airport can explore Incheon and Seoul, thanks to Incheon Transit Tours, which offers a total of seven transit tour itineraries.

And the best part: they are free.

They include an hour-long tour of Yonggungsa Temple, known for its 1,300- year-old zelkova tree; and a three-hour tour of traditional Korean architecture, customs and lifestyle in Incheon.

Among the longer tours is a five-hour jaunt around Seoul's culture and shopping hubs.

The tours run at multiple times each day and include transport and an English-speaking tour guide. Any extra entrance fees and food or shopping purchases are borne by the traveller.

Travellers need to reserve a spot on their desired tour by e-mailing transittour@airport.kr. Upon arrival, they have to check in at one of the airport's six transit tour desks 30 minutes before their tour starts.

Info: www.cyberairport.kr

Paris

Aeroports de Paris, which manages both airports in Paris, has partnered the Paris Ile de France Tourist Board to offer luxury coach transit tours of the City of Light.

There are four daily tours which leave from Terminal 2F at Charles de Gaulle Airport at 11am.

The coach drops off the tour group at the same location at the end of the tour.

Itineraries include a five-hour transit tour of Paris' highlights such as the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Place Vendome, Pyramide du Louvre and Eiffel Tower, where tourists have a chance to walk around before heading back to the airport. This tour costs €65 (S$105) an adult and €45a child.

Another itinerary is the Paris Transit Tour & Cruise "Vedettes de Paris", which will take tourists on a 11/2-hour tour of the city before dropping them off at Vedettes de Paris, a cruise company.

From there, tour participants take an hour-long cruise on the Seine, stay to enjoy the Eiffel Tower-Trocadero area and head back to the airport on their own or ride the coach back. The tour costs €79an adult and €55a child.

Tickets for the tours can be purchased through the airport's website or at the Tourist Information Office there.

Info: www.aeroportsdeparis.fr

London

London Heathrow Airport is a very big and busy airport. Travellers interested in a transit tour of London or Oxford, which is 77km north-west of Heathrow, should be careful not to underestimate the time it will take to get through immigration upon arrival and departure. It can take up to an hour during peak periods.

The airport itself does not offer tours, but transit travellers, who should have at least six hours of layover time, can leave the airport and tour London on their own.

The Heathrow Express train runs every 15 minutes and takes 20 minutes to get to Paddington Station, where travellers can take public transport to get to popular sights such as London Bridge, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

Travellers can also take the London Underground straight from Heathrow into the centre of the city, which will take about 50 minutes.

A company called London Magical Tours offers private chauffeured transit tours of the city. They range from three to seven hours in length and can accommodate any group size or itinerary upon request.

The chauffeur and private guide will pick up tourists from the airport and drive them around the city to enjoy highlights, such as Buckingham Palace and a Sherlock Holmes tour of Victorian London, before dropping travellers back at the airport.

Prices for the tours are available upon request. They start at about £220 (S$450) a tour and vary by the length of tour and number of participants. Only one carry-on luggage is allowed a person on the tour, so any extra luggage must be checked in to the final destination or stowed at the airport.

Info: www.londonmagicaltours.com

New York

John F. Kennedy International Airport is New York's busiest airport, serving 60 million international and domestic travellers a year, so immigration, Customs and security lines can be long.

Still, layovers of eight hours or longer are a great time to explore the city's museums and other historic and cultural landmarks such as Times Square, Central Park or the Statue of Liberty.

The airport does not offer any transit tours, but it is relatively easy to navigate and get into Manhattan. The quickest way is by train.

The AirTrain operates between all terminals and can take you to Howard Beach subway station, where you can catch the A train into downtown Manhattan; or to Jamaica Station to connect with the E train for service to midtown Manhattan or the J or Z trains for service to Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, all of which take about 45 minutes to an hour.

The AirTrain costs US$5 (S$6.40) and a single subway ride is US$2.50.

A quicker option is to take the Long Island Rail Road from Jamaica Station direct to Penn Station on W. 34th Street for a total of US$15.50, including the AirTrain ticket.

Travellers can also take a taxi, which costs a flat US$52 to anywhere in Manhattan, plus tolls and tip. Even though JFK Airport is only about 25km from Manhattan, this trip can take more than an hour, depending on traffic.

Once in Manhattan, travellers can head to their destination of choice, or take a hop-on, hop-off bus tour of the city with Big Bus Tours (ng.bigbustours.com/newyork) for US$25 to US$49.

Info: www.nyctourist.com

Dubai

Not many people choose to leave Dubai International Airport during their transit, opting for its luxe lounges, five-star hotel rooms and shopping opportunities instead. But there is a lot to see less than a 20-minute drive from the airport.

To get into the city, there are two metro lines which run every 10 minutes from the airport. Or travellers can take a taxi, which will cost about 100 dirham (S$35) to get as far as the Dubai Marina, about 30 minutes away.

They can see the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which is just a 15-minute drive from the airport, or visit Dubai's other famous landmark, the Burj Al Arab, a hotel with stunning views of the Persian Gulf.

To enter the Burj Al Arab, travellers need to be a hotel guest or have reservations to eat or drink at one of the bars or restaurants.

Though Dubai is very modern, its history can be found around the city.

Take a tour of the Old Souqs in the older part of town, such as the Deira Gold Souq, which is filled with more than 300 outlets selling gold items. Or head to Jumeirah Mosque, one of the most beautiful in Dubai.

Big Bus Tours offers hop-on, hop-off tours, which are a good way to see the sites. A 24-hour day pass will cost 240 dirham an adult or 100 dirham a child and tourists can choose from multiple routes.

Info: eng.bigbustours.com/dubai

Los Angeles

When transiting through any airport in the United States, travellers will need to set aside ample time to go through immigration and security.

This could take up to two hours at Los Angeles International Airport, a large and notoriously difficult one to navigate. Tour agents recommend that transit tourists have at least an eight-hour layover if they want to leave the airport.

It is admittedly a bit of a hassle, but travellers will have the warm rays of the Californian sunshine and dozens of unique activities in Los Angeles as a reward.

The airport itself does not offer transit tours, but a company called LA City Tours does.

It has two itineraries to choose from. One leaves the airport by coach at 9.30am and takes the tour to Venice Beach, downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood Walk of Fame for lunch, the Hollywood Sign and Rodeo Drive to ogle at Hollywood homes before heading back to the airport about five hours later. The tour costs US$89 (S$114) an adult and US$69 a child.

The second tour is shorter. It starts at 10.30am and takes about three hours, during which tourists will stop at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hollywood Sign and Rodeo Drive for the same price as the longer tour.

Travellers can also choose to tour Los Angeles on their own.

The LAX FlyAway buses run every hour between each airport terminal and five locations, including Santa Monica and Hollywood (www.lawa.org/FlyAway), for under US$10 each way.

Santa Monica is the closest attraction to the airport. There, visitors can lie on Los Angeles' most popular beach, play carnival games or ride the ferris wheel at the famous 100-year old Santa Monica Pier, or take a walk down Third Street Promenade to people-watch and do some shopping. It takes about 45 minutes to get there, depending on traffic.

Hollywood is about an hour to 90 minutes away, depending on traffic, but once there, travellers can visit a number of iconic attractions, such as Grauman's Chinese Theatre (now known as the TCL Chinese Theatre), Ripley's Believe it Or Not museum and Universal Studios, a movie studio and theme park where travellers can enjoy thrill rides and take a behindthe-scenes look at special-effects techniques.

LA City Tours also has tours departing hourly from its office on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Travellers who join one get a free ride back to the airport.

Info: lacitytours.com

Frankfurt

Just a 15-minute train ride outside the city, Frankfurt Airport offers the greatest variety of transit tours, including ones to urban, historic and nature sites in the region.

The airport's website has a Frankfurt Airport Transit Guide, available for download, which provides details for travellers on how to get to numerous destinations.

These include a quick bus ride to a nearby oak forest, where travellers can stretch their legs with a hike or jog. Another good choice is Heidelberg, one of Germany's most picturesque cities, which is less than an hour south of the airport by bus.

If one would rather join a tour than risk going it alone, the airport offers five guided tours which start and end at the airport.

Explore the old and new sides of Frankfurt's history on a 21/2-hour city tour which runs four times a day, from 9.30am till 7.30pm. It costs €28.50 (S$46) an adult and €23.50 a child.

Transit travellers can also opt for a full or half-day tour of the Rhine Valley to see charming villages, vineyards and mediaeval castles, as well as enjoy a boat ride, wine-tasting and lunch at a riverside restaurant.

The tours are five or eight hours in duration and cost €74 to €81 an adult and €59 to €64 a child.

The airport also offers a seven-hour tour of Rothenburg, Germany's best-preserved mediaeval town, for €148 an adult and €114 a child.

These and more tours of neighbouring cities and towns are available upon request.

Travellers interested in booking the tours can go to the Welcome Centre at Terminal 1B, Level 1, in the airport and reserve a spot via the "bookings" tab on its website or e-mail hotelservice@fraport.de.

Info: www.frankfurt-airport.com/content/frankfurt_airport/en/bookings/sightseeing.html

This article was first published on Nov 2, 2014.
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