Can You Leave the Airport During a Layover?

In an ideal world, you'd be able to fly nonstop just about anywhere, hopefully. But the reality is you'll probably have a layover on more than one trip in your life. And in some cases, those layovers might be really long.  At that point, you're at a crossroads. Do you head for the airport lounge for hours upon hours? Do you post up at an airport bar and spend who knows how much cash on mediocre food and drinks? Or do you make a break for it and leave the airport?

I would head for the door. You are usually allowed to leave an airport on a layover, and believe it or not, some airlines even encourage it with stopover programs.

Here's everything you need to know about leaving an airport on a layover, from how long you actually need to how to participate in a stopover program.

Domestically, American travelers can always leave the airport on their layovers. International travelers, however, will need to either have visa-free entry to the U.S. or a valid visa to enter and that same rule applies to American travelers with international layovers, too. With international flights I would suggest researching that area before heading towards the door.

Now, when it comes to leaving the airport, there are two types of layovers. 

Factors to Consider Before Leaving the Airport

If you're considering leaving the airport during a layover, you'll want to think about the following factors first.

Layover Duration

In order to leave the airport on a layover, you need time, and plenty of it.  At the bare minimum, you'll need enough time to go through security and make it to your gate before the boarding door closes. As you probably know, it's generally suggested that you get to the airport two to three hours before your flight. So if all you want to do is step outside to breathe some fresh air, you'll need a layover of at least two to three hours. And if you're traveling internationally, you'll also have to add time for customs and immigration — potentially both as you arrive to your destination and as you leave it.

If you have any aspirations of going somewhere or doing something outside the airport, you'll have to factor in transportation time. When you're estimating how long your plans will take, always give yourself a buffer. If you miss your flight because you've left the airport and didn't budget your time properly, you're completely out of luck and will likely have to buy a new plane ticket.

Customs and Immigration Requirements

If your layover is in an international destination, you must check the visa requirements in that country before leaving. You may have to go through customs and immigration, even if you only plan on spending 10 minutes outside the airport. You may need to get a visa before leaving the airport, but even if you don't need a visa, you'll probably still need a few blank pages in your passport for stamps.

If you do need a visa, make sure you're getting the right one. Transit visas may be available for layovers — these are usually less expensive than standard tourist visas. "For those who are not eligible for visa on arrival or visa-free travel, they can add a 'transit visa' as an extra while completing their stopover booking on Qatar Airways Holidays website," a Qatar Airways spokesperson tells T+L.

Carry-on Luggage

Traveling with carry-on bags? You may not want to (or be able to) bring them to certain attractions — rolling suitcases can be a bit of a nuisance. It's best to look for storage lockers to stash away your carry-on while you have fun on your layover. Sometimes these are available at airport terminals, or you could look for a third-party service in your layover destination. Another idea is to book a rental car for a few hours, so you can store your luggage in the trunk.

Time of Day

If your layover is during normal business hours, it might not be such a bad idea to go enjoy yourself for an afternoon. But if your layover is in the evening or overnight when everything is closed, there might not be much of a reason to leave. Overnight layovers might be long enough to warrant booking a hotel, and there's nothing better than a hot shower and getting some good sleep after a day of flying.

Let me know if you have jetted towards the door or if you just decided to stay at the airport. Let me hear your thoughts.