Free stopovers: Korea, Singapore, Dubai, Tokyo, Beijing, Vietnam and Qatar
Get free stopovers and airport transit tours on flights from the UK to Australia. Take advantage of long layovers to explore cities without extra taxes and charges.
Korean Airlines and free stopovers
My earlier post about the Korean Airlines flight sale to Australia over the Christmas period reminded me off a way of getting free stopovers that most travellers don’t consider.
Long layover in Seoul, South Korea
I touched on this briefly in my post about other factors to consider when booking a flight to Australia, but there is a way of using a long layover to your advantage.
The Korean Airlines flight mentioned involves an enormous layover in Seoul. There is a 19 hour, 35 minute gap between the Sydney to Seoul leg landing and the Seoul to London Heathrow leg taking off.
Waiting at the airport?
Most people would try and avoid such a layover like the plague – that’s a long time to be waiting around at the airport. But there’s no rule that says you HAVE to wait around at the airport. A far more sensible thing to do would be to grab your hand luggage, head through customs and passport control, then go exploring for a few hours before coming back.
No extra taxes and charges
Because you are officially in transit, and are in the country for less than twenty four hours, there are no extra taxes and charges to pay. These are what usually bump up the cost of flights where you stopover for a few days.
Free stopover transit tour: DMZ, South Korea
Seoul Incheon airport is particularly well set up for these long layovers/ free stopovers. There are even tours to the Demilitarised Zone between South and North Korea specifically set up for passengers in transit.
Free stopover transit tours in Japan
Other airports offering such transit tours include Kansai in Japan – a cultural tour of Sakai is a good option – and Narita (where Tokyo airport is). Tours from Narita include the chance to go and look at traditional temples.
Free stopover in Beijing: Great Wall of China
Then there’s Beijing. If you’ve got enough time laying over in the Chinese capital you can even head out to the Great Wall of China.
Singapore Changi airport: Free transit tours
The best deal comes in Singapore, however – Singapore Changi airport offers free transit tours with either a colonial or cultural theme.
Singapore is one of the best bets for those wanting to do their own thing, as well. The airport is well connected with the city, and the Changi Prison – one of the country’s major sights – is very close to the airport.
Convenient airports for free stopovers
Other hubs where free stopovers are possible and the airport is conveniently close to the action include Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Doha in Qatar and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
How to get a free stopover
But what are the best ways of wangling such free stopovers? Well, obviously you need to look at the details of the flight you’re booking to see how long the transit time is. But these long transit times are more likely to occur on routes that aren’t flown as frequently.
Regional airports
If an airline only has one flight a day from its hub to Sydney, then there’s a better chance of finding a long layover time. Similarly, departures from regional airports such as Manchester or Glasgow aren’t as frequent – neither are landings in other Australian cities. This is partly the case for Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, and significantly so for Adelaide and Cairns.
Free stopovers: Visa problems
One thing to beware of, however, is that many of these free stopover destinations require you to have a visa if you leave the airport. For some (ie. China and Vietnam), you need to apply in advance. For others (such as Qatar) you need to pay a fee to get a visa at the airport.
Stopover guide
For a full list of places where you can stop over on one-stop flights from the UK to Australia, check out Australiaflightbargains.com’s stopover guide.
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