Using Stopovers to Add a Second Vacation Destination: Europe

Because of the time and cost required to get to Europe from the United States, it can be cost effective to add a second destination through stopovers. For purposes of this post, I would define a stopover as a gap between flights that gives you enough time to leave the airport and visit the city or nearby area.
 
It is certainly easy to create your own stopovers by simply booking a round trip to the stopover city and a second round trip between the stopover city and your ultimate destination city. Of course, the two round trips are highly likely to cost more than the round trip that would take you directly to your final destination. Also, using two round trips would require that you undergo an extra round of picking up your baggage, rechecking baggage, and getting through security. Also, if your first flight is late or there are other issues (E.g., lost luggage), there will be an impact on the second flight which is on a different reservation.
 
Fortunately, many carriers with flights to Europe offer stopovers as part of a seamless itinerary. With one reservation, you can stop off in a hub city for one or more days and then continue to your ultimate destination. You can also take advantage of a stopover during your return trip. Many carriers offer this stopover option at no extra charge and some even offer very attractive incentives for you to spend a bit more time in their country. 

Icelandair: Reykjavik

• Icelandair was the first to do this in the 1960s to promote tourism with stopovers in Reykjavik.
• Stopovers can last from one to seven days.
• Stopovers are free and can be booked from the Icelandair website.

Turkish Airlines: Istanbul

• Stopovers, if longer than 20 hours, include a free night in a four-star hotel for economy passengers or two free nights in a five-star hotel for business passengers.
• Turkish Airlines also offers a city tour for shorter stopovers.
• To take advantage of this offer, you must contact Turkish Airlines in advance.

TAP Air Portugal: Lisbon or Porto

• Stopovers in Lisbon or Porto can last from one to five days and can be booked online.
• The stopover is free but must be part of an intercontinental round trip.
• The carrier’s mobile app offers discounts on hotels and attractions and travel guides.

Finnair: Helsinki

• Stopovers are free and can last up to five days.
• Finnair also provides itineraries and suggestions.

Swiss International Air lines: Zurich

• Stopovers can last from one to four days and can be booked online.
• While the stopovers themselves are free, you can only take advantage of them if you purchase a tourism package that bundles accommodation and transportation. These packages start at 180 Swiss francs (about $205 US).

Aer Lingus: Dublin

• Stopovers in Dublin can last up to seven days and can be booked online or by phone.
• While there is no formal stopover program, there is no cost for stopovers.

Iberia: Madrid

• This new program (Hola Madrid) allows stopovers of one to six days in the Spanish capital.
• It includes discount offers.

Flying Blue(Air France/KLM): Amsterdam or Paris

• These stopovers are free and can last up to one year.
• All flight segments must be on Air France and/or KLM.
• This program is new and, from what we understand, requires telephone reservations.

So, when on your way to a European destination in the future, perhaps you can stop in Iceland to see the Aurora Borealis, drop in for a pint (or two) of Guinness in Dublin, or sample pasteis de nata in Lisbon.
 
How might stopovers fit into a European vacation for you?
 
This post focused on Europe but there are other excellent stopover programs offered by non-European carriers. They will be covered in a future post.
 
Let us know where you want to go. We are ready to help you turn your routine credit card spending into the travel of your dreams.