What’s the best stopover city? We compare nine options

The airport stopover is often dismissed as an inconvenience, but with a little planning, it can add significantly to the travel experience. Especially if you deliberately interrupt your trip to enjoy an extended spell – a day, even two – in a city where you’ll be changing planes.

There are few downsides to this idea. You can ease yourself into the fog of jet lag with a lesser time difference than you will face at your final port of call, a comfort blanket that will be especially warm if you are flying with older family members or children. You get to explore a second destination, probably on another continent. And sometimes, a multi-leg flight can be cheaper.

Where to stop?

There are plenty of old favourites – South-East Asian havens that, in earlier eras of less mighty aircraft, established themselves as welcoming rest options for Australian globetrotters doing kangaroo routes.

Then there are the “newcomers”, cities in the Middle East which, as planes have become more advanced and flight paths have shifted, have become key parts of the travel conversation.

We pick out some of our most used and most beloved stopover destinations, and explain why you should swap the terminal for the taxi or train – and head into town to find your feet.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Dubai’s seaside skyline and the Burj Al Arab luxury hotel (right).Credit: Adobe

Time difference AEST minus six hours

Why The glitziest of the seven United Arab Emirates has announced itself as a global hub in the past 20 years, and has become one of the key halfway houses en route to Europe, in particular for Australians. But you might as easily be going on to other Middle Eastern and Asian destinations, such as Sri Lanka. Its national airline, Emirates (emirates.com), flies to six continents.

Transfer Half an hour – the airport is on the Dubai Metro (rta.ae).

See The Burj Khalifa (burjkhalifa.ae) rears dramatically as the world’s tallest building (830 metres); the spice and gold souks give a glimpse of the city of yesteryear.

Eat If you are going to visit the Burj Khalifa, you could dine at Amal, a fine-dining Indian restaurant in the skyscraper’s Armani hotel (armanihotels.com).

Stay Newer hotels have appeared since it opened in 1999, but the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab (jumeirah.com) remains a Dubai icon. It’s expensive, however. Consider the less costly and low-rise Arabian Boutique Hotel (arabianboutiquehotel.com) in the atmospheric old quarter of the city right beside the lively Dubai Creek.

ABU DHABI, UAE

The Louvre, Abu Dhabi.Credit: Adobe

Time AEST minus six

Why For Dubai, read Abu Dhabi. The two emirates are next-door neighbours. Dubai’s flag-carrier has been proactive in making itself a major air-industry player – but its rival, Etihad (etihad.com), has matched it wing for wing, including a gleamingly new and more user-friendly airport (zayedinternationalairport.ae). The evolving Saadiyat Cultural District is home to the spectacular Louvre Abu Dhabi (louvreabudhabi.ae).

Transfer About 40 minutes by taxi – from 75 dirham ($33).

See A confection of pale domes and soaring minarets, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (szgmc.gov.ae) is as epic as any cathedral. The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a superb offshoot of the Paris art museum (louvreabudhabi.ae). Far noisier, Ferrari World salutes the feted car brand with rollercoasters and driving experiences (ferrariworldabudhabi.com). A Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (guggenheim.org) and a teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi (teamlab.art) digital art museum add to the attractions.

Eat Angar, the contemporary Indian restaurant at the W Abu Dhabi (marriott.com) serves what’s been dubbed “the city’s most beloved butter chicken”.

Stay Convenient for the airport and Ferrari World, the glass-fronted W Abu Dhabi is one of the city’s most eye-catching hotels. Continuing the motor-sports theme, it sits at the heart of the emirate’s Formula 1 track.

DOHA, QATAR

Time for some R&R … the Four Seasons, Doha.

Time difference AEST minus seven

Why Just 378 kilometres west of Dubai (by plane, a bit more by road), but a separate nation, Qatar has largely kept pace with the UAE in the aviation race. Its main carrier (qatarairways.com) also lands at airports around the world.

Transfer Twenty minutes – via the Red Line of the Doha Metro (qr.com.qa).

See Set on Doha’s Corniche, the Museum of Islamic Art (mia.org.qa) has 1400 years of relics and artefacts in a striking building crafted by the architect I.M. Pei. Just over the road, Souk Waqif is a blur of stalls selling clothes, trinkets and spices.

Eat Doha-based Australian food writer Rachel Morris (lifeonthewedge.net) says the legendary Shay al-Shamous in the Souq Waqif is “refreshingly traditional” and “more than just a tourist stop” (no website).

Stay The Four Seasons (fourseasons.com/doha) is as chic as you’d expect, but only a 10-kilometre transfer ride from the airport.

SINGAPORE

Raffles Hotel, Singapore.Credit: iStock

Time AEST minus two

Why Before the rise of the Gulf airlines, the city-state at the foot of the Malaysian mainland was the obvious option for a stopover en route to anywhere from Australia or New Zealand. It still is thanks to Singapore Airlines (singaporeairlines.com) flying to almost 80 destinations. Singapore’s magnificent Changi Airport, consistently voted the world’s best, is also an important stop for Qantas, which has great lounge facilities there.

Transfer An hour – via the East-West Line of the Singapore MRT (lta.gov.sg).

See For the futuristic Singapore which shines on social media, make time to see the enormous artificial “Super Trees” of Gardens by the Bay (gardensbythebay.com.sg). For a dash of South-east Asian culture, enjoy the many paintings of the National Gallery (nationalgallery.sg). And for retail therapy (space in your bags permitting), the shops of Orchard Road are worth a visit.

Eat Chatterbox (chatterbox.com.sg) is an Orchard Road Singaporean chicken rice icon.

Stay It isn’t cheap, but few hotels have the glamorous reputation of Raffles Singapore (raffles.com), home of the Singapore sling. A less expensive and more contemporary alternative is the relatively new Pan Pacific Orchard (panpacific.com), which has groundbreaking eco-friendly architecture. It’s close to the eponymous retail strip.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Kuala Lumpur Forest Eco Park.Credit: Getty Images

Time AEST minus two

Why Kuala Lumpur International is one of Asia’s largest airports – and, as home to Malaysian Airlines (malaysiaairlines.com), will funnel you across Asia (it’s a good access point for India), Europe and the UK.

Transfer Half an hour to KL Sentral via the KLIA rail link (kliaekspres.com).

See The 492-metre Petronas Towers were once the planet’s tallest buildings, and come with views to match (petronastwintowers.com.my). The nearby Forest Eco Park is a leafy contrast to all that steel and glass (forestry.gov.my). Petaling Street Flea Market offers local bargains galore, particularly if you’re prepared to haggle.

Eat Dewakan, with its modern Malay cuisine (dewakan.my), features regularly in lists of Asia’s foremost restaurants.

Stay Accommodation in Kuala Lumpur can be surprisingly inexpensive, even for, and including, deluxe hotels. Double rooms at the five-star Shangri-La (shangri-la.com/kualalumpur) can cost less than $200.

BANGKOK, THAILAND

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Grand Palace in Bangkok.Credit: iStock

Time AEST minus three

Why You might argue that the Thai capital is a destination in its own right. And you’d be correct. All the more reason, then, to step into its maelstrom before heading on to the beaches of Phuket or Krabi – especially if you are flying in with Suvarnabhumi Airport’s central tenant, Thai Airways (thaiairways.com).

Transfer Eighteen minutes, via the Airport Rail Link (srtet.co.th).

See Admire the traditional Bangkok at the Grand Palace (home to Thai royalty since 1782) and its neighbour, the Wat Pho temple complex, with its vast reclining Buddha. Find a more 21st-century take on the city in the Siam Square district, in gleaming malls such as the MBK Centre (mbk-center.co.th) and Siam Paragon (siamparagon.co.th).

Eat Ruen Mallika (ruenmallika.com) – a solid Thai-food choice in Sukhumvit.

Stay ASAI Bangkok Chinatown (asaihotels.com) is a great-value boutique hotel that sits atop a shopping centre in the thick of Chinatown, in walking distance from street food and the old Bangkok train station.

NADI, FIJI

Traditional houses of Navala village, Viti Levu island, Fiji.Credit: iStock

Time AEST plus two

Why Fiji’s Nadi International Airport (airportsfiji.com) is expanding in line with its expansive ambitions. It’s aiming to be a major hub and is already busy as an important link to the wider South Pacific. It also offers Australians connection to the US via the home airline, Fiji Airways (fijiairways.com), which flies on to Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Francisco and Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as Vancouver, Canada.

Transfer Make that a transfer to your resort; you’re not likely to be heading into town to stay. Denarau Island is the closest resort enclave to the airport and the various resorts offer group or private shuttles, often at additional cost. The price varies but is likely to be inexpensive. Beware of touts and imposters.

See Fiji is more about nature and experiences than landmark sights. Snorkel and dive trips, kayaking, paddle-boarding and other watercraft sports, tours to outer islands, the forested interior of Viti Levu and cultural trips to villages and churches can all be booked through resorts.

Eat Cloud 9 is a floating two-level pontoon near the Mamanuca Islands. Take a boat transfer from Port Denarau and enjoy wood-fired pizza cooked on-site with cocktails and DJ-supplied tunes (cloud9.com.fj).

Stay The Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa (sofitel-fiji.com) has all you need for a classic Fiji break, from kids’ club to adults-only beach club.

For great deals on Fiji holidays, visit myfiji.com

HONG KONG, CHINA

Tian Tan Buddha, or the “Big Buddha”, is a large bronze statue at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.Credit: Getty Images

Time AEST plus two

Why The home of Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com), an airline revitalised and serving more than 181 destinations, is also home to some of the best lounges in the world, including Cathay’s own, and Qantas’ lounge. About 120 airlines fly through Hong Kong, making it a significant hub for Aussies flying into Asia, Europe and even the US.

Transfer It’s 24 minutes to Central on the Airport Express train (hongkongairport.com).

See This Special Administrative Region of China (discoverhongkong.com) is a heady mix of Asian metropolis and natural beauty. Hit the Temple Street Night Market for the urban jungle at its exciting best, then head up to the Peak for serene views. The Big Buddha with its scenic cable car ride on Lantau Island is a great half-day.

Eat With so many Michelin stars and about 17,000 eateries in a relatively small radius, it’s hard to have a bad meal in Hongkers. But for something iconic, go for the noodles at Tsim Chai Kee (three locations, no website).

Stay Kerry Hotel (shangri-la.com) on the harbourfront in western Kowloon, a largely overlooked part of the city, is a value option.

TOKYO, JAPAN

Tokyo can be overwhelming. Save trying to do it all for when you’ve got a week or more.Credit: iStock

Time AEST minus one

Why About 10 flying hours from Sydney, Tokyo is a great stop for carving up travel to Europe, with 15 or so hours from there to several major continental airports. Timewise, it’s about the same flying to New York from Melbourne via Tokyo as via LA or San Francisco.

Transfer It’s 13 minutes on the Tokyo Monorail (tokyo-monorail.co.jp) from Haneda Airport (tokyo-haneda.com) to Hamamatsucho station. From there, transfer to the JR Yamanote line for city stops.

See Temples, gardens, museums; shopping, bars and nightlife; pop culture, counter-culture, subculture. Wildly exciting and varied, Tokyo is one big key sight and in that, it can be overwhelming; cherry-pick depending on your interests for a quick visit. Save trying to do it all for when you’ve got a week or more.

Eat In a city that’s among the world’s best for foodies, Ginza Shabu-tsu (shabutsu.com) has been making great value shabu-shabu (a type of hotpot) for more than five decades.

Stay Bellustar Tokyo, a Pan-Pacific Hotel (panpacific.com) is a luxury option in the middle of Shinjuku, while a perennial, good-value favourite near Shimbashi station is the Park Hotel (parkhoteltokyo.com), from where on clear days you can glimpse Mount Fuji.

FIVE TIPS ON HOW TO ADD A STOPOVER TO YOUR HOLIDAY

Hand luggage Pack all the items you will need for your stopover in your hand luggage. If misfortune falls and your checked-in bags don’t appear immediately, you can still enjoy your city break unaffected.

Don’t cram This is an aperitif before the bigger feast of your proper holiday. You don’t want to arrive at your big destination already sated. Or worse, spend the first few days of the main event exhausted from sight-seeing.

Multi-city Most airline websites have a “multi-city” function, which allows passengers to construct a more complex package than a basic return ticket. You simply add a third flight to your itinerary, either on the way there or the way back, and pay as normal.

Stop and save Etihad, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, encourages passengers to step off and out into what is the biggest emirate of the United Arab Emirates.

Stay right there If you attempt to book a return flight to, say, London, which touches down on the way at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, you are presented with the option of a free one or two-night hotel stopover at this mid-point in your journey.

FIVE MORE STOPOVER CITIES WORTH CONSIDERING

Perth, Western Australia

Cottesloe Beach, Perth,Credit: Getty Images

East-coast Aussies looking for the one-hop-home-soil option fly to London, Paris, Rome and Stockholm from the West Australian capital; Denpasar is only three hours and 45 minutes away; other South-East Asian destinations are in similar striking distance. Perth is also a stepping stone to Africa. Enjoy the increasingly cosmopolitan capital, explore the wineries of nearby Swan Valley and hit the beach at Fremantle or Subiaco. See westernaustralia.com

Auckland, New Zealand

A vineyard on the island of Waiheke in New Zealand.Credit: iStock

New Zealand’s largest city’s airport is, of course, home to Air New Zealand. It’s a great stop for the southern end of South America – Argentina, and Chile, for example. It also affords routes to North America and is a gateway to the South Pacific. Stay at the new Hotel Indigo in Auckland’s midtown and explore the harbourside city. Don’t miss a scenic ferry trip to the vineyards of Waiheke Island. See newzealand.com

Dallas-Fort Worth, US
American Airlines is headquartered at Fort Worth, and its codeshare partner Qantas flies there direct from Australia. From Dallas-Fort Worth, the US is your oyster, as are parts of South America and the Caribbean. The Downtown Arts District is one of many great neighbourhoods in the city. See traveltexas.com

Muscat, Oman
Oman Air partners with various airlines, including Qantas, to connect Australia via Muscat International Airport to Middle Eastern and other Asian destinations, Europe and Africa. Stop off for a few days or more in up-and-coming Muscat and visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, considered one of the most beautiful in the world, as well as Bahla Fort and other World Heritage sites. See visitoman.om

Taipei, Taiwan
Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport is home to China Airlines, a SkyTeam member, and EVA Air. One of Asia’s most underrated cities, Taipei’s famous night markets are not to be missed and nor are its many great museums, chief among them the treasure-packed National Palace Museum, and beautiful outdoor attractions including the surrounding mountains. See eng.taiwan.net.tw

This story is an edited version of an article that was first published in The Telegraph, London