We are planning a DONE4 RTW something like this: OSL-LHR-xDOH-MEL-BNE-SYD-xDFW-BNA-xPHX-SFO-xDOH-LHR-OSL.
On the way back to Europe we would spend 23 hours in Doha without this counting as a stopover. We will have used up our two “continent of origin” stopovers by staying in London on each end of the trip.
Questions:
1. Does this look valid?
2. Does baggage get checked through SFO-DFO-LHR or do we need to allow time to retrieve it in Doha?
3. Does 23 hours in Doha (in 1740 out 1640) seem feasible? We thought we could do a dinner, stay somewhere nice, go to the Museum of Islamic Art, perhaps wander in the Souk, then back to the airport. Anyone who has done something similar have some experience to share?
4. If this is technically ‘transit” for the airline, are there any issues with immigration/borders (for whom it would be a “stopover”)?
Thanks
Yes
Mwenenzi, I agree I have a lot of inexperience of RTWs
SP0- Your itinerary is fine.
- I cannot remember the QR rule on transit baggage and couldn't find it on the QR website (it is there somewhere!), but IIRC - if your transit is < X hours then you won't get your checked bags in DOH; I just cannot remember what X is!
- Very feasible, I've done it a few times. The National Museum is very good; I've not made it to the Museum of Islamic Art, but I'm sure it will be wonderful.
- For the airline, it is a transit; for the Qatar immigration authorities - you are entering and then leaving the country, so you will need to comply with its requirements, including the new health insurance requirement.
Picking up on Mwenenzi's comments, if you do decide on New Zealand then you could fly AKL-JFK on QF's new non-stop service.