Spending only hours in a country
Sep 21, 2018, 6:53 am
#31
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 67
FAE-REK, 7 hours, then KEF-USA
I put my bags in a locker at the bus terminal, spent about 2 hours at Perlan, and then took the bus to KEF.
On the outbound, I had the option of a long same-day layover, but decided to arrive a day early instead.
One of my coworkers went LJU-AMS-USA, with enough time to go into town and see a few things.
I put my bags in a locker at the bus terminal, spent about 2 hours at Perlan, and then took the bus to KEF.
On the outbound, I had the option of a long same-day layover, but decided to arrive a day early instead.
One of my coworkers went LJU-AMS-USA, with enough time to go into town and see a few things.
Sep 21, 2018, 7:41 am
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: EMA (how boring) but BHX is more convenient.
Posts: 2,366
In the early days of easyJet, and when I lived 30 minutes from London Gatwick I could get a day trip
to Germany for the princely sum of around £24.
Flying to Cologne, it enabled me to have a long day in either there or Bonn (or both).
I have a 12 layover in Taipei coming up and it's a toss up between going into
the city or booking a day room and I think the day room will win
to Germany for the princely sum of around £24.
Flying to Cologne, it enabled me to have a long day in either there or Bonn (or both).
I have a 12 layover in Taipei coming up and it's a toss up between going into
the city or booking a day room and I think the day room will win
Sep 21, 2018, 12:18 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: BSB/SBBR
Posts: 14
I've been doing this "micro tourism" quite a bit over the years. Mostly in Europe (connecting in Amsterdam and Rome), the quickest was in Frankfurt where I spent just 4 hours in early 2000's. Most recently in LA, where I roamed from Hollywood to Downtown for almost 8 hours during a looong layover between MEL - BSB. It's a fun way to get some additional stamps in your passport.
Sep 21, 2018, 3:41 pm
#34
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Qatar, Turkish, Aeroflot
Posts: 546
Yup, done it multiple times, albeit not necessarily as per the original post.
Just last month, me and my husband went to Toulouse from Moscow, via Munich outbound, via Frankfurt inbound, each with about 10 hour layovers. Frankfurt turned into a nightstop after volunteering to fly back the following morning instead (some 15 hours later), but still had time to not only see Frankfurt, but also clear immigration leaving Germany, coming back in 2 hours later, then going back out again! (well, for my husband at least)
After making a blunder with dates, our trip to Ho Chi Minh ended up being a mere 17 hours from touchdown to take off rather than 3 days...so that was a fun sprint around the city! Although having said that, Vietnam was hardly high on my list anyway.
I've done brief visits to Monaco (about 2.5 hours), San Marino (about an hour), Liechtenstein (approx 1 hour), Vatican twice, if that counts given its inside Rome, plus stopped in Bogota between Moscow (via Frankfurt) and Cusco for 13 hours (where we stayed with 2 of my former students), then spending about 90 minutes in Paraguay to see a monument opposite the Brazilian and Argentinian borders, as well as in Warsaw for 17 hours between Moscow (via Riga) and San Francisco (via London and New York) where I stayed with my Polish host who put me up in Paris a few months earlier!
Not to mention the various islands stopped in, such as Cyprus for 30 hours (landed in Paphos at midnight, set off at 6am to Paphos, Limassol, Nicosia and Larnaca before continuing to Malta), and between 12 and 36 hours in Guadeloupe (the shortest), Dominica, Antigua, St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent (the longest), Grenada and Trinidad...all with LIAT...
I've been forced to spend up to 24 hours in both Berlin (twice) and Prague (once) to fly between Moscow and Belfast/Liverpool respectively due to family visits. Ironically, I flew via Prague by booking the wrong flight leaving the evening before I was arriving in Liverpool and was heading there the following week anyway with my husband who was to meet me from Moscow!
A deliberate stop would be Paris between flying from Baku (via Vienna) to then take the Eurostar the next afternoon back to London...where I got questioned by UK border control about going to Azerbaijan...
And an unremarkable day in Luxembourg via Brussels Charleroi...and a day in Oslo between Stockholm and Liverpool.
Honestly, I don't see the problem in these short visits. Alas, when you live in a country like Russia, not only does no one get it, they think it's absolutely nonsensical no matter what...
Just last month, me and my husband went to Toulouse from Moscow, via Munich outbound, via Frankfurt inbound, each with about 10 hour layovers. Frankfurt turned into a nightstop after volunteering to fly back the following morning instead (some 15 hours later), but still had time to not only see Frankfurt, but also clear immigration leaving Germany, coming back in 2 hours later, then going back out again! (well, for my husband at least)
After making a blunder with dates, our trip to Ho Chi Minh ended up being a mere 17 hours from touchdown to take off rather than 3 days...so that was a fun sprint around the city! Although having said that, Vietnam was hardly high on my list anyway.
I've done brief visits to Monaco (about 2.5 hours), San Marino (about an hour), Liechtenstein (approx 1 hour), Vatican twice, if that counts given its inside Rome, plus stopped in Bogota between Moscow (via Frankfurt) and Cusco for 13 hours (where we stayed with 2 of my former students), then spending about 90 minutes in Paraguay to see a monument opposite the Brazilian and Argentinian borders, as well as in Warsaw for 17 hours between Moscow (via Riga) and San Francisco (via London and New York) where I stayed with my Polish host who put me up in Paris a few months earlier!
Not to mention the various islands stopped in, such as Cyprus for 30 hours (landed in Paphos at midnight, set off at 6am to Paphos, Limassol, Nicosia and Larnaca before continuing to Malta), and between 12 and 36 hours in Guadeloupe (the shortest), Dominica, Antigua, St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent (the longest), Grenada and Trinidad...all with LIAT...
I've been forced to spend up to 24 hours in both Berlin (twice) and Prague (once) to fly between Moscow and Belfast/Liverpool respectively due to family visits. Ironically, I flew via Prague by booking the wrong flight leaving the evening before I was arriving in Liverpool and was heading there the following week anyway with my husband who was to meet me from Moscow!
A deliberate stop would be Paris between flying from Baku (via Vienna) to then take the Eurostar the next afternoon back to London...where I got questioned by UK border control about going to Azerbaijan...
And an unremarkable day in Luxembourg via Brussels Charleroi...and a day in Oslo between Stockholm and Liverpool.
Honestly, I don't see the problem in these short visits. Alas, when you live in a country like Russia, not only does no one get it, they think it's absolutely nonsensical no matter what...
Last edited by ilcannone; Sep 21, 2018 at 3:46 pm
Sep 22, 2018, 7:47 pm
#35
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: On the road, 24/7/365
Posts: 3,467
I'm with you on this. I don't consider myself to have been to a place unless I spend three days or nights AND have meaningful interactions. Some places don't interest me enough, so I'm probably about tapped out at 155 countries.
Sep 23, 2018, 1:54 am
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: EMA (how boring) but BHX is more convenient.
Posts: 2,366
So, I'm talking about these micro-visits as a bonus, and I wasn't thinking of ticking off countries as I simply don't travel that way.
Personally I think that I've had meaningful interactions and meaningful experiences on these visits. Particularly with the volunteer tour guide at Naritasan. Your definition of 'meaningful' may be different.
The reason for me starting the thread was because when thinking back to some of these visits, I feel that I've received a lot back in terms of experience for such a short time.
Sep 23, 2018, 11:25 am
#37
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: On the road, 24/7/365
Posts: 3,467
As the OP, I'll just mention that I haven't particularly aimed at such short stays, just that they have happened when travelling to elsewhere. In the case of Taiwan, solely because that was the cheap ticket to where I was going.
So, I'm talking about these micro-visits as a bonus, and I wasn't thinking of ticking off countries as I simply don't travel that way.
So, I'm talking about these micro-visits as a bonus, and I wasn't thinking of ticking off countries as I simply don't travel that way.
Sep 23, 2018, 4:58 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,304
By the same token, if you only "travel" for work, and spend a week in a place, never leaving the hotel and/or the workplace - how is that "better" than someone who spent a day visiting the country .. even if your client takes you out for dinner to a "local" restaurant.
Sep 23, 2018, 6:30 pm
#39
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: NUE
Programs: BAEC Silver, FB Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, SK Diamond, ITA Volare Club Executive, TK Elite
Posts: 365
Booked MUC-LHR-ICN with a tight connection at LHR (60 min) on purpose 
because I sort of knew I’d not gonna catch the ICN flight like the last time. Instead of going for HKG again I asked to get rebooked to NRT which gave me like 5h in TYO.
Booked the MH J fare ICN-KUL-SYD with a ~17h layover in KUL for sightseeing.
Back in 2016 when we had AB (god bless them) I booked NUE-PMI-ZRH-VIE-NUE (same day return) for a short visit to lake Zurich. I also remember visiting the Canary Island for a same day return with AB for a couples of hours on the beach on a Sunday during winter season. Those were the days...
because I sort of knew I’d not gonna catch the ICN flight like the last time. Instead of going for HKG again I asked to get rebooked to NRT which gave me like 5h in TYO.Booked the MH J fare ICN-KUL-SYD with a ~17h layover in KUL for sightseeing.
Back in 2016 when we had AB (god bless them) I booked NUE-PMI-ZRH-VIE-NUE (same day return) for a short visit to lake Zurich. I also remember visiting the Canary Island for a same day return with AB for a couples of hours on the beach on a Sunday during winter season. Those were the days...
Sep 23, 2018, 8:46 pm
#40
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
The old Portuguese side is far more interesting and culturally rich IMO. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sep 23, 2018, 10:15 pm
#41
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH, YYC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 753
I’ve done this many times. After taking a mileage run to Singapore in 2015 with 6 hours on the ground, I came to realize that sometimes due to the possibility of taking a layover in a new city, or a very tight travel schedule you have two options:
1. Take the chance to explore a city even with limited time, whether it is somewhere you’re going for the first time or a favourite city you’ve visited many times. Eat some of the local food, see some of the sights, meet up with old new friends (or make some new ones) and have fantastic experiences you will not regret, or
2. Skip those opportunities and be like everybody else
my list of less than 24 hour destinations
Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka, Guam, London, Madrid, Vancouver, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur, Chicago, Zurich, Hong Kong
1. Take the chance to explore a city even with limited time, whether it is somewhere you’re going for the first time or a favourite city you’ve visited many times. Eat some of the local food, see some of the sights, meet up with old new friends (or make some new ones) and have fantastic experiences you will not regret, or
2. Skip those opportunities and be like everybody else
my list of less than 24 hour destinations
Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka, Guam, London, Madrid, Vancouver, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur, Chicago, Zurich, Hong Kong
Sep 24, 2018, 2:54 am
#42
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
Would definitely spend my time visiting the real Macau next time. I'm in the entertainment business so there were a few things I needed to to do quickly in the Cotai.
Sep 24, 2018, 4:26 am
#43
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 6,338
I know that lots of "pin in the map "travelers" do quick turns, which, obviously runs contrary to the idea of being a traveler. Like BuildingmyBento and OccasionalFlyerPerson, I will build myself a long layover in a city I like that has good connections to the airport. Last week: Tokyo and Singapore. Amsterdam and Brussels seem like candidates. I spend of my time on the African continent where currency hassles, visas, marginal infrastructure all inhibit this.
Sep 24, 2018, 5:53 am
#44
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Qatar, Turkish, Aeroflot
Posts: 546
This!
Sep 24, 2018, 12:22 pm
#45
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,570
Our *first* visit to Croatia was basically "let's go to Croatia for dinner." Gorgeous little town of Rovinj, not far from the Slovenian border. Went over at about 4pm, back when there was a border check right near there, had dinner, walked around the little seaside town, and came back to Slovenia where we were staying. We've since gone and spent more time in Croatia on several occasions, but still have fond memories of the time we went there just for dinner. (Excellent fresh seafood, BTW.)