How to do a Stopover? Visit more than one destination with just one ticket!

Planning a trip is not an easy task. Planning a cheap and incredible trip to Europe is even more challenging! But don’t worry, there are some little secrets to help you enjoy more and spend less. To help you out, in today’s post, we’re going to talk about stopovers! I’ll tell you what it is and how to do a stopover so you can visit an extra city without paying for two tickets.

What is a stopover?

A stopover is a scheduled layover, with no additional cost (or almost none), that lasts longer. In other words, it is not the same as a layover or a long connection. You could say it’s an extended connection, where you may or may not collect your baggage and leave the airport. Oh, and you can do a stopover on domestic or international flights, but it is more common in the latter.

To give an example, imagine you are searching for a flight from Belo Horizonte/MG to Madrid. If you choose TAP, which is a Portuguese airline, your flight will have a layover in Portugal. Then, you can choose to make a stopover of up to 5 days in Lisbon or Porto. This time between one flight and another is the stopover.

The Belém Tower is one of the monuments you can visit in Lisbon during your stopover.

How to do a stopover

My tip for searching for airline tickets is to go to a flight search website, enter different dates and destinations, and analyze the best options. After finding the one that suits you best, go to the airline's website and search there.

• When can it be done?

  
  

The ideal time to request a stopover is when purchasing your ticket, as some airlines may allow it after purchase, but they might charge an extra fee. If you have difficulties, contact the airline’s Customer Service for assistance.

Oh, in some cases, the ticket price with a stopover may be slightly higher than a ticket without it, due to airport taxes.

• How many days to choose?

  
  

The number of days depends on several factors, such as how many vacation days you have, how many attractions the destination has, and, most importantly, the airline's rules. For example, if your stopover is in Paris, 2 or 3 days will not be enough to explore the city, which is huge. However, if it’s in Porto, this amount of time is sufficient.

• How to request it?

  
  

The "how to do a stopover" process can vary from one airline to another. For example, with TAP, simply visit their official website and start searching for flights. Before selecting an option, the airline will ask if you want to do a stopover, in which city (Lisbon or Porto), for how many days (between 1 and 5), and whether you want to do it on the outbound or return flight.

Plan your itinerary to make the most of the stopover benefit.

• Is it always worth it?

  
  

No, sometimes a flight with a stopover will be more expensive. That’s why it’s important to first search for tickets on third-party websites before booking directly with the airline. In fact, the secret to buying cheap airline tickets is always searching for various alternatives and being flexible with dates and destinations.

• And the checked baggage?

  
  

Again, this depends on each airline's rules. But generally, you need to collect your checked baggage. For security reasons, it is highly advisable to collect your baggage even if the airline offers another option. Imagine your luggage alone and vulnerable in an airport storage area, even if supervised, the risk of something happening is high.

Stopovers on Brazil-Europe flights

In the next few lines, I will list some airlines that operate Brazil-Europe flights and offer stopovers, okay? This will help you a lot with how to do a stopover and, consequently, how to save money.

Stopover in Amsterdam, flights operated by KLM. In this case, a 2 or 3-day stopover is worth it to see the basics.

Flying with KLM, there is the possibility of doing a stopover in Amsterdam.

Stopover in London, flights operated by British Airways. Here, a 4 or 5-day stopover is worth it, as there is a lot to see in the city.

Stopover in Frankfurt or Munich, flights operated by Lufthansa. For Frankfurt, a 2-day stopover is enough. For Munich, 3 days are more recommended.

Stopover in Lisbon or Porto, fights operated by TAP. For Porto, a 2-day stopover is sufficient. For Lisbon, 3 or 4 days are more advisable.

Stopover in Paris, flights operated by Air France. Here, a 4 or 5-day stopover is worth it, as there are many attractions in the city, including activities that take an entire day, such as Disneyland.

Stopover in Madrid, flights operated by Iberia. In this case, a 2 or 3-day stopover is enough to see the basics of the Spanish capital.

The stopover in Madrid can be done with Iberia. | How to do a stopover

Stopover in Zurich, flights operated by Swiss. Here, a 2-day stopover is enough to see the basics of Zurich, or you can stay longer if you want to take a day trip.

That’s it! Now you know the basics of how to do a stopover, and on your next trip, you can visit more than one destination while paying for only one ticket! Still have questions? Leave a comment below, and I’ll reply as soon as possible! Know someone who is going to travel and doesn’t know how to do a stopover? Share this post with them, I’m sure it will help!

See you next time!