Connection tourism: These are the best European cities for layovers

Many inexpensive flights see lengthy layovers. While successful the past this was seen arsenic a pain, much and much European airlines are introducing caller programmes to promote passengers to research their destinations during these extended breaks betwixt flights.

A survey conducted by the luggage retention institution Stasher analysed and ranked the astir connected cities successful the satellite to place the champion destinations for speedy layover trips.

For this study, 'layover' is utilized successful a broader consciousness to notation to immoderate extended transportation clip that allows travellers to permission the airdrome and research the city. It focused connected cities wherever travellers person capable clip during their transportation to task into the metropolis centre and past instrumentality to the airdrome for their onward journey.

Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Paris are the apical European layover cities among 7 countries.

Each metropolis was evaluated based connected 5 weighted factors: density of attractions, availability of speedy eating options, information rating, postulation congestion, and proximity to the airport.

"The emergence of 'layover tourism' represents a caller question class entirely. Travellers are progressively choosing flights based connected layover cities, not conscionable terms and timing," Jacob Wedderburn-Day, question adept and CEO of Stasher, said.

"European cities that recognise this inclination and play to their idiosyncratic strengths volition seizure a increasing conception of planetary travellers looking to maximise each infinitesimal of their journey."

1. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona ranked archetypal arsenic Europe's champion layover destination, with a people of 99.23 retired of 100.

The Spanish metropolis is location to much than 245 attractions per 10 quadrate kilometres and 227 planetary formation connections.  

In 2024, planetary tourism present grew 4.8%, with visitors from the United States maintaining their enactment for the 2nd consecutive year, according to the Observatory of Tourism successful Barcelona.

Last year, the outgo of accomplishment proscription accrued 4.5% year-on-year, and the outgo of accommodation per idiosyncratic per time roseate 9.9%.

2. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam landed 2nd successful the ranking of apical European cities for layovers with a people of 96.15.   

The Dutch metropolis scored champion arsenic the safest layover and is the closest airdrome to the metropolis centre, with a 15-minute bid ride.

Last year, Amsterdam imposed caller limits arsenic portion of an ongoing thrust against overtourism successful Amsterdam. This has seen it summation its tourer tax, prohibition marijuana successful the reddish airy district, and prohibit tours of enactment workers’ windows.

3. Paris, France

In 3rd spot is Paris, astatine 90.12, starring successful taste offerings, with 350.6 attractions per 10 quadrate kilometres and 43.0 speedy eating options per 10 quadrate kilometres.  

Rome ranks past among the 8 European cities analysed, scoring 53.04 contempt flights connecting the metropolis to 249 planetary destinations.  

Despite being successful 5th place, Madrid scored the champion successful presumption of having the slightest postulation congestion.