15 hubs Updated October 22, 2026

15 layover hubs, scored

15 hubs: can you leave, how long you need, what fits

Every hub with its Layover Score: entry rules for US and UK passports, the ride into town, stopover deals, connections and what you can do without leaving the airport.

HubLayover ScoreEntryRidePayoffDealsAirsideLinksMin. layover (h)
Lisbon8.510.010.09.07.03.58.75.5
Hong Kong8.510.09.39.08.06.55.36.0
Singapore Changi8.110.06.78.58.010.04.77.5
Paris Charles de Gaulle7.910.07.59.04.06.010.06.0
Amsterdam Schiphol7.810.010.08.50.06.510.06.5
Taipei Taoyuan7.510.07.47.58.05.04.76.0
Zurich7.410.010.07.00.06.510.05.5
Frankfurt7.310.010.06.50.07.09.36.5
Tokyo (Haneda and Narita)7.310.010.09.00.07.06.75.5
Istanbul7.010.01.07.510.07.510.09.0
Seoul Incheon6.87.06.27.08.08.56.77.5
Reykjavík (Keflavík)6.410.05.95.57.04.07.37.5
London Heathrow6.48.57.98.50.05.08.07.0
Dubai6.37.59.26.510.07.59.36.0
Doha5.67.510.06.04.09.08.75.5

Click a column to sort. Entry = how easily a US or UK passport gets you out; Ride = the trip into town; Payoff = what the city gives back; Deals = stopover programs and free tours; Airside = staying in the airport; Links = nonstops from US and UK hubs. How we score

LAYOVERS

Best score first

The departures hall at Hong Kong International AirportWorth leaving the airport8.5/10

Hong Kong

Hong Kong's train reaches Central in 24 minutes. Add free HKIA layover tours and visa-free entry, and 6 hours is enough to see the harbor.

Airport Express: 24 min to Central No visa for US or UK passports Free tours for 7+ hour layovers
LayoversExplore
The terminal building at Lisbon AirportWorth leaving the airport8.5/10

Lisbon

Lisbon is the European layover with the best ratio of ride to reward: about 20 minutes on the metro to the Baixa. TAP's free Portugal Stopover turns a long connection into days in the city. The airport is a poor place to wait.

Metro to downtown: about 20 min Tap-in fare $2.20 (£1.60) TAP stopover: up to 10 days
LayoversExplore
The Rain Vortex waterfall falling through the indoor forest at Jewel Changi AirportWorth leaving the airport8.1/10

Singapore Changi

No visa, a free airport-run city tour, an MRT ride of about 40 minutes and an airport that is a pleasure to stay inside. Here is how much layover each option needs.

No visa for US or UK passports Free 2.5-hour city tour MRT: about 40 min downtown
LayoversExplore
A glass-walled departure area with green plant walls at Paris Charles de Gaulle AirportWorth leaving the airport7.9/10

Paris Charles de Gaulle

CDG is 35 to 50 minutes from central Paris on the RER B, $15.70 (£11.80; €14) each way. From about 8 hours you get real time in the city; under that, the airside YOTELAIR and the Espace Musées are the better plan.

RER B to Paris: 35 to 50 minutes Airport ticket $15.70 (£11.80) Worth it from about 8 hours
LayoversExplore
An Airbus A320 parked at a gate at Amsterdam Airport SchipholWorth leaving the airport7.8/10

Amsterdam Schiphol

Schiphol is the easiest big hub in Europe to leave: a 17-minute train, a walkable canal center and an airside YOTELAIR for the night. KLM wants you back 3 hours before an intercontinental flight, so plan from about 6 hours.

Train to Centraal: 17 minutes Single from $6.20 (£4.60) Worth it from about 6 hours
LayoversExplore
A concourse in Terminal 2 at Taiwan Taoyuan International AirportWorth leaving the airport7.5/10

Taipei Taoyuan

A 36-minute train to Taipei Main Station, free government-run half-day tours and visa-free entry make Taoyuan a good layover from about 7 hours. Here are compact 6, 12 and 24-hour plans.

Airport MRT: 36 min to Taipei Free half-day tours, 7-24h No visa; file the arrival card
LayoversExplore
The terminal at Zurich Airport with an aircraft and baggage carts on the apronWorth leaving the airport7.4/10

Zurich

Zurich is the easiest layover in Europe to leave the airport on: a 10-minute train, a compact Old Town and a lake. The catch is two passport controls for most US and UK travelers, and Swiss prices.

Train to Zürich HB: 10 minutes Single fare $8.50 (£6.40) Worth it from about 6 hours
LayoversExplore
The split-flap departure board above the check-in hall in Terminal 1 at Frankfurt AirportWorth leaving the airport7.3/10

Frankfurt

Frankfurt Airport is 12 minutes by S-Bahn from the Hauptbahnhof, and the Römerberg and the Main are a short walk on. Fraport wants non-Schengen travelers back three hours early; the airside MY CLOUD hotel handles the night.

S-Bahn to Hauptbahnhof: 12 min Single fare $7.70 (£5.80) Worth it from about 6 hours
LayoversExplore
The departure lobby of Terminal 2 at Tokyo Haneda AirportDepends on your layover7.3/10

Tokyo (Haneda and Narita)

A Tokyo layover depends on the airport. From Haneda, 6 hours is enough to reach Asakusa or Ginza; from Narita, plan on 9. Both are visa-free for US and UK travelers, and Haneda has an airside hotel.

Haneda to Shinagawa: 11 min Narita Skyliner: 41 min to Ueno No visa for US or UK passports
LayoversExplore
The duty-free hall at Istanbul Airport seen from aboveDepends on your layover7.0/10

Istanbul

Istanbul pays off on a long layover: free Touristanbul tours from 6 hours, a free hotel on 20-hour stops, and Sultanahmet at the end of the ride. The catch: a 90-minute bus ride and a 3-hour return buffer.

Touristanbul: free from 6 hours Free hotel on 20-hour stopovers On your own: from about 12 hours
LayoversExplore
The departure hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International AirportDepends on your layover6.8/10

Seoul Incheon

Incheon is far from Seoul but makes up for it: free airport-run tours to Gyeongbokgung Palace and Hongdae, a nonstop train, and an airside transit hotel. Watch the K-ETA change on January 1, 2027.

AREX Express: 43 min to Seoul Free transit tours, 24h or less K-ETA waiver ends Dec 31, 2026
LayoversExplore
A Boeing 787 at a gate at London Heathrow AirportDepends on your layover6.4/10

London Heathrow

Heathrow is 33 minutes by Elizabeth line from Tottenham Court Road and 15 by Heathrow Express from Paddington. US passports need a $27 (£20) ETA to leave; Heathrow wants you back three hours before a long-haul flight.

Elizabeth line: 33 minutes US passports: $27 (£20) ETA Worth it from about 9 hours
LayoversExplore
The terminal building at Keflavík International Airport in IcelandDepends on your layover6.4/10

Reykjavík (Keflavík)

Keflavík sits 50 km from Reykjavík, so a short layover is a coach ride and little else. From about 9 hours the city works; the Blue Lagoon is closer; and Icelandair's Stopover adds up to 7 nights with no extra airfare.

Flybus to BSÍ: about 45 minutes One way from $33 (£25) Worth it from about 9 hours
LayoversExplore
An Airbus A380 at a gate outside Terminal 3 at Dubai International AirportDepends on your layover6.3/10

Dubai

Dubai is the layover with the most generous free hotel deal, and the metro leaves from the terminal. In 2026 the conflict decides it: the US says reconsider travel to the UAE, and flights at DXB have been badly disrupted.

Dubai Connect: free hotel, 6-26 h Metro from Terminals 1 and 3 US advisory: Level 3 (2026)
LayoversExplore
The airside train arriving at the end of a concourse in Hamad International Airport, DohaDepends on your layover5.6/10

Doha

Hamad International is one of the best airports to stay inside, and Souq Waqif is 15 minutes away by metro. In 2026 the regional conflict is the deciding factor: the US says reconsider travel to Qatar.

Metro to Msheireb: about 15 min Day of metro: max $1.60 (£1.20) US advisory: Level 3 (2026)
LayoversExplore