Preparation for a vacation is stressful enough without having to worry about a plane trip. However, if you’re planning a trip to USA, you’ll need to take mid- to long-haul flights to get there. It may seem difficult to keep yourself occupied for up to six hours in an aero plane cabin, but with a little planning and ingenuity, you can find plenty of ways to pass the time. As a result, the time spent in the air will seem to fly by.
Tips to plan for a stop over
- Do some research into passport and travel visa requirements. Visitors who are only passing through a country may have different options.
- Some airports are located far from the city Centre, so be sure to plan for adequate travel time.
- The most important part of planning a strategic stopover is to make sure you have enough time to do what you want to do.
- Be sure to factor in the time it will take to pass through immigration and customs if your layover is in between two countries.
- Carry-on or daypack essentials should be included in your checked luggage if you plan to spend time in the city.
- Take into account whether you’ll be in a different climate when you arrive at your stopover destination.
- If your first flight is delayed, you’ll need a backup plan to keep your layover time to a minimum. Make a mental note of the point at which you won’t have enough time to make it to the car rental counter.
- Before you return to the airport, check the status of your second flight. You can stay in the city longer if the delay is long enough.
- Many flights have overnight stops. Strategic stopovers don’t always necessitate an overnight layover in a city with many 24-hour attractions.
What to pack if you have children?
- Books, toys
- Pre-installed apps and movies on a variety of electronic devices (such as the iPod, Kindle, tablet, and so on)
- Colored pencils and a notepad or coloring book
- When travelling, make sure to have all of your prescription medications with you in a carry-on or personal bag.
- Additional medications for discomfort or motion sickness that you might require while travelling should be packed as well.
- Zip-lock bags are ideal for storing a variety of healthy, portable snacks. Remember to clean your hands thoroughly before consuming any food.
- Takeoff and landing pressure can be a problem for young passengers until they learn how to pop their ears.
- Prepare for delays by packing enough diapers or pull-ups for the duration of your flight, plus three additional hours in case of a baby or toddler’s need for them.
- Extra clothing and a small, lightweight fleece for each child.
- If you’re going somewhere that gets a lot of rain, you’ll want to pack some goggles.
How to engage children for the stopover flights?
- Begin talking about the flight as soon as possible in order to manage expectations and familiarize them with the process from beginning to end.
- Think of things you’ve seen or heard in airports before. Then, have some fun checking off the things on your to-do list.
- For kids, airports are great places to learn a wide range of new words and see a wide variety of people at work.
- You and your child can go on a color-hunting adventure together. This prevents boredom from sitting in one place, reinforces color vocabulary, and keeps your entire group active outside of the plane so that you can rest on the flight.
- Camp out in front of a large airport window and see what words, sentences, or poems your kids can conjure up for your family.