The Layover Concept - Central District, China
Central District, China
Below I have outlined my layover concept: 5 simple rules, or guidelines if you will, that you can use to maximize your layover experience. My following blogs will document my travels having applied this concept to various cities and areas the world over. While I understand these rules are generalized and can’t possibly match the differences across the world’s many cities, I hope to demonstrate that they can serve as a valuable guide to those short on time. If nothing else perhaps it will serve as inspiration for those not content with the confines of their hotel room.
SLEEP – The absolute killer of any layover experience. Having enough sleep, but crucially not oversleeping and thus allowing yourself to be adequately rested, with enough time to spare, so you can enjoy the day without having to fight, (much), the brutal onslaught of jetlag is a more than tricky task. Get this wrong and you can kiss your layover goodbye. So where to begin?
How about with where to sleep? It would be far too easy for me to say at this point the best option is a 5 star hotel in the centre of town within walking distance of all the sights. This might in fact be the best option, however, for the majority of us mere mortals this is rarely an option. Further more, for the get out there and goers of this world, a bed, is a bed, is a bed. No point on spending the big bucks on a room with a view when you’re going to spend so very little time in it. So what would I recommend?
Obviously, location is an important factor during a layover. Preferably somewhere central from which you can get around easily. Most of the hotels I look to book into during a short stay I like to be near the main areas to eat and drink with a view to finishing my day here. Alternatively, if central options seem too pricey, I would look to book somewhere between the airport and the city – that way one doesn’t have to trundle across the entire city then head back into town before going back to bed to then finally head all the way across town to catch a flight the following day during rush hour. Not sensible.
Airport hotels are not out of the question – if your layover is only 24hours and you have a connecting flight the very next day. If you can get off the plane and drop your stuff off straight away and then head into town without having to return till you sleep, (and then stumble onto your flight the next day), you have the recipe for a well managed layover.
My final piece of advice – do your homework. Layover itineraries are personal and have to be. With so much to see and so little time, you need to tailor you activities to suit your own desires. That means putting the work in so you can decide which areas you absolutely have to visit within your 24 or 48 hour time period. This will give you an indication of where you should stay. I would then grab your lonely planet travel guide to check hotels listed in those areas and cross check them with trip advisor so you can find the one that best suits your budget and personal needs.
I won’t talk much about sleep as I find it to be more a matter of willpower than anything else however my layover advice is this: Have a quick, (and I mean quick - 1 -2 hours tops), power nap as soon as you arrive. Then sort your things, shower, change and head straight out the door not sleeping till the day is over. This, of course, is not always the best option depending on your arrival time and body clock – (you may not be able to sleep in which case I’d head straight out the door after checking into your hotel) – however, as a general rule, I find that it helps to enjoy the day without being too tired whilst still giving you plenty of time with the ability to be able to sleep again at the end of the day. Alternative tips on the matter of REST will be documented in my following blogs.
GO – How to get around is another tricky question for the nomadic. Take to the streets by foot or cycle? Jump on the bus or ride the metro? Hire a car and drive or simply get in a cab? Not easy decisions to make when the last thing you want to do is spend your time on the underground or in a traffic jam between sights only to rush everything and not really see anything. So what would I recommend?
My Layover advice: After picking a select number of areas or sights you feel you have to see and crucially, can see, within your certain layover time constraints – I would take out a map of the city centre (from your hotel reception or guide book) and draw out one almighty walking tour (or several almighty walking tours to move between via public transport) and then get going. As the vast majority of my blogs will document this is how I prefer to explore the world’s best cityscapes. Not only do you get see things you otherwise wouldn’t, simply hopping between the major attractions, your not dictated by the traffic or wasting time standing in queues. I will add maps to my future blogs outlining my own recommended walking tours should you feel inspired to follow them. I must stress at this point, being blindingly obvious, that various variables and the nature of certain cities dictate that you have to do things differently and I will try, where possible, to give my advise in my blogs regarding how to GO if it’s simply not practical to get around on foot.
EAT – Food glorious food - Another tricky decision-making exercise to consider during the art of maximizing your layover. My blogs will list my recommended eateries, cafes and bars, of which there are always more than one can possibly manage in a layover; and while it seems futile to try and tell you where you should eat, I will try my best to suggest what I believe are the absolute best options.
A few tips: Do your home work – there are so many online reviews nowadays it shouldn’t be difficult to find exactly what your looking for in order to meet your culinary desires. I tend to follow the premise that super fine dining restaurants are (by and large) not worth the price tag however some mid to high end restaurants can be real finds as with any popular cheap local eateries. But I wouldn’t simply take recommendations from a guidebook or even the words of a single person such as myself, (mistakes I have made more than once), - look up suggestions by crosschecking them with the countless online reviews (of which I will recommend in future blogs) so you can leave no doubt you are walking into somewhere special.
Avoid at all costs any restaurant you happen to think 'looks’ nice simply because its conveniently located in the most obvious tourist spots around the city (for example any piazza in Rome). I can guarantee they will be overpriced and terrible. Do your research and almost certainly for half the price and thrice the quality I bet you could find something much more special around the corner.
I’m also against the convention that you should throw away your guidebook and just wander down a street and walk into a randomly selected restaurant. You might strike gold but I bet you don’t. Think about the vast majority of times you have simply picked a restaurant at home or abroad. I bet that by and large they were nothing special. Back to my first tip – do your homework and you will be rewarded. More tips to follow in future blogs.
SEE – Ah the sights. The international icons that you visualize before you ever go somewhere. Something so glorified in the mind it becomes the reason you visit a city or country in the first place. Whether it’s the Sydney Opera house, New York’s lady of Liberty or Paris’ Eiffel Tower, it’s sure to be on the bucket list of most travelers even if they have but a day in the city to see it. So he comes my first controversial piece of travel advise on the matter of SEE: I wouldn’t dare say don’t go and see them. Absolutely go and see them - but try to be unconventional about it. By all means go to Eiffel Tower – but admire it from the ground instead of spending the 3 hours trying to get up it. Go and see the Statue of Liberty – but instead of spending the afternoon on an overcrowded boat full of sweaty tourists, admire it while taking a leisurely stroll along Battery City Park or even the High line. Go to the Sydney Opera House, however, stroll around it and admire it from the outside (the way it was meant to be seen) instead of going inside. I’m sure the vast majority of travelers will disagree with me here but during a layover your time is too precious. There is too much to see, eat and do to be spending it standing around in a queue. In my opinion, with a little digging there’s always an alternative, or smart way to see the sights without having to sacrifice the whole day. I hope my blog will show some of the ways this can be done.
PLAY – What you decide to do during your layover is very much personal preference. I will document what I have done and try to give options for things possible to do during the short period of a layover. By PLAY, I should stress, I mean activities as opposed to simply sightseeing. Because activities are, by and large, city or area specific my advice on this subject is more limited to my main blogs on those specific places and activities. What I will say, depending on your desires, is to try and avoid things that take up a great deal of time or energy unless, of course, that particular activity is all you desire to do during your layover.