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# A 24-hour layover: making the most of it without wrecking the next flight

> Neither shutting yourself in the hotel nor trying to see it all. How to split the day, what to have ready before landing and what never to do.

[Home](https://getgigapass.com/en) › [Blog](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog) › A 24-hour layover: making the most of it without wrecking the next flight

Work and nomads

Neither shutting yourself in the hotel nor trying to see it all. How to split the day, what to have ready before landing and what never to do.

**Nerea Aguilar** 10 Aug 2026 5 min Photo by Janusz Maniak on Unsplash

In this article › The split that works › What to have ready before landing › What is best avoided

Twenty-four hours in a city you do not know, with a flight the next day and your body on another clock. It is a travel format of its own and it has its own rules.

## The split that works

1. Sleep first if the flight was long. Setting off exhausted ruins both things.
2. Pick ONE area and stay in it. Crossing the city eats the day.
3. Eat where the people who work there eat, not in the hotel district.
4. Head back with plenty of margin, allowing for the traffic at whatever hour it is.
5. And leave time to rest before the flight, because this is work and not a holiday.

## What to have ready before landing

- The area's map downloaded, with two or three places already pinned.
- Transport decided: which card or app is used there.
- The connection sorted, because registering for the hotel wifi may ask for a local number.
- And the alarm set to destination time, not to the one you left.

Ten minutes of preparation on the plane are worth two hours of the layover.

## What is best avoided

Long excursions out of the city, activities on a fixed schedule that depend on transport you do not control, and any plan that leaves less than two hours of cushion before report time.

> A layover well spent is one area seen properly, not a city half crossed.

Check whether you need entry permission even for a layover where you leave the airport. There are countries where crew have their own arrangement and others where they do not.

Know where you're going?

Pick your destination, days and data. Install it before you leave and pay once.

[See destinations](https://getgigapass.com/en#destinos)

Nerea AguilarTravelling connected

She has spent eight years writing about travelling without running out of data. What happens after you land interests her more than the spec sheet.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I make the most of a 24-hour layover?**

By sleeping first if the flight was long, picking a single area, eating where the locals who work there eat, and heading back with plenty of margin.

**What do I prepare before landing?**

The map downloaded with places pinned, transport decided, the connection sorted and the alarm on destination time.

**What is best avoided?**

Excursions out of the city, plans on a fixed schedule, and anything that leaves less than two hours of cushion before report time.

**Do I need entry permission to leave the airport?**

It depends on the country: some have their own arrangement for crew and some do not. Worth checking beforehand.

## Keep reading

- [Work and nomads](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/cabin-crew-connectivity) | Cabin crew: sorting out connectivity with four countries a week | 6 min
- [Work and nomads](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/coworking-while-travelling) | Coworking, café or your accommodation: where you actually get work done | 5 min
- [Work and nomads](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/accommodation-for-remote-work) | Choosing somewhere to stay and work: what the photos do not show | 5 min