This Is How You Can Make the Most Out of a Short Layover

When it comes to travel pros, flight attendants are at the top of our list. From packing tips to dealing with jet lag, people who fly for a living know what works and what doesn’t.

Flight attendants also know something else many travelers struggle with: how to make the most of a short layover. Whether it’s a 24-hour stop between long-haul flights or a quick overnight in a new city, short stays are becoming more common as travelers look to stretch limited PTO.

Christa Treat, a Washington-based flight attendant and content creator, knows all about making the most of a short layover. Treat, who has been flying with the same U.S.-based airline for more than 18 years, often works trips that give her less than 36 hours on the ground.

“Every week is different,” she told Travel + Leisure. “But right now, I’m bidding on flights with very short layovers, around 16 hours.” Married with three children in a busy season of sports and activities, she’s currently prioritizing schedules that maximize her time at home. The bidding process acts as a flight attendant’s “wish list,” where they rank preferred flights and are assigned schedules based on seniority.

Here’s how to make the most out of a short layover, according to a flight attendant with 18 years of experience.

Focus on Wellness

While leisure travelers and flight attendants may have different objectives—most travelers aren’t “on the clock” on the ride home—Treat’s approach to short layovers is a good reminder to build in time for rest and movement. She researches hotel fitness facilities in advance and tries to work out as soon as she arrives.

“I hit the gym first thing,” she said. “Even if it’s just 30 minutes on the treadmill before going out to dinner.” She additionally emphasized that fresh air and natural light often take priority when deciding how to spend her time.

“If it’s nice out, I go outside, regardless of how short my layover is. I’ve been stuck in a metal tube for five or six hours, so I want fresh air,” she said. 

Treat walks or bikes whenever possible and rarely relies on rideshares or taxis during a layover. Many hotels offer complimentary bikes for guests, and bike-share kiosks and e-bikes are easy to find in most cities, making it simple to combine movement with exploration.

Contrarily, she’s just as intentional about rest, aiming for a full night of sleep. “I really balance rest and fun, and for me, working out and getting enough sleep come first,” she told T+L. “Can I function on five hours of sleep? Yes. But I don’t want to.”

Treat undoubtedly has a wellness-forward philosophy, but even if your short trip doesn’t mirror a flight attendant’s schedule, there are practical takeaways from her commitment to prioritizing sleep and exercise. You don’t have to pack every minute to make a short trip worthwhile. Slowing down, getting outside, and taking care of yourself can help make a short trip the reset you want it to be.

Have a Plan (But Don’t Overplan)

Treat warns that layovers go fast once you factor in transit time, workouts, and sleep, so having a loose plan in place can help you make the most of your time. When it comes to figuring out what to do in a new city, she often turns to social media and AI.

“Honestly, Instagram is your friend,” Treat said. She recommends typing the name of the city along with your interests into the search bar—think “Oahu coffee” or “Orlando food scene”—to see what pops up. From there, she drops spots into a digital map and builds a plan.

Treat also uses ChatGPT to map out her time and keep things on track. “I’ll say, ‘I’m heading to place XYZ for 36 hours, and I love fitness and tacos. Map out my trip,'” she said. She also asks the site to factor in walking time between stops, along with her goal of getting a full eight hours of sleep. 

At the same time, she’s careful not to overschedule. One of the biggest mistakes travelers make, she says, is trying to do too much and letting the pressure to see everything dictate the experience. “I’d rather go to two spots and enjoy all that they have to offer than rush to four.”

The pressure to see as much as possible can take over trip planning, but Treat’s wellness-first mindset is a reminder that how you feel matters, too. Leaving space to rest and recharge can make the difference between a trip that feels rushed and one you actually enjoy in the moment and remember once you get home.

Don’t Overpack

If your trip is short, you don’t need much. While the “checked bag versus carry-on only” debate endures, it’s worth remembering that checking a bag adds time. Waiting at baggage claim can cut into the limited hours you have to explore, and in a worst-case scenario, dealing with a misrouted bag or shopping for replacement clothes means even less free time on the ground. If you’ve packed a large checked bag for a 24-hour trip, Treat suggests rethinking what you’re packing and identifying where you can scale back.

“I always pack the same thing regardless of how long my layover is,” she said. “What’s in my bag stays the same whether I’m doing a two or four-day trip. I’m also simple.”

Treat’s trick is to stick to black and white clothes and repurpose what she packs, like a swim cover-up that can pull double duty as a dinner dress. “I also wear gym clothes everywhere,” she admitted. 

After almost 20 years of flying, Treat noted most people don’t realize that less is more when traveling, and that your outfits aren’t what you’ll remember about a trip, noting, “no one cares if you rewear your clothes.” 

Find Something You Love and Make it Part of Your Stay

Treat recommends focusing on something you enjoy in every destination and making it part of your routine, even on short trips.

For her, that usually means finding a new matcha spot she can walk to, using the outing as a way to sightsee while also “checking the wellness box.” She also prioritizes tracking down a good meal—her go-tos are tacos and sushi—and maximizing outdoor time. 

Building small rituals like these into each trip can make even a short layover feel more meaningful. Instead of trying to check the box on everything there is to do in a city, focusing on a few things you genuinely enjoy helps create a sense of connection to a place and gives you something to look forward to each time you land somewhere new, knitting your travel experiences together in a meaningful way.