Some people have asked me over the years, “How do you manage to travel so much? It seems like you’re always somewhere new.” The truth is not that I’m independently wealthy or that I even travel frequently; I just plan my trips strategically.

One of my favorite travel tricks is to schedule long layovers in places en route to my final destination. For example, while recently going to visit my family in Oregon, I visited Austin, Texas on the outbound flight and Seattle, Washington on the return. And I did it while saving money on flights to boot.

Save money and see more?

I could have booked flights all the way from Estonia to Portland but with at least three connections. Instead of spending those multiple layovers stuck in airports, I opted for a cheaper Norwegian flight from Helsinki, Finland* to Austin and a separate domestic flight from Austin to Redmond, Oregon two days later. For the money I saved compared to flights from Estonia to Oregon, I afforded myself two nights in a hostel in Austin along with a modest sightseeing and dining budget! (Read my hostel review here.)

Make layovers at least 1 night

I started turning my layovers into mini-vacations out of necessity. When booking flights with different airlines, if your earlier flights are delayed (or cancelled altogether) and you end up missing your next flight with another airline, neither airline is required to refund or assist you. However, the longer time you leave between flights, the lower the odds are that you’ll miss the later. This is why I leave a buffer of at least one day/night, but if you’re going to leave the airport and go stay 12 hours somewhere, why not stay a day or two and enjoy yourself?

Extra layover costs to consider

Even though you might find cheaper flights to nearby destinations other than your final stop, you can likely end up spending more after factoring in other costs like accommodation, transportation to and from the airport, food, entertainment and, in some international cases, short-term visas.

So, arranging your travels with a longer layover in a middle destination might be fun but not necessarily a huge money saver. It is a good option, however, if you have extra time and want to see more places (and places you might otherwise never visit on their own). I probably wouldn’t fly to the US just to go to Austin for example, but I’m still glad I got to see it.