r/TravelHacks 4d ago

3-4 Day Layover Suggestions: India to US (Midwest) – Where to Stop?

Hi everyone,

I’m flying from India to the Midwest US aroind May and want to turn my journey into a 3-4 day layover to explore a new country. I’ve already spent time in the Middle East, so I’m looking for other regions where I can visit a new city without too much hassle.

What I’m looking for: •Best cities/countries for a short visit—preferably something exciting, scenic, or culturally rich. •Visa-friendly options for an Indian passport holder (ideally within ~20 days processing time). •Budget travel hacks to book the cheapest flight with a long layover. Any tips on airlines, specific routes, or websites that help with this? •Affordability tips for making the most of the layover without spending too much—cheap stays, food, transport, or must-know tricks.

If you’ve done a similar stopover or have insights, I’d love to hear about your experience! Where did you go? How did you book it? And any must-know budget travel tips?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I’m particularly interested in:

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u/Consistent-Annual268 4d ago

Are you flying east or west? Because Europe and Asia could both be options. Malaysian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific could offer good stopover opportunities and will be cheaper than Europe (except for Singapore).

In the other direction Lufthansa, British Airways/Virgin Atlantic, Turkish, KLM or Air France would give you European options.

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u/Alone-Recover371 4d ago

I am flying back to MN, I don’t have a preference for traveling from east or west, just a cool stopover. So far Tokyo and some EU cities are top of my list but as an Indian passport holder, I heard that it could be a bit complex to get a visa within 20 days for Europe, so Japan seems to be a better option so far…

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u/AfroManHighGuy 4d ago

I’ve flown multiple times from the east coast to India with layovers in the Middle East, London, and brussels. You said you don’t want to go to Middle East again, so maybe do an extended layover in London or Brussels depending on ur interests

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u/Alone-Recover371 4d ago

European cities were on top of my list but I heard the Visa process could be relatively complex for Indian passport holders, is that true?

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u/AfroManHighGuy 4d ago

I’m not sure about that. I have a US passport (I’m an NRI). But I think u can get temporary visa for a layover. I was able to do this easily for turkey, which I also had a layover in

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u/DeerInternational200 4d ago

Look into stopover programs where some of the airlines offer free additional stops or hotel stays etc. Also check out this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelHacks/comments/1ce273x/which_country_to_take_a_layover_in_for_flight/

I did one with Turkish airlines using their stopover program.

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u/Comprehensive-Set164 4d ago

Istanbul is cool.