Yes. In most cases you can leave the airport during a layover, as long as you have enough time and you are allowed to enter the country you have stopped in. Whether it is worth it, and what you need to do first, comes down to three things: is the layover domestic or international, how long is it, and do you need a visa.
On a domestic layover you have already cleared security, so you are free to walk out of the terminal and come back in through the normal security line. Your checked bags stay checked through to your final destination, so there is nothing to collect. The only real cost is time: you have to clear security again on the way back, which can take anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour at a busy hub.
To leave the airport on an international layover you have to be allowed to enter the country, the same as any other visitor. If the country is visa-free for your passport, you can usually walk out. If it requires a visa, you will normally need one to leave the transit area, though many countries offer a transit visa or visa-free transit window specifically for this. Rules change often and depend on your nationality, so confirm with the airline or the country’s official immigration site before you count on it.
Some airports also keep connecting passengers in a sterile transit zone. In that case you stay airside and cannot leave without clearing immigration, which may not be an option on a short connection.
On a single ticket, checked bags are almost always tagged through to your final destination, so you do not need to pick them up to leave the airport. There are two common exceptions. First, when your layover is your first point of entry into countries like the United States or Canada, you collect your bags, clear customs, and re-check them. Second, on a self-transfer or separate-ticket itinerary, you collect and re-check your own bags between flights. Keep anything valuable, fragile, or essential (medication, documents, a change of clothes) in your carry-on.
As a rough guide, give yourself at least three hours of layover before you consider leaving on a domestic connection, and considerably more on an international one once you account for immigration lines, the trip into the city and back, and a second pass through security. If your layover is shorter than that, you are usually better off staying inside. We break the numbers down in our guide to how long a layover should be.
Crew VIP is built for airline staff, with member rates on lounges, hotels, transport and experiences in over 6,000 cities. If you fly for a living, your next layover can pay for itself.
Usually yes. You have already cleared security, your bag is checked through, and you only need to re-clear security when you return. Just leave enough time.
If the country requires a visa for entry, you generally need one (or an eligible transit visa) to leave the airport. Many countries offer visa-free transit, but it depends on your nationality, so check official sources first.
On a single ticket your bag is normally tagged through to your final destination, so you do not handle it. The exceptions are clearing customs at your first point of entry, or a self-transfer ticket where you re-check bags yourself.
Generally no. Two hours is comfortable for connecting inside the terminal, but rarely enough to exit, see anything, and clear security again in time.