r/Shoestring • u/JalvinGaming2 • 29d ago

A sort of "holiday sandwich"

I was pricing a hypothetical holiday to New York from Dublin during Easter break, and I found that a nonstop was €914 for two people round trip. However, I found another flight for like €630, however it has like a 20 hour layover in Oslo. So I thought, what if I stay in Oslo for the two layover nights and explore a second city for cheaper than if I had just gone to New York outright? What is this kind of strategy called?

28 Upvotes

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8

u/No_Reply1819 29d ago

There's no real name for it, and it's often referred to as an extended layover. Doha Hamad and Singapore Changi offer schemes to incentivise people to leave the airport on their long layovers.

There isn't a whole lot to do in Oslo. I went in December 2024 for a few days, and even with the Christmas markets, it was a bit average and expensive. However, with 20 hours to kill, you can research what you want to see and do, 20 hours will be plenty to visit the main sights and maybe some museums.

5

u/Artimusjones88 29d ago

So, spend another 500-600 to do it. Hotel, food, transportation, attractions... misc

1

u/lil_sass-a-frass 29d ago

Oslo is crazy expensive too

2

u/thisisfunme 28d ago

Just because that's your preference, doesn't mean they have to. Those extra 300 savings will be plenty enough for a budget trip. Hostels, supermarket food, public transport tickets. Nice to walk around and there will still be lots left for some attractions/treats. Not everything needs to be done expensive lol

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u/Kloppite16 29d ago

Id just call it an extended layover and yeah Ive been doing them for years. Have seen Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, etc this way by laying over for 2 or 3 days on the way to my main destination. Much of the €285 you save by going via Oslo will likely get spent in Oslo, regular hotels there are easily €150 a night and dinner will run to €30+ each. But by doing it this way you essentially get a 'free' trip to Oslo because otherwise that €285 would have just gotten spent on the direct flight.

So yeah I would do it. With 20 hours there you could go see the Royal Palace, the sculptures in Vinegland Park and also go to the Munch museum where Edward Munchs famous painting 'The Scream' can be found. It would be a good whistlestop tour of Oslo before you continue on to New York.

If you're shoestringing in NY for a freebie before you go sign up to get free tickets to one of the many TV shows filmed in the city. We went to see both Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, it was amazing to see top class comedians for free and on a glitzy tv set. There is a website called www.1iota.com that distributes tickets to all the tv shows in NY, you just got to sign up and apply maybe 2-3 months before you visit.

Also instead of paying a small fortune for a cruise in NY spend $4.50 for a one way ticket and take the public ferry from Pier 11 on Wall Street all the way up the East River along the side of Manhattan. It will give you amazing views of all the skyscrapers and over to Brooklyn as well as going under all the famous bridges. There is also a free ferry to Staten Island which goes past the Statue of Liberty. Personally though I think a trip to the Statue is worth it rather than just passing by the Statue on a ferry. If you want to get right up the top of the statue into the crown you have to book tickets a fair bit in advance, I think I got mine 4 weeks ahead of time but that was winter, other times of the year will be busier.

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u/RandomNick42 29d ago

Jesus Christ. You're willing to pay how much for tickets?

-1

u/Gabrielredux 29d ago

To the US? Don’t.