What is a multi leg flight and a stopover?

Article updated every 6 months. Last update: 18th April 2008
Author: Bob Atkinson (Travel Expert) Ask me a question.

Multi leg flights with stopovers at airports

Multi leg flights are used when you want to visit two or more different places on your trip and make a stopover in each.

They are ideal when travelling within one geographical area of the world such as the USA, Far East or Australia. A stopover is where you break your journey in a destination.

For example, fly from London to Orlando and stay for 10 days, continue from Orlando to New York and stay for 3 days and then fly back from New York to London. The stopovers are in Orlando and New York and there are three legs to your flight - London to Orlando, Orlando to New York and New York to London.

Multi leg trips can have many legs depending on where you want to go and the places you want to visit. However the longer the trip the more complicated it is to book and to get the best value on longer trips, we suggest that you speak to an experienced travel consultant from one of our recommended companies.

Simple trips can be booked online through our partners or over the phone if you require assistance.

Bob Atkinson
( Travel Expert): When looking to book multi leg flights there are considerable savings to be found! With expert guidance from professionals you can realise these savings with the companies we have found to help you.

Travelbag - Travelbag is an independent long haul specialist and are able to tailor make your flight requirements using their well travelled staff. They have lots of personal travel experience and offer unbiased advice and solutions using all the major airlines of the world at highly competitive prices.

Opodo - Opodo are a leading on line travel company with a vast range of airlines and fares for mutlis leg flights and an on line search facility for this type of air fare.

eBookers - As one of the first companies to embrace the internet, ebookers has close links with many airlines allowing it to offer discounts on a huge range of flights to 100s of destinations. They are reknowned for cheap long haul flights.
See more of our recommended companies

Do you pay more for these flights? In a word, NO! The fare rules of many mid and long haul tickets will allow you to stopover at least once free of charge. Many allow different stops on the way home to the way out. For instance a flight to Sydney from London can have a stopover in say Hong Kong on the way out and Singapore on the way back. This is usually for the same price as a return to Sydney. Bear in mind that you may pay slightly higher airport taxes, although the extra cost is minimal in the grand scheme of things.

By taking advantage of the many and varied special tickets you can make huge savings compared to individual ticket prices, as well as getting lots of flexibility for your money. If your needs are more complex, our recommended companies will suggest combinations of return tickets with Air Passes as well as special tickets for certain geographical areas. An Air Pass is a ticket that allows a certain number of flights within one country or group of countries. They are usually substantially cheaper than normal air fares and are sold to residents outside of the countries concerned. However they are only beneficial if you're planning at least two flights within an area on top of your transport to reach the destination.

guide continues below

If you are considering hiring a car, a fly drive may be better value. Why not have a look at our guide to this to see if it is more suitable?

Your stopover hotels can be booked by checking out our hotels search. Don't forget if you need car hire you can check this out as well.

Who do we recommend?

With so many companies to choose from, we have researched the market to find those with a wide range of choice as well as some that are more specialist. Browse our list below to find the right company for you, then click through to their web site for more information and how to book. It couldn't be easier!