Pick our layover/stopover

February 4, 2016 10:32 AM

United allows you a free stopovers (hat tip y'all!) with award flights. Where would you pick if you wanted to throw a 2 night trip, 2 full days on the end? We'll be coming back from ten days in non-luxury India. Right now Hong Kong and Istanbul are our two top sites, but Bangkok, Shanghai, Rome, Munich, Dubai are also possibilities.

Time: Early January
Us: Early 30s, season travelers who enjoy difference, one white, one indian, and party scene, used to quick trips to big cities, last trip before starting a family/prepregnancy
Criteria: Direct flights to NYC, easy in/out, not too much to handle in 2 days, similar climate to India (ease of packing) in January

posted by sandmanwv to Travel & Transportation (7 answers total)

Not a fan of Dubai. It's all glitz and glamour, no substance. My cousins went to Istanbul and loved it, though.
posted by Tamanna at 10:48 AM on February 4, 2016

For a couple of days, Istanbul and Rome would be great. I am not sure I'd find enough in Munich to occupy me for two full days.
posted by kadia_a at 11:01 AM on February 4, 2016

I've been to all these places except Munich and Dubai. Of the ones I have experience of, my choice would be for istanbul or Rome. Both amazing, easy to get around for tourists, great food, nightlife, culture, history, etc. Too much to see in just two days, but just assume you will be back someday. I went to istanbul in the same scenario as you and it ended up being the highlight of my trip and made me want to go back for more of Turkey. As for Rome, nobody doesn't like Rome, and January is a good time to go because of weather and smaller crowds.

Bangkok: not the best of Thailand by a long shot, still worthwhile. Hot. So hot. Humid.
Hong Kong: a great city overall, but not a great tourist city in my opinion. May be quite cold and rainy.
Shanghai: not a great choice for a first visit to mainland China. Cold.
posted by skewed at 11:07 AM on February 4, 2016

We've done Istanbul on the way to India and it was great. Can't recommend the istanbuleats.com guided walking tours, apparently now available in other cities under the name Culinary Backstreets enough, it was amazing.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:41 AM on February 4, 2016

Best answer: Hong Kong, hands down. What an awesome place. You can ferry out to an island and take a nice rural hike with a seafood restaurant at the end, or spend a day touring the fabulous flower and bird and fish and more markets of Kowloon, or soak up the sophisticated business and shopping on the main island, or get a suit custom made, or eat some of the best and most diverse selections of Chinese cuisine anywhere in the world or . . . so much to do, so much to see, so much fun!

Don't miss the incredible nighttime light show. One fun place to see it from, though there are many, is one of the good restaurants on Victoria Peak.

My second choice would be Istanbul, also a lovely city with incredibly good food.
posted by bearwife at 12:58 PM on February 4, 2016 [2 favorites]

Istanbul in a hot minute - you could do a jam-packed stopover or a lazy, wandering stopover, and either would be restorative, urbane and awesome. I've been three times and I'd do it again tomorrow.
posted by ersatzkat at 1:35 PM on February 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

Another vote against Dubai. Over the course of a number of visits I think I had the best time of all just staying in the (airside) terminal hotel.
posted by Hal Mumkin at 6:03 PM on February 4, 2016