strategic layover scheduling

[redxblack]

Has anyone been able to manipulate a layover successfully to accommodate more tourism?

I'm trying to book 4 flights from NE Ohio to Prague to visit my brother. We're bringing my mom with us. She really wants to visit Amsterdam and most of the flights have a layover in the town. I figure one overnight or a 14-18 hour delay should suffice either in the arrival or departure leg of the trip.

I'm also toying with the idea of saving about $300 per ticket and flying into amsterdam, then taking a train to prague. I'd appreciate any tips you'd suggest. 

[Mother]

option #2

[redxblack]

That's where I'm leaning. If I schedule this well enough, the 19 hour train ride would be overnight - hence no hotel in Amsterdam.

[NAKID]

I flew from San Diego to Bahrain via Amsterdam in 2002 and changed my flight from a 3 hour layover to a 27 hour layover. I had a good time...

[mitt]

option #2

+1 train it.  You will see so much more country, even though it is in a little bubble.

mitt

[the_Journeyman]

i conveniently had a 12-hr layover in Sydney on my way to Darwin ~

JM

[derby]

That's where I'm leaning. If I schedule this well enough, the 19 hour train ride would be overnight - hence no hotel in Amsterdam.

i'm pretty sure that, no matter how you schedule it, part of that 19 hours is going to be overnight. 

[redxblack]

did you arrange the layovers with a ticket agent, or with the airline directly? the online discounters don't seem to have wiggle room.

[the_Journeyman]

I typically book directly through the airline just for that reason, and to beat it all it's usually a few dollars cheaper than the online discounter in many cases.

JM

[redxblack]

nice! I'll check that route out right now. Thanks!

[VisceralReaction]

Well i have to chime in here and say you are foolish if you don't have a good relationship with
an experienced travel agent.
An experienced agent will save you time and money and be able to advise you as to the best way
to go about booking something. Yes they charge fees, but usually no more than what you find either from
an online retailer (Expedia, Orbitz etc) or via direct with the airlines.
Think about it, what if the best price is over on one airline and back on another?
How would you know that going direct to the airline? The airline is out to make money, an agent is there
to save you money and keep you happy so you'll come back to them.
Ask me how I know

I would advise you to go into AMS and take the train. You'll see more and experience more. Usually you'll save money too.
Stopovers, depend on the fare being used by the airline. Some cheap fares allow for a stopover of up to 24 hours, some don't.
If they don't allow it you have to move to a higher fare that does allow for a stopover.
Again an experienced agent can do all of this in about 5 minutes for you.

[KnightofNi]

i only took the train through germany, but ti was great.

it can get pricey, but it will def be a worthwhile experience. esp since they will have a cafe car and cheap beer 

[VisceralReaction]

also look into a rail "pass" rather than just a roundtrip from AMS to Prague and back.
That way you might have options to do a bit of travel on the train

[il d00d]

Sounds like a fun trip    How many days will you be there?

If you flew into Amsterdam, spent the day, then took an overnighter+ to Prague, all the sitting around on the train is going to help you de-jetlag.  You'll probably have enough energy to do a day or touring before your circadian rhythms are all like WTF.  By that time you could be asleep on the Southbound

I recommend a couchette if you take the overnighter.  My wife and I have done shared and private sleeping arrangements, and it took just one tragic night sharing our room with Unimaginably Stinky Guy to work private quarters into the budget.  I don't know how that man could stink so bad and still be alive.  It was remarkable.

I am guessing the $600 you save on airfare would be enough to cover a couchette, and maybe an overnight stay in A-dam.  You might do better staying way outside the city, or in Rotterdam, as Amsterdam has gotten ridiculously expensive.

Re: Eurail pass, I don't think that would work out for you cost-wise if you are only going to those two countries.  I went to five or six countries over two weeks, and I think I would have done a little better buying tickets on my own.  Also the pass will get you on the train, but there will most likely be extra fees if it is a high-speed train (most inter-country trains), if the train requires seat reservations (many do), or if it is an overnighter.  More fees if you want to upgrade seats/quarters. Rail passes seem to be a good deal if you are there backpacking for a month or more, and you have a lot of flexibility in your itinerary.

One final note, you might think about flying open jaws (fly into A-dam, home from Prague) if you haven't already.  The extra cost is usually less than the cost of getting back to your city of arrival (eg buying a train ticket to from Prague to Amsterdam).  You also don't have to burn any time dead-heading back to the city you flew in to.

[redxblack]

cool - thanks for the tips. We're planning on seven days total. That's all the time mom could get off work. I've never left the continent, so this is a big deal for me.

I'll look into the open jaws reservation. I should swing over to AAA and see if they can help with this. That's one of the services I guess I'm paying for.