Each year, almost one million British travellers visit Australia or New Zealand, or both. The traditional stopover cities are Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai. Each has a compelling offer for tourists breaking up the long haul: affordable accommodation, superb cuisine and a wealth of attractions. Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul and Doha also deliver plenty for the stopover visitor.
Yet if you plan to escape the coming northern winter, there are more options than ever to discover a new city or even Indian Ocean island. These are my favourite “stopovers with a difference”. A couple of them even offer the prospect of saving on flight tax, which could mean the Chancellor pays for your stay. A good travel agent will explain all the options. Here are some to consider.
Chengdu
This western Chinese gem may be the biggest city you have never heard of: 21 million people live in Chengdu, making it the fourth-biggest metropolis in the People’s Republic after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. It makes an excellent choice for a short stopover because the heart of the city is accessible and manageable, however jet-lagged you may be.
Step off the plane and go through the newly accelerated immigration process: starting this year, no visa is needed by British travellers. Then use your credit or debit card to tap your way into the airport’s metro station (about £1) for the 50-minute ride to the centre.
Once downtown, you will be amazed at how quiet life is – thanks to electric cars. Tianfu Square, the grandiose space at the centre, reminds you that Chairman Mao is still revered. A short walk away, the People’s Park is a large-scale garden in the city. To the north, the Wenshu Yuan Monastery is at the heart of a visitor-focused historic zone. And never more than a few metres away: superb Sichuan street food. Spicy noodles have never tasted better than as your first real food after a long flight. From Chengdu you can fly onward to either Sydney or Melbourne.
Helsinki
Starting in October, you will be able to fly from the Finnish capital direct to Melbourne; “direct” in this context means you stay on the same plane, after what Finnair calls “a short technical stop in Bangkok”. Helsinki is a beautiful Baltic port. Architecture is a strong suit, from 19th-century masterpieces in the shape of a pair of cathedrals to the Oodi Library – a spectacular, curvy structure filled with far more than books. You can reach the centre easily on a quick, cheap (€4.40) commuter train. And if you stay for 24 hours or more, your air passenger duty liability drops from £106 to £15.
Istanbul
Turkey’s largest city offers the same tax advantage to stopover travellers: by staying for a night, you can save £91 – or far more if you are travelling in anything other than basic economy. Ideally, though, you will need at least 48 hours to explore this city with an extraordinary depth of history at a crossroads for the world. The Mediterranean is linked to the Black Sea through the Bosphorus, which is the border between Europe and Asia. East meets west and goes out for a feast. Istanbul enriches the soul.
Well-regarded Turkish Airlines is starting Istanbul-Singapore-Sydney flights from October (currently, the refuelling stop is Kuala Lumpur). From next year, the carrier plans to cover the 9,300 miles to Sydney non-stop. And conveniently, Turkish Airlines flies the first leg to Istanbul from six UK airports: Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and three London gateways: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
Cairo
EgyptAir has never figured among choices to Australia. But the Airbus A350 – which will also be used for the forthcoming Qantas non-stop from Heathrow to Sydney – is allowing many airlines to launch ultra-long routes. Egypt is the largest market in Africa that does not currently have a direct link to Australia. From an unspecified date in the first half of 2027, EgyptAir will provide a Cairo-Sydney connection from both London Heathrow and Manchester.
Stop over in the Egyptian capital to discover the greatest collection of antiquities anywhere on the planet at the finest cultural location in Africa: the much-delayed-but-finally-open Grand Egyptian Museum, which is barely a mile from the pyramids of Giza. Many of the 100,000-plus artefacts are on display for the first time, including the full Tutankhamen repertoire. You can then fly to Australia, home to the longest continuous civilisation in the world.
Mauritius
All the options so far have been for the big cities in south-east Australia: Sydney and Melbourne. For Perth, the choice is smaller – but it does include the Indian Ocean gem of Mauritius. You can fly non-stop from Gatwick to the island in less than 12 hours. I rate it well ahead of the Indian Ocean rivals, the Maldives and the Seychelles, in terms of natural beauty and cultural interest – as well as alluring luxury resorts clustered around the west, north and east coasts of the island.
Mauritius presents a delightful fusion of Asian, African, French and British influences. The likeable capital, Port Louis, has a lively market and a fascinating Natural History Museum (complete with stuffed dodo). Inland, the Eureka House has a fine setting amid manicured gardens – and offers an insight into the colonial era.
The onward flight to Perth is most civilised: a late-morning departure, a flight time of less than seven hours, arriving mid-evening in the Western Australian capital – ideal for rapid adjustment to the new time zone.