These 2 US Cities Have Been Named Among The World's Best Layover Destinations

Layovers are pretty much unavoidable if you're fortunate enough to live a life filled with travel. Sometimes your layover gives you just enough time to grab a snack (if you're lucky) and sprint to your next gate. Other times, you have enough of a wait to check out the airport, and maybe you'll be lucky enough to see one of the most bizarre airport attractions across the world. When your layover is an especially long one, though, it can actually be a worthwhile part of your travels, and serve as an opportunity to explore another city altogether. Global brand AllClear Travel Insurance recently published a list of the best cities around the world when it comes to potentially having a memorable layover, and two U.S. cities — Atlanta and Baltimore — made it into the top 10.

It isn't just a city's major attractions, food scene, or overall popularity that make it layover-worthy, according to AllClear. A great stopover city has to score highly across a number of important factors. Walkability, the time and ease of getting to the city center from the airport, affordability for tourists, and distance between major attractions were just some of the factors that added up to a city's total "Stopover Score." The top-ranked stopover city in AllClear's recent ranking was Frankfurt, the German skyscraper city also called the "Manhattan of Europe". Several other major international hubs, such as Doha, Copenhagen, Warsaw, and Dublin, also topped the list.

In the list of the top 10 best stopover cities, Baltimore was number eight. As a coastal city, its minor elevation changes played into its high walkability score, meaning it's easy to get around even if you're dragging your carry-on with you. In about 20 minutes, you can go by car from Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport to Baltimore's vibrant Inner Harbor for a variety of maritime, cultural, and recreational attractions. The National Aquarium, U.S.S. Constellation, and The Maryland Science Center are just some of the attractions located within a few block radius. Or you can save your steps for your final destination and settle in for some of the city's famous seafood at a waterfront restaurant like the Rusty Scupper.

On the other hand, Atlanta came in an impressive third on the top 10 list. Not only does it take less than 20 minutes to get from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to the city center, it has some of the shortest distances between top attractions. Popular sites such as the World of Coca-Cola, Georgia Aquarium, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, College Football Hall of Fame, and SkyView Atlanta are all centrally located and easy to walk between. Where Atlanta excels, among all 25 cities included on the list, was in the number of onward flight routes available from the airport. Atlanta has 915 while the next closest airport, Frankfurt, has only 497. It should also be noted that Atlanta has direct flights to 244 or more destinations all over the world. So not only is Atlanta a highly rated city when it comes to layovers, but as the world's busiest airport, it is also an extremely likely city for having a layover.