In June of 2025, I embarked on my most ambitious and complex points-and-miles trip yet: an adults-only European getaway for me and my partner which involved nine flights in a period of just 11 days. You can read about how I booked this trip here, but in this three-part series, I’m reporting out on our flights, hotels, and excursions. Today we wrap it up with our one day in Amsterdam.

This post is technically off topic, as no points were redeemed for our stop in Amsterdam; we did not stay overnight, and we paid cash for the flights that took us there in the morning and away in the evening. But I think it’s relevant, because this little jaunt is an example of the kinds of experiences you can have when you approach travel differently. 

If you’ve read about how I booked this trip, then you know that our stop in Amsterdam was the byproduct of our positioning flight from Barcelona to Frankfurt. When I couldn’t get a direct flight, I started looking at flights with connections. Most people, when trying to get from A to B, will try to find the most direct route. Even people who will tolerate a layover between A and B generally try to keep it short. We leaned in to the layover. Instead of spending an hour in the Amsterdam airport before going on our way, we purposely chose the first flight in in the morning, and second-to-last flight out in the evening.

But as this leg of the trip drew nearer, I started to get nervous. Was this a good idea? Would we totally exhaust ourselves the day before a long transatlantic flight? Would we have any time to actually enjoy the city, or would the day just be a blur of planes and trains?

Here’s how it turned out for us, along with my tips for turning a layover into a bonus destination on your next trip.

1. Choose your layover wisely

Some airports are better suited to this than others. Amsterdam was an ideal candidate because the airport isn’t too far from the city, and public transit makes it easy to get to and from the city center. We rode the train straight from the airport to downtown Amsterdam. This might be harder in a place like Istanbul, where the airport is farther removed from the city and traffic can make travel time unpredictable. (Although Turkish Airlines does offer a free city tour for passengers with a long layover at IST, so clearly it’s doable!) 

2. Make a plan for your luggage

I’m usually team carry on, but schlepping my roller bag around Amsterdam would have majorly cramped my style. This is one instance where checking a bag may be the better option. If you don’t want to check your bag, look into luggage storage options during your layover. The Amsterdam airport has luggage lockers that fit both of our carry-ons for the downright reasonable price of €8 to rent for the day. It was lovely to wander around the city with nothing heavier than my purse. You can also look for services like Nanny Bag which allow you to leave your luggage in a secure location in many urban centers.

3. Map out your route and transportation

We only had nine hours on the ground in Amsterdam, and we wanted to make the most of it. Google Maps was clutch for guiding us in real time, but it helped that we had a general idea of where we were going and how to get there. Do your research ahead of time to determine your best options for transportation to and from the airport, which part(s) of the city you want to visit, and your optimal route for the day. You don’t want to waste precious time figuring out which train to catch or which stop to get off at.

4. Stay flexible

Resist the urge to plan out every minute of your visit. Because we had such a limited window of time in the city, and an uncertain arrival time, we didn’t book any tours or activities in advance. We spent the morning wandering through the Jordaan neighborhood and generally getting a feel for the city. We saw canal cruises everywhere, and were able to book one around lunchtime without difficulty. This was a great way to see lots of different parts of the city in a short time. In other locales, a free walking tour might also be a good option, as you won’t be penalized if you can’t make it.

Although you may not be able to enter some of the most popular tourist attractions without booking in advance, especially during peak season, it’s a lot more relaxing to stay flexible. Would it have been amazing to see the Anne Frank house? Yes. Would I have been anxious about making it to the house on time for a pre-booked tour? Also yes. The purpose of this trip was to get a taste of the city, not to cram all of the highlights into a single day.

5. Book the second-to-last flight out of the day

This one is really just a general travel tip: when possible, avoid booking the last flight of the day. You may be tempted to maximize your time for your day trip by booking the first flight in the morning and the last one out in the evening. Resist. If anything goes wrong, your options for getting to your final destination will be limited, and you may find that your day trip unexpectedly becomes an overnight. This is especially important if you’re positioning to catch an international flight, like we were.

Don’t fear the layover

So, was it worth it? For us, the answer is a resounding yes. Though our day trip made for a very long travel day, it was well worth it to add Amsterdam as a bonus destination to our trip. We didn’t have enough time to see Amsterdam properly, but now we know that we like the city enough to return for a more extended stay. We would have totally missed out on this experience if we had prioritized a direct flight above all else. Our detour to Amsterdam is a great example of the happy surprises along the way when you “chase the deal” to redeem points and miles. I would absolutely utilize this strategy again if the opportunity presents itself!

Would you leave the airport and explore the city during a long layover? Let me know in the comments where you’d like to try this!