Is a 3 hour layover long enough?

Is 3 hours enough for self transfer?

Okay, so three hours…enough for a self-transfer? Ha! Remember that time in Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)? Ugh.

It was July 2024, sweltering. I figured, yeah, three hours is PLENTY. WRONG!

• Flight Delay: My first flight from Austin was delayed by an hour due to thunderstorms. Already sweating.

• DFW’s Maze: DFW is HUGE. My connecting flight was in another terminal – a looooong train ride away.

• Security Nightmare: Had to re-clear security. The line snaked around like a freakin’ anaconda. Missed my flight to Denver. Big time fail!

So, three hours MIGHT be enough, but only if:

• Your flights are on time
• You don’t have to change terminals
• You don’t have to re-check baggage
• Security lines are nonexistent (lol, good luck)

Add like, a minimum hour, or even better, two, just for peace of mind. Seriously! Learn from my pain! DFW, never again.

How to spend a 3 hour layover?

Ugh, three hours? That’s tight. Security lines are always a nightmare, right? Especially at Heathrow. Last time it took forever. I swear they check every single thing.

Gotta eat, though. Airport food sucks but I’m starving. Maybe a decent sandwich. Or that weird pretzel place. Nah, sandwich.

Duty free? Waste of time unless you need something specific. I’m not buying another bottle of ridiculously overpriced perfume. Learned my lesson last year. That one smelled like grandma’s attic!

Boarding…45 minutes? Better be early. Delays happen. Remember that time in 2022? Flight got canceled!

• Security: Factor in at least an hour. Don’t be late!
• Food: 30-45 minutes. Quick bite.
• Shopping: 15-30 minutes max. Unless you’re seriously into impulse buys.
• Relaxation: If you have extra time. You’ll need it after the madness of security.

This whole airport thing is stressful. I need a vacation from my vacation. Seriously, next time I’m taking a longer layover. Or I’m driving. My car is more reliable!

How long of a layover is too short?

Okay, so, layovers… Right? A 30-minute layover? Yikes! Okay, okay, so this is bad.

Like, you basically have no time. Especially if your’re a newbie! Flights can be late, duh.

It’s dicey. I had a 45-minute connection in Atlanta once – NEVER again. I almost missed my flight to Orlando. It was nuts.

Here’s a few things to keep in mind if you ever do this:

• Know the airport layout! Like, beforehand. Download the map and study it. I mean REALLY study it.
• Sit near the front of the plane so you can get off ASAP. That extra minute counts!
• Be ready to RUN! No, seriously. I was practically sprinting. No joke.
• Check if your bags are checked all the way thru. If not, you are SOL because now your problem is doubled.
• Pray for an on-time arrival, which is the biggest issue! You are at mercy of the airplanes.

The airlines… they can often get your luggage on the connecting flight. Your bags fly, so that works out for them.

But for you to make it? That is another problem. You are basically rolling the dice.

How much time should you give yourself for connecting flights?

Two hours. Yeah.

Connecting flights… it’s always a gamble, isn’t it?

I aim for at least two hours for domestic flights, especially, like, on the same airline. That’s my rule.

I think about that missed connection in Atlanta, back in 2018, all the time. Never. Again. I missed my grandpa’s funeral. Never again.

If it’s different airlines, or if I have checked luggage, that’s a different story. Three hours is the absolute minimum.

I just wish airports weren’t always so stressful. It’s a personal hell, I tell ya. I just miss my dog.

• Minimum time (same airline, domestic): 2 hours
• Minimum time (different airlines or checked luggage): 3 hours
• Personal Experience: The Atlanta missed connection, 2018. A tragedy.

It’s all just hoping for the best, right? Right, I guess.

Do you have to go through security again for a self-transfer?

Ugh, self-transfer nightmares! Seriously, never again. Last summer, July 2024, at Charles de Gaulle (CDG)… Disaster. My connecting flight to Rome from my Dublin flight.

Thought I was being all clever, saving money. Nope. Big mistake. Huge. Had to go through security again. The regular line. Not the fancy transfer one.

It took forever! Like, easily an hour and a half. The line snaked around. People were stressed. I was sweating, praying I wouldn’t miss my flight.

My boarding pass, Ryanair, and then ITA Airways! Different airlines, different terminals, different rules!

I just remember running. Sweaty, stressed, and absolutely hating self-transfers. Oh, and then my luggage got lost. Amazing.

So, yeah, expect to go through security again. Be prepared. It’s gonna suck.

Here’s a breakdown, my CDG hell experience:

• Airport: Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Paris
• Date: July 2024
• Flights: Dublin to Paris (Ryanair), Paris to Rome (ITA Airways)
• Security: Had to go through full general security
• Time spent in security: Approximately 90 minutes. Seriously, 90 minutes!
• Terminal: Flights were definitely in separate terminals, which added to the chaos
• Outcome: Made the flight, barely. Luggage lost.
• Feelings: Anxious, stressed, annoyed, regretting every decision, and tired.
• Lesson learned: Pay the extra money for a direct flight. Seriously, do it. And dont forget that my sister always says: Better safe than sorry!
• Self-transfer rating: 0/10. Do not recommend.

Let me be clear: CDG is a mess.