Stopover: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when referring to a planned break in a journey, particularly in air travel, where you spend a period of time in one place before continuing to your destination. Typically involves an extended pause, such as overnight or longer.

• We had a 12-hour stopover in Tokyo before our next flight.
• During the trip to Europe, we had a two-day stopover in Paris.

Similar to a stopover but more commonly used in the context of air travel. It refers to the time spent waiting between connecting flights. Layovers typically involve relatively short durations at an airport.

• I have a two-hour layover in Chicago on my way to New York.
• Our layover in Dubai was just enough time to explore the airport.

A general term used to refer to a brief cessation of movement or activity, can be used in many contexts such as travel, work, or daily tasks. The duration can vary greatly but is usually implied to be shorter than a stopover.

• The bus made a stop in every small town along the route.
• We made a quick stop at the gas station.

Often used in multiple contexts referring to a short pause or rest from an activity, work, or travel. It can be as brief as a few minutes or a bit longer, depending on the situation, but generally not as long as a stopover.

• Let's take a five-minute break and grab some coffee.
• We stopped for a quick break during our road trip.

Typically used in travel contexts, 'stopover' refers to a short stay at a location between the origin and the final destination, often for less than 24 hours.

• We had a brief stopover in Dubai on our way to Tokyo.
• The stopover gave us a chance to see a bit of the city.

Widely used in North American English, 'layover' typically denotes a waiting period between connecting flights that can last up to several hours.

• We have a five-hour layover in Atlanta.
• Due to a long layover, we explored the airport's shops and restaurants.

Commonly used when talking about flights specifically, 'layover flight' refers to a journey that requires travelers to transfer to another flight at an intermediate point.

• We booked a layover flight with a two-hour wait in Paris.
• For cheaper fares, we opted for a layover flight instead of a direct one.

More formal and less commonly used in everyday conversation, 'intermediate stop' denotes a stop that occurs in the middle of a journey, often used in schedules or itineraries.

• Our flight includes an intermediate stop in Frankfurt.
• There will be an intermediate stop in Denver before we continue to Los Angeles.