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Heading overseas this summer? Consider making another stop for free

Free stopover programs are being offered to you if you want to build in more variety to your vacation.

Essentially, allowing you to visit multiple countries for the price of one.

This means that when traveling through airline hubs, instead of hanging out for an hour or several hours until you make your next connection, it will allow you to stay over in that city for several days before moving on to you final destination.

“They don’t charge extra for that,” said Kevin Brasler, executive editor of Washington Consumers Checkbook.

He added that it’s best to book on the airline’s website or to call them directly about stopovers.

“I reviewed the websites at 100 airlines and found that 26 allow free stopovers. Many stopover programs are well advertised. It’s in an effort to attract tourism to their countries.” Brasler said.

Icelandair’s stopover program is among the best known, according to Brasler.

Several other carriers, such as Air Canada, Etihad, Iberia, PLAY Airlines, Qatar Airways, TAP Air Portugal, and Turkish Airlines, also actively lure customers by widely promoting fares with free stops.

But he said to check with those carriers to make sure you will pay the lowest price for your trip.

“That’s because I often found that I could save by building the same itineraries with one or more competing carriers other than the airline with the free stopover program,” Brasler said.

But some countries won’t let you go beyond nearby hotels. So make sure you don’t need a special visa to leave the airport for an extra stopover.

OmniRide weighing commuter routes for Warrenton, Front Royal to DC; Gainesville-to-Reston route nixed

Two new OmniRide commuter bus routes serving Warrenton and Front Royal and traveling into Washington, D.C., will be considered in a series of upcoming public hearings that will also involve discussion around the proposed elimination of the Gainesville-to-Reston route. The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, which operates Manassas-based OmniRide, will host three separate public hearings next week, on Oct. 21, 22 and 23. Both new routes would be funded by grants from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, which does not entail any additional cost to Warrenton and Front Royal. A proposal to cut the bus route that runs from Gainesville to Reston is also on the table due to low ridership, though OmniRide is considering alternatives such as carpools or van rides to accommodate riders along that route.
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