“Booked JFK to GRU via Panama City. Paid $290 less than the direct. Spent 11 hours downtown. It's now my default routing.”
Marcus T.
Brooklyn, NY
JFK → GRU
via Panama City (PTY)
Search 1000 cities to find yours
Search 1000 cities to find yours
Where are you flying? Stop somewhere worth it.
As seen in
From Atlanta
ATL → NBO
via Panama City (PTY)
ATL → GRU
via Bogotá (BOG)

Panama City
Visa-free · ~25 min
Indicative. Based on recent searches from Atlanta.
Three steps
Enter where you're flying from and to. We find layover options on that route and score each one.
Every option has a LayoverScore™. High score means visa-free, enough time, and something real to do.
Select the stop you want. One booking. Your layover city is confirmed.
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What travelers say
“Booked JFK to GRU via Panama City. Paid $290 less than the direct. Spent 11 hours downtown. It's now my default routing.”
Marcus T.
Brooklyn, NY
“I was skeptical. Fourteen hours is a lot. Nairobi converted me. Would do it again for any Africa route.”
Priya S.
Chicago, IL
“The visa flag on Casablanca stopped me booking the wrong flight. That alone is worth it.”
James R.
Houston, TX
Questions
A strategic layover is a connecting flight where the stop is somewhere worth being. Instead of a 3-hour wait at a hub airport, you book a longer connection in a city you want to see. You get 6 to 24 hours in Panama City, Nairobi, or Bogotá. The flight is often cheaper than flying direct. The trip is better.
Yes. Layover itineraries are standard airline tickets. Your bags transfer automatically on single-ticket bookings. We only show options with a safe connection window.
Six hours is the minimum to leave the airport and see something real. Twelve to eighteen hours is better. LayoverScore™ factors in transit time so you know what you actually get.
Depends on your passport and the country. Every result shows visa status before you commit. Most US passport holders are visa-free at the cities we recommend.
On a single-ticket itinerary, yes. We flag self-transfer options clearly. If it's self-transfer, you'll check bags again at the layover airport.
We earn a commission when you book through us. The commission never changes our scores. A bad stop scores low no matter who pays us.
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REAL ROUTES
Live results on routes US travelers fly most. Tap any route to run it yourself.
LayoverScore™ tells you how good each stop is. 80+ is exceptional.
New York → São Paulo
Panama City
Casco Viejo in 4 hours: colonial cobblestones, $4 patacones, no visa needed.
Miami → Buenos Aires
Bogotá
La Candelaria in 3 hours: colonial gold, ajiaco, single-origin tinto from a corner tienda.