The best stopovers on the way from Adelaide to Europe

The five hubs at a glance

Hub	Airline from Adelaide (late 2026)	Good for	Stopover deals (checked October 2026)
Singapore	Singapore Airlines, 10 a week, rising to 12 a week in the summer season	Families, first-timers, grandparents. Clean, compact and easy to get around	Changi Airport's Free Singapore Tour for transit passengers with a 5.5–24 hour layover
Dubai	Emirates, daily A350	Big-city sights, shopping, a desert trip	Emirates' Dubai Connect gives a free hotel, meals, transfers and a UAE visa when the best available connection is a long one. Book it at least 12 hours before your flight to Dubai
Doha	Qatar Airways, daily	A short, easy stop with good museums	Discover Qatar stopover packages, with hotel stays of up to four nights, sold for travel until 31 December 2027
Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia Airlines, daily	Food, value hotels, a city break with day trips	No standing stopover program we could confirm. Malaysia Airlines runs side-trip promotions from time to time
Hong Kong	Cathay Pacific, seasonal: 3 a week from 10 November 2026, up to 5 a week December–February, until 27 March 2027	Harbour views, food, easy hiking	Cathay runs Hong Kong stopover sales at times. None was open when we checked

What each stopover is good for

Singapore

The easiest first stopover. Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, the hawker centres and Sentosa are all close together, and the trains are simple to use. One or two nights is enough for most people. If you only have a long layover, Changi's free 2.5-hour tours run for transit passengers whose bags are checked through. Some nationalities need a Singapore visa to join, but Australians generally don't. Fill in the SG Arrival Card before you land.

Dubai

Good if you want the Burj Khalifa, the old souks along Dubai Creek, a desert evening and the big malls. It's very hot from about May to September, so outdoor plans work best in the cooler months, which happen to be the southern summer. Emirates flies on from Dubai to London, Paris, Rome, Athens and Frankfurt.

Doha

Smaller and quieter than Dubai, so one or two nights covers the main sights: the Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum of Qatar and Souq Waqif. The Discover Qatar packages, sold through Qatar Airways, bundle hotel nights for stopovers, and there's a Formula 1 package for stopovers on 27–29 November 2026. Qatar Airways also flies on to London, Paris, Rome, Athens and Frankfurt.

Kuala Lumpur

The best-value stopover of the five. Hotels are often cheaper than in Singapore, the food is a highlight, and the Petronas Towers and Batu Caves are easy half-day trips. Malaysia Airlines connects at KLIA Terminal 1 for London. Fill in the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card before you land.

Hong Kong

A dense harbour city with Victoria Peak, the Star Ferry, dim sum and some of the best city hiking anywhere, such as the Dragon's Back trail. Cathay's Adelaide flights are seasonal, so this option works for travel between November and March.

Do you need a visa for a stopover?

Australian passport holders can currently make a short tourist visit to all five without arranging a visa in advance. Singapore and Hong Kong don't require a visa, and the UAE, Qatar and Malaysia issue one on arrival (Smartraveller, checked 20 October 2026). Entry rules can change at short notice, so check Smartraveller before you travel. Some need an online arrival card before you land, such as Singapore's SG Arrival Card and the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card. If anyone in your group travels on another passport, the rules can be very different. Our transit rules guide covers Indian passport holders.

Heading to the UK? You'll also need a UK ETA. See our UK ETA guide.

How to choose

• Travelling with children or older parents: Singapore. Short distances, easy transport and familiar food.
• Short of time: Doha. One night is enough for a taste, and the airport is close to the city.
• On a budget: Kuala Lumpur, for hotels and food.
• Want something big and different: Dubai.
• Travelling November to March and love walking: Hong Kong.
• Want the longest flight out of the way first: via Dubai or Doha, the long leg (about 14 hours) is the first one and the hop to Europe is shorter. Via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur it is the other way round.

Does a stopover cost extra?

It depends on the fare. Some fares include a stopover at no extra cost, some charge for it, and the cheapest fares may not allow one at all. Hotel nights are always extra unless they're part of a package. Tell us where and how long you'd like to stop, and we'll check the fare rules before we quote.

Routes: Adelaide to London, Adelaide to Paris, Adelaide to Rome, Adelaide to Athens and Adelaide to Frankfurt. Just want the stopover city? See Adelaide to Singapore and Adelaide to Dubai.

Talk to a real person about stopovers on the way to Europe

Fares and schedules change every day, so we don't publish prices on this page. For live fares, call or WhatsApp the Travel Care team on 0421 882 733. We're a family-run agency at 222 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville, booking flights since 2010, and we speak English, Hindi and Punjabi. Seen a cheaper fare somewhere else? Send us the screenshot and we'll see what we can do.

Last checked: 20 October 2026 by the Travel Care team.