Open-Jaw Flights: Add a City and Skip the Backtrack Day
(6 minute read)
TL;DR
An open-jaw flight means you fly into City A and home from City B (no return to A). It often saves a full travel day, reduces backtracking costs, and can price similarly to a round trip. Use a “Multi-city” search, pair it with trains between bases, and treat arrival/departure days like light, human-friendly days—not ambitious sightseeing marathons.
If you’ve ever ended a great trip by spending your final day dragging luggage back to the city you started in, you already understand the pain. Open-jaw fixes that. It’s one of the simplest itinerary upgrades in Europe—because the rail network is strong, distances between major cities are manageable, and your best memories shouldn’t include sprinting through a station with a suitcase wheel screaming for mercy.
What is an open-jaw (in plain language)
Standard round trip: Home → Paris → Paris → Home
Open-jaw: Home → Paris … Rome → Home
You fill the gap (Paris → Rome) with a train, short flight, or car—usually a scenic, efficient leg that’s better than burning a day returning to Paris.
Why it works: You stop paying the “return-to-start” tax in time, money, and energy.
Think of your trip like a story. A round trip forces your plot to loop back to the first chapter at the end. Open-jaw lets you finish where the story naturally ends.
When open-jaw wins (most of the time)
Open-jaw is a slam dunk when:
Your route is basically linear (London → Paris → Amsterdam, or Barcelona → Valencia → Madrid).
You’re planning two or three bases (not five) and want fewer hotel moves.
A fast train connects your bases better than flying back to your starting point.
You value one extra usable day over chasing a slightly cheaper fare.
The biggest win is psychological: you travel forward. You don’t do the “we already did this” day at the end when everyone is tired, slightly over museum-ed, and one minor inconvenience away from dramatically announcing, “I hate travel.”
When it may not help
Open-jaw isn’t always the right tool.
It may not help if:
You’re truly doing a hub-and-spoke trip (one base with day trips).
You’re hopping islands or moving through regions without good rail links (open-jaw can still help, but check one-way flight prices for the gap).
There’s an unusually cheap classic round trip that beats open-jaw even after adding backtracking costs (rare, but sales happen).
In these cases, the best move may be: pick one excellent base, keep it simple, and spend your energy on day-flow instead of logistics.
The time and money math (door-to-door)
Open-jaw typically gives you:
+1 usable day (no backtrack day).
Fewer transfers (and fewer taxis) overall.
Less “we gave up” spending from fatigue (yes, this is real—tired travelers order the expensive taxi, skip the good dinner, and stop caring).
Example: Rome → Florence/Tuscany → Venice (10 days)
Round trip: Home ↔ Rome
That means returning to Rome at the end: often an extra 3–6 hours of rail plus airport transfer time on your last day—when you’re least interested in logistics.
Open-jaw: Home → Rome … Venice → Home
You leave from Venice and keep that final afternoon for a lagoon walk, a last spritz, or a slow lunch—rather than a sprint back to Rome with luggage and regrets.
The key is evaluating door-to-door, not just “flight time vs. train time.” Airports have friction: early arrival, security, long walks, boarding, deplaning, and then the ride into town. Stations are usually central and simpler. Open-jaw helps you benefit from that reality instead of fighting it.
How to search (step by step)
Use “Multi-city” in the airline or OTA search.
Example: Home → Paris (CDG) on your arrival date; Rome (FCO) → Home on your departure date.Price the middle leg separately.
-If it’s a train: check schedules and seat reservations; aim for morning or early afternoon so you arrive with daylight and energy.
-If it’s a short flight: add bags and airport transfers to see the true cost.
Compare to a classic round trip + backtrack costs.
Include: rail/airfare back to the first city, airport transfers, and lost time.Try nearby airports.
London (LHR/LGW), Paris (CDG/ORY), Milan (MXP/LIN/BGY), Rome (FCO/CIA). A different airport on either end can shift price and timing.Check alliance partners and calendar views.
Sometimes a partner airline within the same alliance offers better times or pricing on multi-city combos.Awards and points:
Many programs allow open-jaw on a single award if you book it as multi-city. Check the rules before transferring points so you don’t get stuck with a one-way you didn’t intend to buy.
Pro tip: If you see a great long-haul fare, grab it first. Long-haul flights are the constraint; the middle segment is usually the flexible part.
Booking tips we use (so you can, too)
Anchor your dates first, then fit flights around that—not the reverse. Decide what day you want to be in each city based on rhythm (not just distance).
Keep arrival and departure days light. Plan neighborhood strolls, a simple café, and an easy dinner near your hotel—especially if you land late or are crossing time zones.
Mix cabins strategically. Premium economy outbound (to sleep better) and economy inbound (to save money) can price well on open-jaw tickets.
Mind buffer time if you DIY separate tickets. If your “middle leg” is on a separate ticket, leave generous time so one delay doesn’t wreck the rest of your day.
One ticket vs. separate one-ways:
Multi-city on one ticket often offers better protection if a flight misbehaves.
Two separate one-ways can add flexibility but may leave you less protected. Decide knowingly.
Mistakes to avoid (we fix these a lot)
Searching round-trip only and assuming open-jaw is “expensive.”
Ignoring airport transfers (two rides to/from airports can add up fast).
Buying the middle leg before booking the long-haul (lock long-haul first).
Overstuffing the route. Open-jaw shines with two or three excellent bases, not five rushed stops.
Leaving zero buffer on the last day. Give yourself a calm morning or early afternoon before the flight home.
What we do (and why it helps)
Design linear routes that fit your exact dates (weekday patterns matter).
Run door-to-door comparisons (time, cost, energy) for open-jaw vs. round trip.
Build priority-sight-first day plans around your arrival/departure windows.
Provide curated flight and rail options you book directly (transparent prices, loyalty benefits where applicable).
Offer on-trip support when schedules shift: we re-sequence without wasting a day.
FAQs
Is an open-jaw always pricier than a round trip?
No. Often it’s similar—or even cheaper once you include backtracking costs for the round trip.
Can I add a stopover (like a night in a connecting hub)?
Sometimes, yes—depends on fare rules. Multi-city search helps surface it, and some award programs allow stopovers.
What about luggage?
Open-jaw doesn’t change baggage rules. Just make sure your middle leg (train or short flight) matches your bag plan.
What if I already bought a round trip?
You can still travel “linearly” in the middle, but the last day becomes your backtrack day. If that’s you, plan something nice near the departure city and keep it low-stress.
Does open-jaw work with kids?
Yes. Fewer backtracks = fewer meltdown moments. Keep rail hops short and prioritize parks and easy meals near both hotels.
Have you ever booked an open-jaw—and did it save your sanity? Drop your city pair (or the route you’re considering) in the comments, and tell us what you’d do with that reclaimed backtrack day.