Finally, a reality show that helps Frequent Travelers. If you haven’t heard about this, keep reading and watch the show.

For fans of Bourdain’s “No Reservations” series, “The Layover” is a new show built from within “No Reservations”. Bourdain aims to figure out the best way to spend time in between flights, whether its a couple of hours or most of a day. The objective will be how to best spend time taking advantage of whats available to see, eat and drink within the vicinity of airports around the world. Episodes will cover Singapore, London, Rome, Hong Kong, Montreal and Amsterdam among others. I suspect that he will continue to be as blunt and honest as we New Yorkers tend to be when asked to give our opinion.

Based on everything I have seen about “The Layover”, it will be a very “real” show. No promotional consideration (What? no Chase Credit Card sliding across the table?), no scripting, no rehearsals. Just Bourdain leaving the airport and seeing whats available before his next flight. The only planning will be an advanced crew that will travel a day or 2 ahead to set up for taping.

I think this will be worth watching for us travelers if its just to prove that its possible to leave the airport to go explore. How many of us tend to play “defense” and not leave the airport during that 6 hour layover in London? Chicago, San Francisco or _________________? If you stop and think about most major airports, they are almost always near major metropolitan areas, at worst a short train or bus ride.

I’ve done this in the past, most often in Prague where you are a 20-30 minute bus ride from one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I’d land at 8am and my next flight would sometimes be as late as 6p, giving me 8-10 hours to walk around. I always considered it a bonus.

Airports in cities such as London, Hong Kong, New York (yes NY), Singapore, Munich, etc. etc. are close enough where its OK to leave the airport grounds and go explore something new. Almost consider it a mini excursion within your trip. Next time you find yourself waiting for hours in an airport, and you’re tired of the lounge, or worse, you don’t have access to one, leave the airport and see what you can find.

“The Layover” starts this Monday on The Travel Channel and unfortunately I was not compensated to bring this to your attention :). But Anthony if you’re reading this, send me an email…….