Washington Dulles International Airport
Lasting Impressions....
Memorable comments left by travellers:
"I didn't get a wink of sleep, but I saved a lot of $$$$." (Paul)
FEATURED REVIEWS
by hawq
For an international airport, Dulles shuts down surprisingly early. From 10pm, virtually no flights leave but arrivals trickle in through most of the night. All the stores are shut by 10pm too so you should pack dinner or you'd go hungry. The only place open in the lobby was Guava & Java, a coffee/sandwich shop with plush though limited seating and constantly blaring TV. I recommend this if you want to spend the night awake.
There were quite a few people looking to spend the night in the airport (20-30) on the day I was there. The cleaning staff work around you, the security personnel are indifferent to your existence. All this is great news for you, the airport sleeper.
There are quite a few great places to sleep:
1. Baggage area - This has several plush chairs and the later the most evening, the more quiet it becomes. Sleeping here though is a bit of a gamble. If an arriving plane uses the baggage carousel you've chosen then expect loud excited travelers interrupting your sleep.
2. Bank of wheelchairs - The chairs used to move people to and from planes is by far the best sleep area. The seats are plush and no one seemed to mind when I took one. Great sleep.
3. Ticketing area - Most areas to sit are on metal. It helps if you have a blanket, or towel to sit on or your butt numbs out in a few hours.
by eureka, 11/7/2009
I've been sleeping at several airports during my travels and Dulles is one of my favourites. I arrived early at 8pm and just found a floor space in the middle of the check in area. The check ins were about to close up for the night. I put some towels on the stone floor and turned on my computer. Not much light and soft music playing in the terminal. Sometimes interrupted by calls. But they never disturbed me during the night. I think they came with more time between the late it got. I slept from 10pm to 7.30am. Woke up two times during the night, the first time i had to go to the toilet and the other one I had been sleeping on my phone and that hurted. Woke up in the morning from the noice of the check in people. The temperature was perfect! I just had my early fall jacket on and didn't need more. 'i had expect worse.. Did I mention there is a 24hr shop open at the arrivals?
Sleep here!
Airport Guide
Here is some information that we've picked out of from your reviews. Be sure to read the review pages for the most up-to-date experiences:
- lightly padded seats with armrests
- frequent announcements during day, quieter at night
- chapel in Terminal B
Travel Sites
- Hostels and Budget Accommodation - I've booked my own accommodation on this site. If you are too old for hostels and too cheap for hotels, like me, you'll find some good properties. They offer dorms, private rooms, B&Bs, Apartments.
