Sleeping in Amsterdam Airport

Whether you are an experienced airport sleeper or new to the game, this sleep guide will give you the essential information to better prepare you for sleeping in Amsterdam Airport.

Our guide is updated with the help of airport sleepers who tell us about their experiences at Amsterdam Airport. If you have a tip or photos to share, please take a moment to write a review to help us keep this sleep guide up-to-date!

Read the latest traveller reviews.

Sleeping in Amsterdam Airport Overnight

The airport only permits sleeping in the public area of the terminal during the night, when flights are not operating. In order to stay overnight, you’ll have to show your ID and boarding pass. If you do fall asleep lying across chairs or benches during the day, airport staff may wake you.

Locations & Seating

You should have no problem finding a place to sit, with plenty of benches throughout the areas inside Security, and many are armrest-free. By night, turn them into a makeshift bed or opt for the floor.

Here are good sleep spots that travellers have reported:

Padded chairs, benches, and chaise lounges in the internet area between Piers E and F, though it does get noisy.
McDonald’s in Lounge 3, top floor, has armrest-free benches.
If you’re staying pre-Security, the cafe on the terminal’s left side has comfy seats.

Rest Zones

Amsterdam Airport offers designated rest zones where tired travellers can enjoy some stress-free time in reclining relaxation chairs. Locations: Gates D, Gates E upstairs (2 locations), near the entrance to Gates C, and near the entrance to Gates D.

Temperature

Reviews are mixed about the airport temperature. Some report that is always cold, others report sleeping without the need for a blanket or sleeping bag. Arrive prepared. Better to have blanket than to need a blanket. Even a hoodie provides extra warmth if the terminal gets colder.

Lighting

A few travellers have reported that airport lights stay on all night, though they may not be too bright. Come prepared with eyeshades or something else to cover your eyes, such as a shirt or towel.

Noise

During the day, expect typical airport noise, like boarding calls and general announcements. By night, there are fewer announcements. Still, earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones will help out if you’re trying for some overnight sleep.

Showers

Freshen up (and loosen those stiff muscles) with a shower before your flight at pay-to-use facilities. Locations: Mercure Hotel, €19,50 gets you towels and toiletries (Location: inside Security, Lounge 3, Upper Level, piers F, G, H); Yotel, €15 includes towels and toiletries for 1 hour (Location: inside Security, Lounge 2, Upper Level, piers D, E). Free showers (as submitted by a reader – 2019) are available Airside, Lounge 2, near the Mac Store and Xpress Spa. While they are free, there are no towels, shampoo, etc. provided.

Food & Drink

When you get the midnight munchies or give up trying to sleep and need a coffee to stay awake, 24-hour food concessions are available. Check out these vendors: Amsterdam Bread Co. (Lounge 2); Bread! (Lounge 3); Burger King (Plaza); Dutch Bar & Kitchen (Holland Boulevard); Harvest Market (Lounge 2); La Place Express (Landside); Mediterranean Sandwich Bar (Lounge 1); Park Cafe (Lounge 1); Silverscreen Bar (Lounge 2 Pier E).

Hotels

Prefer some privacy and comfort? If you would like a good solid sleep between flights without the stress of going through security, two transit hotels are available. The Mercure Schiphol Terminal is located in the transit area of Lounge 3. Rooms are available overnight and during the day, as long as you are on a flight departing the same or next day. YOTELAIR is located in Lounge 2’s transit area, with day rooms available in 4-hour blocks. You can also opt for a shower-only package. GoSleep Pods (Concourse D) may be just what you need for a quick nap. Three more hotels are located directly at the airport, within a short walk of the Arrivals Hall: A Sheraton (day rooms available), a Hilton, and a budget-friendly citizenM hotel. See the hotel section in our Airport Guide for locations or visit Tripadvisor to find hotels deals at Schiphol Airport.

Lounges

While Amsterdam Airport has a few lounges, none have designated sleep rooms or rest areas. If you just want to relax in a comfortable seat, check out this list of lounges in our Amsterdam Airport Guide that you can pay to access.

Security & Safety

The airport only allows sleeping inside the terminal at night when flights are not operating – which means during the day, you may asked to move or wake up if you’re sprawled out on the benches. If you are staying overnight, security guards begin nightly rounds at 12:00 AM, checking for ID and boarding passes. If you don’t have a pass, you’ll have to leave the airport until it re-opens at 4:00 AM.

At the time of this update, we have no reports from travellers commenting on safety issues at Amsterdam Airport. As a precaution, here are a few tips to ensure you have a safe airport sleeping experience:

Know Where Security is Located. Whether you are sleeping in the airport by yourself or with friends, it is good to know where security is. Know where their office is located and look for video cameras in the spot you decide to stay the night. Ask security where it is safe to spend the night. They’ve probably seen many airport sleepers before you and they will direct you to a safe spot.
Don’t Seclude Yourself. If you are travelling alone we recommend that you sleep near other travellers or close to security.
Hide Your Valuables. Don’t leave all your mobile devices out in plain view. We have received reports from people who woke up with earphones and no ipod and a laptop bag strap and no laptop bag (or laptop). Same goes with important documents and money. Keep these secure on your body, so that no one can get them without waking you up.
Secure Your Bags. If you are a deep sleeper, you may want to padlock your bag to something. If your bags have zippers turn the bag upside down (zippers to the floor) or sleep with your bag up against the wall, so that it would be hard for someone to access.
Choose to Stay Alert. If you don’t feel safe, drink coffee and stay awake and be alert. You can always sleep on the plane!

Pro-tip: If you are sleeping in the public zone, don’t be surprised if you receive an early morning wake-up call. Security is known to make the rounds waking people up as travellers begin to arrive for morning flights.