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 Edinburgh Airport.
Our guide is updated with the help of airport sleepers who tell us about their experiences at Edinburgh Airport. If you have a tip to share, write a review to help us keep this sleep guide up-to-date!
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Sleeping in Edinburgh Airport Overnight
While Edinburgh Airport is open 24-hours, you may have to stay in the pre-Security, public zones, as Security checkpoints close for a few hours at night.
Locations & Seating
Expect a decent amount of seating, though it’s not the most comfortable. Your best move is pushing a couple armrest-free chairs or benches together for a makeshift bed, then adding a couple extra layers for some cushion. Sleeping on the floor seems to be no problem, and you may be able to find some darker or more private corners. The sooner you can arrive, the better your chances are for snagging a good spot.
Here are specific spots that travellers have reported:
- The Arrivals and Baggage Claim area has a good amount of armrest-free benches.
- The car rental centre, which is across from the main terminal, is quiet and has some chairs without armrests. (Airport staff may not allow you to stay here for the entire night.)
- The Starbucks, located pre-Security, has comfortable seating.
Rest Zones
At the time of this update, there are no designated rest zones within the airport.
Temperature
At the time of this update, we have not received reports from travellers related to terminal temperature. Still, you can likely expect the airport to cool down at night, as air conditioning continues to run and fewer people are inside. Arrive prepared with a blanket or even a sleeping bag. A hoodie provides extra warmth if the terminal gets even colder.
Lighting
Travellers report that the lights stay brightly lit around-the-clock. Come prepared with eyeshades or something else to cover your eyes, such as a shirt or towel.
Noise
Do anticipate noise here, both during the day and at night. While flights generally stop overnight, there will be ambient noise from the many overnight travellers. Cleaning crews may start up around 12:00AM (midnight) and make enough noise to wake up anyone in the vicinity. A few reports described the airport testing the fire and safety alarm systems around 2:00AM, lasting 30-60 minutes – it will probably be tough to get any shuteye if that happens. Come prepared with earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.
Pro-tip: If you chose a spot near any eateries, keep in mind that the staff arrive early and they can get pretty loud in the kitchen.
Showers
Unfortunately, there are no showers available to freshen up.
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: Costa Coffee (Airside at Gate 10) • Superdrug Drug Store (Airside, sells limited food options).
Hotels
If sleeping in the airport isn’t you think, you can opt for the privacy and comfort of a hotel room. Several hotels are located within a few minutes’ drive of the airport. Two hotels are so close, you can walk to them in about 10 minutes, if you’ve packed light, or opt for their airport shuttles. See the hotel section in our Airport Guide for locations or visit Tripadvisor to find hotels deals at Edinburgh Airport.
Lounges
While Edinburgh Airport has a couple lounges, neither 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 Edinburgh Airport Guide that you can pay to access.
Security & Safety
Because the Security checkpoints close overnight, you won’t be allowed to stay in the Secure, pre-boarding Gate areas. Instead, airport staff relocate all travellers to the pre-Secure, public zones. The security guards may also keep you to specific areas, like the Arrivals floor and not the Check-in areas. Still, they tend to tolerate the many overnight sleepers, even those who sprawl out on the floor. Around 4:00AM, the airport starts buzzing with early morning activity, so you probably won’t be able to sleep much past that.
At the time of this update, we have no reports from travellers commenting on safety issues at Edinburgh 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.
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