Whether your situation calls for a short nap or an overnight slumber, this sleep guide will give you the essential information needed to prepare you for sleeping in Geneva Airport.
Our guide is updated with the help of airport sleepers who tell us about their experiences at Geneva Airport. If you have a tip to share, write a review to help us keep this sleep guide up-to-date!
Covid-19 Update: This sleep guide was written before Covid-19, so the information may have changed. In October 2021, we will be starting our first guide update since March 2020. A lot has changed, so it’s going to be a massive update. If you are interested in helping, click here to add or update information or write a review to add tips or share photos to help future travellers .
This guide was last updated: 01 October 2019. Read the latest traveller reviews.
Sleeping in Geneva Airport Overnight
According to the official website, Geneva Airport is closed from 12:00 AM (midnight) until 4:00AM. Still, it seems that some travellers get lucky and are allowed to remain inside, as long as they’re already in the terminal before closing time. If you are in Geneva and arrive at the airport on the landside (by car, bus, train), you would not be able to enter the airport until the same day as your flight departure. Be safe and have a backup plan ready, just in case!
Locations & Seating
There’s a decent amount of seating throughout the airport. By night, with few airport sleepers, you’ll likely have your pick. But most of the seating options are hard and equipped with armrests. For sleep, you may want to sprawl out on the floor. It isn’t carpeted, so extra layers will provide some cushion and warmth.
Here are good sleep spots that travellers have reported:
- Terminal 1, Floor 2 has a waiting room that seems to be very quiet
- Terminal 1, near the exit for the train station, you may find some leather chairs, which are comfortable for anyone who can sleep while sitting up.
- A small nook with basic chairs is located just before the walkway leading to the car rental desks.
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
Because the airport is technically closed overnight, most of the lights are dimmed until around 4:00 AM. Come prepared with eyeshades or something else to cover your eyes, such as a shirt or towel.
Noise
Daytime sleepers can expect to hear frequent announcements regarding things like boarding calls and general airport announcements (safety warnings, passenger pages, etc). At night, the airport is closed, so it quiets down considerably. Travellers who reported spending the night here said they mostly woke up when cleaning crews got started around 4:00 AM. As a precaution, 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
Freshen up (and loosen those stiff muscles) with a shower before your flight. Locations: Inside Security, at the transit area near the First and Business Class lounges, and pre-Security, two locations in Arrivals: near baggage carousel 6 and near the Post Office. The CHF 15 fee includes toiletries and a towel, and you can purchase tokens at the Welcome Desk Swissport (Arrivals, near baggage carousel 2-3).
Food & Drink
No 24-hour food concessions are available, so stock up on food and water before eateries close for the night.
Hotels
Prefer some privacy and comfort? If you would like a good solid sleep, you’ll have to leave the airport altogether. A few hotels are located within a 5-minute drive of the airport, offering free airport shuttle service. See the hotel section in our Airport Guide for locations or visit Tripadvisor to find hotels deals at Geneva Airport.
Lounges
Geneva Airport has a few lounges, but 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 Geneva Airport Guide that you can pay to access.
Security & Safety
At the time of this update, we have no reports from travellers commenting on safety issues at Geneva 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 alone or with friends, it is good to know where security is. Know where their office is located and look for video cameras where 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 only earphones and a laptop bag strap, but without the iPods or laptops that were attached. The same goes for important documents and money. Keep these secure on your body so 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 it.
- Choose to Stay Alert. If you don’t feel safe, drink coffee, stay alert, and stay awake. 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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