Airport Sleeping Tips: How to Sleep in an Airport

Always Have a Backup Plan

This is the most important tip for anyone who voluntarily sleeps in airports. Some airport officials are not totally supportive of the airport sleeping idea. Although you won’t be kicked out of a large majority of the airports listed on this site, you will be asked why you are there, why you are not in a hotel like a normal person and they will ask for proof that you are flying out the next day. So BE PREPARED to answer those questions and present your outbound airline ticket! They seem to not appreciate us using the airport as our personal hotels — go figure!?!? Our airport guides provide you with information such as the availability of airport lounges, WiFi, transit hotels, 24-hour food options, showers and much more at over 800 airports around the world. And you can also read airport reviews from travellers just like you.

Be Prepared

BE PREPARED

When reports of an upcoming snowstorm, hurricane or erupting volcano are in the news a few days before your trip, you really have no excuse but to go to the airport prepared for a longer than expected stay.

Here are some recommended items for your airport survival kit:

A compact travel sleeping pad • eye shades (or sunglasses) • ear plugs • bottled water and snacks • entertainment (phone, tablet, e-reader, books or magazines) • headphones • charging cables and a power bank • tissues/toilet paper • disinfectant wipes or hand sanitizer • a travel blanket, inflatable pillow or sleeping bag.

Before you settle in for the night, download your boarding pass, maps, entertainment and anything else you may need if airport Wi-Fi becomes unreliable. Keep your devices charged whenever you find an available outlet, as power points can be in high demand overnight.

Finally, take a few minutes to learn your airport’s overnight sleeping policy. Some airports welcome overnight travellers, while others may restrict where you can stay or ask you to leave certain areas. That’s where Sleeping in Airports can help. Explore our 800+ Airport Guides for everything you need to know about sleeping in the terminal, from overnight policies and security tips to the best places to rest.

Final Tip: Set multiple alarms on your phone and any wearable devices before going to sleep. If you are travelling solo and feel comfortable doing so, some travellers still swear by the old “Wake me at 5:00 AM” Post-it note trick. We can’t guarantee it will work, but it has saved a few airport sleepers over the years.

Be Safe

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. Airport security staff have probably seen plenty of airport sleepers before you and may even be able to suggest a safe place to spend the night.

If you are travelling alone, we recommend sleeping near other travellers rather than in a completely isolated area. While reports of serious incidents involving airport sleepers are rare, thefts do happen. Credit cards, phones, laptops and other valuables have been known to disappear while their owners were sleeping. Be smart and be safe! See also “Protect Your Bags” below.

Get there early

If you are staying at a busy airport overnight, you’ll have to get there early if you want a good spot, especially during the summer season (peak airport sleeping season). Airports such as London’s Stansted are so popular they can look like refugee camps on an average night. Many people complain of limited seating when they arrive at 10:00PM.

Scope it out

Finding a good spot may be your biggest challenge. If the situation looks dismal, explore the airport and various terminals. Take the terminal shuttles and go terminal hopping. Even if you are flying out of terminal A, you may discover that terminal C has better accommodation. In airports where there is an international and a domestic terminal, you may discover that the domestic terminal closes at night. Don’t panic, head over to the international terminal as it may remain open. Consider seating, temperature, announcements and people traffic when finding the best place to spend the night. You may need to be creative such as sleeping behind ticket counters, under and behind seats, in wheelchairs and on luggage conveyor belts. Your best source of info will be security, airport and airline staff. If you are nice, these people will likely direct you to a nice spot!

Protect your bags

A major concern when sleeping in the airport is obviously getting robbed while you sleep! If you can’t keep your bags in the left luggage office overnight (check our airport guides to find out if your airport has one), you’ll need to come up with a way to make sure someone can’t access your bags. How you do this really depends on where and how you sleep, so there is no right answer. In my experience, I have always slept with zippers facing either myself, the ground or the wall. This makes gaining access more difficult and potentially noisy. There have been times when I have slept with my arm or leg over or on top of the large bag, so that if it moves, I will wake. Some people have chained their bag to their leg. I’ve never had to go that far, simply because I’m generally a light sleeper and usually wake up if I sense someone near me.

Act innocent (and behave)

Even if you sleep in airports on regular basis — Don’t treat the airport like your personal campground.!! Act like you REALLY do not want to be there and that there is absolutely nowhere else to go. We find crying helps. Remember, in the airport officials’ eyes “the airport is not a motel.” On the other hand, don’t abuse the system and abuse the airport’s tolerance of sleepers hospitality. This site was created for people who wanted to save money on the cost of one night accommodation at an airport hotel. Staying at an airport for days, hanging your laundry in the terminal and cooking on a gas stove only ruins it for others who really need to sleep in the airport.

Late night snack, anyone?

As many food concessions shut down around the time of the last flight, you’ll want to stock up on supplies (water and late-night snacks) before everything closes. Some travellers have reported receiving leftover food from vendors that are closing for the night, but don’t count on it. It’s always best to assume you’ll be relying on whatever snacks you’ve packed or purchased before the shops close.

It’s sometimes better to arrive than depart

The Arrivals lounges are sometimes more comfortable than seating near the Ticket Counter area. It’s amazing how different the two areas can be in some airports. Of course airport logic seems to be that people who are departing immediately go to their gates, they don’t sit around the ticket counters for hours. The arrivals lounge aims to make all those family members, who are waiting for your flight to finally arrive after a four hour delay, a little more comfortable until you and your bags finally show up. Downside: the jubilant cheers for arriving family members can get noisy.

Dress for the occasion

Dress in layers. Have clothes that will make you comfortable if it is unbearably hot or arctically cold in your airport. Pack a hat, gloves and fleece blanket in your carry-on! You may think it sounds silly now, but the airport can be a cold place day or night.

Single travellers listen up

Travelling solo can be a pain in the ass, especially when you are an airport sleeper. Remember that in the airports where few, if any, other people camp out, you will have to take your luggage with you wherever you go. Even though you don’t have to worry about people stealing your belongings, you can’t just leave your stuff sitting there unattended. If you do you may see the bomb squad taking apart your bag by the time you return from the washroom.

Shhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Be considerate of your fellow airport sleepers! Just because you can’t sleep, that doesn’t mean others shouldn’t be able to as well. Take a hint when sleepers raise their heads off the floor and look directly at you with their death stares. You’re too loud! Keep it down or move!

Perks of being a stranded traveller

Did you know that some airports have a supply of cots that they bring out for stranded travellers during snow storms and other weather delays? Some will even throw in a pillow, blanket, toiletries and food vouchers. We’ve added an Airports with Cots page dedicated to airports that offer stranded passenger services.

Lounge around

You no longer need to be flying First Class to enjoy a more comfortable airport experience. Many lounges now welcome travellers regardless of ticket class through day passes, lounge membership programs and credit card benefits. In addition to food, drinks, Wi-Fi and showers, some airports now offer sleep pods, sleep cabins and other short-stay facilities designed specifically for travellers who need a few hours of rest between flights. Visit our Airport Lounges section. One thing to keep in mind is that most lounges (even the pay-in lounges) have a dress code, of sorts. You don’t need to be dressed in suits or fancy clothes, but if you show up looking like a homeless person with a “just slept on the airport floor” look about you, don’t be surprised if they tell you the lounge is “full”.

Showering

After a night in the airport or a long travel journey, you may not be feeling so fresh. Fortunately, there are a few ways to freshen up the next morning before boarding your flight and stinking up the plane. First, there are actually a few airports that have shower facilities. Most of these facilities can be used for small fee that will cover the cost of the towel rental and shampoo/soap. Check our airport guides to see if your airport has them. If your airport doesn’t have its own shower, head over to the airport hotel attached to the airport to see if they will let you use their gym/pool area for a fee. Again, in our airport guides, we list hotels that are attached to the airport and whether they offer showers, pool and gym facilities for a fee. Another option is to use a pay-in lounges. Some of these lounges offer shower facilities, so for a reasonable fee you can shower and have a good breakfast before boarding your flight. And finally, as a last (and FREE) resort, some less modest travellers have been seen in public washroom washing themselves in the sink. If you choose this option, try not to make too much of a mess!

The early morning wake-up call

As sleeping in airports becomes more popular, the airports are becoming less tolerant about traveller’s sleeping on floors and prime airport seating once the airport starts up in the morning. We’ve received reports of airport security doing the rounds to wake-up overnight sleepers around 5:00AM when travellers start to arrive for early morning check-in. If you are sleeping on the seats or if you are in the way of airport traffic, you should expect to receive an early morning visit from an officer who will ask you to get up. If you are in a less conspicuous location, they may not bother you.

Have your credit cards ready!

While one of the goals of sleeping in an airport is to save money on accommodation, there may come a point when comfort wins. Before you travel, it is worth knowing what alternatives are available at your airport. Many airports now offer sleep pods, sleep cabins, transit hotels and nearby airport hotels that can provide a few hours of rest, a shower or even a proper night’s sleep.

If you decide to book a room, you will often save money by booking online rather than walking up to the front desk. During major weather events and travel disruptions, hotel prices can rise quickly as rooms become scarce, so it pays to compare rates before committing. If you have a mobile device, start shopping for the best rate while you are in the terminal or as you are sitting in the airport shuttle on the way to the hotel.

Write a review and give us the lowdown

Share your story with us by letting us know about your layover or overnight sleepover in the airport. By submitting your experiences, good and bad or just general good to know information, you are helping to keep this site as up to date as possible. Please pay it forward and help future airport sleepers!

Have fun!

Before you get too ambitious, set realistic expectations. Most airport sleepers are not getting eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Between announcements, bright lights, cleaning crews, fellow travellers and early morning departures, even the best airport sleeping experience is usually more “rest” than “sleep.”

While there will be times when you can’t sleep, sleeping in airports is not only extreme budget travel, it can be an adventure. Enjoy it! Have fun and, most importantly, make the best of the situation. Some of the best travel memories come from the unexpected experiences along the way, and there are definitely a few adventures to be had in airports.

Since 1996, thousands of traveller reviews and millions of site visitors have proven that sleeping in airports is far more common than most people think. Whether you’re trying to save money, survive a long layover or simply make the best of an unexpected delay, you’re part of a surprisingly large community of travellers who have discovered that airports can be more than just places to catch a flight.