Have you ever slept in an aiport?

Yes. I got stuck in traffic and missed the last flight out. The next flight was in the morning at something like 6:30. I figured that if I went to a hotel to sleep, I would never get up in time because I was exhausted. I slept in the terminal waiting area. That was pre 9/11. I don't know if they would still allow that.

OP, you type poor.

If you can afford the flight, surely you can afford the hotel?

Sounds uncomfortable. But if you're the kind of guy who can sleep anywhere...

I'd rather set my alarm for 2am than sleep in an airport. Pack (obviously), go to bed early, get a few hours sleep, wake up, shower, call the car, get to the airport/through security/to the gate, then sleep on the plane.

I tried it once, in Seattle. It was cold and noisy and I didn't sleep at all. Never again.

I’ve slept in an airport twice (once in Switzerland and once in the UK), and it was fine both times. I dozed, but didn’t go into a deep sleep.

On both occasions, I had a flight before 6am, and would have had to be at the airport at 4.30 anyway, so it seemed absurd to pay for a hotel room which I would have had to leave at 3.30am. Instead, I had a long sleep in the evening before heading to the airport at 11pm.

I was quite surprised that there were so many people spending the night in the terminal. It felt safe and was pretty quiet on both occasions. I read somewhere that security might demand to inspect your ticket, to establish a right to spend the night there, but no-one asked me anything.

Yes, many times. Some international airports have actually made it quite easy.

I've slept with hot strangers at airports. Oh, wait...

[quote]I’ve slept in an airport twice (once in Switzerland and once in the UK), and it was fine both times. I dozed, but didn’t go into a deep sleep.

[quote]On both occasions, I had a flight before 6am, and would have had to be at the airport at 4.30 anyway, so it seemed absurd to pay for a hotel room which I would have had to leave at 3.30am. Instead, I had a long sleep in the evening before heading to the airport at 11pm.

Thanks R6 - the flight I want only goes from one UK airport and it's a treck to get there. The cost of transport and an airport hotel would be around 30% of the holiday so want to reduce that as much as possible especially as I wouldn't spend much time in the hotel.

A coach would get me to the airport for 2am and I can doze on that for most of the journey.

The prospect of feeling shattered when I arrive and having to wait 4 hours for my hotel room doesn't appeal but I can always sleep on the beach.

I have in the past for connections (I did it most recently at a Yotel in London), but not for an early flight. I just set the alarm early for the taxi, and then catch up on sleep on the plane.

Did it once at IAD due to a weather delay. It was cold and a bit noisy but manageable.

Yes during the Crowdstrike incident in Hawaii. No sleep at all on the floor that night but 2 extra days of vacation free of charge

I try to never book early flights - I have restless sleep the night before, consciously or subconsciously terrified of missing the alarm and the flight. Every time it feels like I didn't get any sleep at all.

Hate it - never worth the few dollars you save.

Same for late night flights that drop you off at your destination at 5 or 6am. Ok - now fucking what? You can't check in to your hotel or any place until 2 or 3pm.

Asian airports often have nice (small) places to take a quick snooze. Capsule like room with just enough space to lie down

I take naps sometimes when I have a very long layover. Some airports are better than others. It helps if there are couches without arms between every seat so you can lie down. Try to find an empty gate so it’s quiet. A few big airports even have rental “pods” you can sleep in.

Do you guys actually 'sleep' in these pods or just rest comfortably? The idea of oversleeping and missing a flight would keep me from sleeping.

[quote]I try to never book early flights - I have restless sleep the night before, consciously or subconsciously terrified of missing the alarm and the flight. Every time it feels like I didn't get any sleep at all. Hate it - never worth the few dollars you save. Same for late night flights that drop you off at your destination at 5 or 6am. Ok - now fucking what? You can't check in to your hotel or any place until 2 or 3pm.

I agree with all of this, unfortunately the only direct and affordable flight leaves at 5.40am. Serves me right for wanting holidays off the beaten track.

I just did this at Gatwick airport two weeks ago. I live about a 90 minute drive away and there's so much road work between my house and Gatwick, much of it happening in the middle of the night, that I was stressed trying to gauge how early I would have to leave to get there in time. I also do not like getting up really early, I never recover in the day and I had a long journey on the other end. So I decided to get a room at the Bloc hotel at Gatwick. It's right inside the terminal. It was only just big enough for a bed and tiny bathroom. It was spotlessly clean and had a window overlooking the tarmac. I was through security within 30 minutes of waking up and estimated that I got about 3 hours more sleep than I would have otherwise which in this case was important to me.

I couldn't sleep in the airport. Some people can sleep anywhere but I cannot sleep sitting up.

I did a flight once out of O'Hare where I stayed in the hotel that is connected to the airport - was able to get to sleep around 8:30 and up at 3 to get over to the gates by 4, departure was 5:20, and it all went fine. It was for a funeral so I needed to hit the ground at my destination and function.

[quote]I just did this at Gatwick airport two weeks ago. I live about a 90 minute drive away and there's so much road work between my house and Gatwick, much of it happening in the middle of the night, that I was stressed trying to gauge how early I would have to leave to get there in time. I also do not like getting up really early, I never recover in the day and I had a long journey on the other end. So I decided to get a room at the Bloc hotel at Gatwick. It's right inside the terminal. It was only just big enough for a bed and tiny bathroom. It was spotlessly clean and had a window overlooking the tarmac. I was through security within 30 minutes of waking up and estimated that I got about 3 hours more sleep than I would have otherwise which in this case was important to me.

That's really helpful - I'm flying from Gatwick - but it's still ridiculously expensive for what will just be a few hours. I'll decide next week and see then.

Where are you travelling from to Gatwick? Could you not just get an Uber aiming for your check-in time? And if you're on a long haul flight, you'll just sleep on the plane.

[quote] Do you guys actually 'sleep' in these pods or just rest comfortably? The idea of oversleeping and missing a flight would keep me from sleeping.

Of course you sleep in them.

There are alarm clocks in them to help you from oversleeping, plus an attendant who can be asked to wake you.

Not sure how good this guide is, but...

Yotel at Gatwick has rooms by 4-hour segments, £49

[quote] I tried it once, in Seattle. It was cold and noisy and I didn't sleep at all. Never again.

Same.

I had a 6am flight home, after staying in the city.

My transportation was the light rail, since I didn't want to spend money on a rental car or a cab, so I took the last rail to the airport, which arrived there at about 12:30 am.

I checked in, wandered around for a bit, and then finally sat down at my gate and tried to sleep.

It was freezing cold, and for some reason they don't turn on the heat at night. I was near the window, which made it even colder, and I was miserable.

Four hours of that.

I wouldn't say "never again," but I would definitely do it only as a last resort.

Yes. Stuck in Atlanta (Delta hub) because of storms in the NE where I was headed (Boston). It actually wasn't that bad, I made a bed out of stuff in my carry-on (a sweater and a coat) used my backpack for a pillow and had my cell phone alarm set....got up and did a sponge bath in the mens room, brushed my teeth (luckily I always have a change of clothes and panties in my carry-on). had a nice breakfast then got on a flight late morning......

Only in college

It is TERRIBLE

It’s impossible to sleep

There are PSA announcements all night

No I waited from 1-5 ish for a flight but didn’t sleep

I stayed 24 hours at the airport in Vegas. I can't remember why, though. Lol. I think it was a long layover.

It actually wasn't that bad.

During the day, I just ate at the restaurants and used the free airport Wifi on my laptop.

I bought drinks and snacks to last me through the night when everything closed down, and I even played a few slot machines when I was bored.

There are lots of empty places to sleep at night, so that wasn't a problem.

It was actually kind of fun.

Panties?

OP, make it a holiday, chem int h hotel early in the afternoon, cruise th bas and bathrooms, have a good meal in the best restaurant or do a great room service, pamper ourself, get an early bed, get up at four and have a car to the seminal and check in for your flight.

Yes, recently in Qatar's Al Mourjan Business Lounge. I managed.

Somehow I've never had occasion to do it. But if I had...I could have slept well and awakened rested. I can sleep easily in planes, trains, buses, cars, ferries. I so look forward to sleeping through a trans-oceanic flight that I can fall asleep standing up in boarding if there's a wait for people to fuck their belongings into the overhead bins.

My only discomfort of sleeping in an airport is with ensuring my belongings are safe.

Don't some countries offer those sleeping pods (for a price, of course) at airports? I feel like I've seen some video of this and I'm thinking it was an Asian country.

Why don't we do that here? Safer, more quiet, no commute time. And most airports seem to have wide, empty hallways abound, so there should be plenty of space to stack some of them up against walls.

Yes once durning a 4 hour layover in San Francisco. Eye mask+sound canceling headphones. I was with my partner and he stayed awake so I didn’t have to worry about missing my flight.

[quote]Where are you travelling from to Gatwick? Could you not just get an Uber aiming for your check-in time? And if you're on a long haul flight, you'll just sleep on the plane.

It's several hours, coach (ugh) is preferable as the train is so fucking expensive. Getting the late coach (ugh) to arrive at 2am would mean a 45 minute change at Victoria at midnight and I don't wanna be hanging around with no hobos.

So maybe I'll get a cheap guest house nearby and book a taxi for 3.30am although I wouldn't get much sleep at all.

Such a dilemma to go to these semi obscure places in the Mediterranean.

[quote]Don't some countries offer those sleeping pods (for a price, of course) at airports?

Here's a list (2025) of 32 airports with sleeping pods or capsules, though the number is larger than that. What the pods are called makes it difficult to do a proper tally I imagine.

Usually they are operated as a private concession, bookable by the hour or for short segments of a day. Yotel is one brand name. Also, if you have member access to airline lounges (or can buy a day pass) there are often napping pods that can be booked for X hours.

Since few people (excepting a certain DL Paris traveller) like to stay at an airport, it seems an inevitable shift to many more cheap and cheerful and convenient places to book for part of a day.

They are great if you have an ungodly early flight check-in or arrival (arriving in London at 6.00, for example, when your hotel won't be available until 15.00)

I'd still get a hotel room and would just go to bed around 9pm. I may not sleep the full 7 hours till 4am but I'd still be rested better than if I slept on a seat in an airport.

[quote]I'd still get a hotel room and would just go to bed around 9pm. I may not sleep the full 7 hours till 4am but I'd still be rested better than if I slept on a seat in an airport.

That's what I will do - cost be damned, I ain't no hobo!

And there's an affordable train as well which means I don't have to hang around Victoria coach station.

Hoboes sleep in box cars in train yards, OP. Not in airports.

[Quote]Such a dilemma to go to these semi obscure places in the Mediterranean

I condole you, OP.

R9 honestly it sounds like you should just stay at home dear.

I slept at McCarran airport (Las Vegas) one night in 2004. I missed my flight home, which was the last flight of the night. I was able to get a 7am flight home. My friends who dropped me off were on their way to Colorado, so I didn't want to bother them. I played the slots for a couple hours. Then I found a bench to lie down on, with others nearby but not too close. I didn't sleep well, but I'm glad I had a hoodie with me.