Sleeping at the airport or at airport hotels? Read our tips
Have you ever pondered over the following question – should I sleep at the airport or find accommodation at the nearest hotel? The pros and cons of both options are obvious:
- Hotel: comfort, access to toilet and bathroom and being in better shape the day after at the price of paying a little extra which may make looking for cheap flights pointless.
- Airport: probably a poor sleep, the danger of being accosted by the staff at some airports and the necessity of looking after your belongings but it also means savings.
Or maybe you simply do not have the luxury of choice – you have to spend th
e stopover at the airport in the middle of the night or worse yet, you are grounded by nasty weather? Regardless of whether you plan to stay overnight at the airport or are forced to do so, you should be prepared. So what can make this night bearable?
- In case the seat are unconformable and sleeping on the floor is not an option (you have no sleeping bag or it is not allowed), carry with you an inflatable pillow, little mattress or at least a thick blanket. You may need something to sit on.
- A reading matter/ mp3 player/ laptop – at least one of these seems to be indispensable in case you cannot sleep
- Ear plugs along with eye shades will help you fall asleep
- Antiseptic liquid/ napkin – let us be honest, most airports are not hospitals and
- Food & water – airport convenience stores may be closed at night
- Stick to other travellers when travelling alone
- The departure hall does not have to be the best spot – take a walk and make sure you have not missed a better place like McDonald’s benches or what about a prayer room at some airports? Blasphemic? But how comfortable!
In conclusion one can also mention which airports enjoy a bad reputation among airport sleepers. A little internet survey reveals that these airports show up in the comments fields in a number of websites are e.g. Paris Airport, Moscow Airport, Airport Chicago or New Delhi.
Airport Chicago (ORD), Airports, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, Tips and hints
There is a great website called ‘sleeping in airports’ that gives you the best places to try to sleep, if this is what you need to do. Some airports simply won’t let you though – security or the police throw you out and they close for the night – so a hotel is the only option.
Hi Gavin,
Yea, we know this website and were partly inspired by it! The fact that some airport do not allow you to stay overnight is the reason we published a post about airport hotels. We recommend it.
regards
http://blog.flylowcostairlines.org