How to Sleep at Airports: 25 Must-Know Tips

Do you have a trip coming up?

Exciting!

Will you have to sleep at an airport during your trip? A lot less exciting…

Although it depends. We actually quite enjoy it.

Think we are crazy? Most likely.

But also, we know two things:

• A little trick that changes your mindset on how to sleep at airports
• 25 tips that help make the experience less awful

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read our Disclaimer.

Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.

After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full-time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆

During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia. Btw, even our secret wedding was more of an expedition than a wedding. 😅

And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful travel tips and info with you!

Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own epic adventures too!

Warning

This post is long.

Why?

Because it’s not just an AI-generated list of 25 tips on how to sleep at airports.

It’s full of thoughtful tips and tricks that will help you survive a night at an airport.

So you can scan the list to see the 25 tips.

But we would also suggest actually reading the post, to learn all the tricks and hacks you can.

Maybe bookmark it and read it over a few days.

Or do whatever you want – it’s up to you, we just wanted to give you a heads up – don’t want you having a shock when you scroll down!

Save that for when you see the kind of seat you are expected to sleep on at the airport. 😉

Speaking of, do only weirdos do that??

Is sleeping at airports normal?

If you’ve never spent a night at an airport, you might be wondering whether anyone actually does it.

Is it okay to just, I don’t know, set an alarm, close your eyes and not wake up till it’s time to go through security and get yelled at for taking your liquids bag out of your backpack? (because rules!)

As budget travellers that do all sorts of questionable things to save money, we can confirm, yes, people do spend nights at airports – even sleep there.

And do you know what?

It’s not just people who travel like tramps (read: us) who do that. There are actually many reasons why you might have to spend a night at the airport.

Let’s talk about them briefly.

Why you might need to sleep at an airport

We thought we’d cover this section in case you were feeling uncomfortable about having to spend a night at an airport.

Remember: you are not alone and it’s totally normal.

Here is why you might end up sleeping not in a bed, but on an uncomfortable plastic chair at gate D34.

1. You might have an overnight layover and either not be able to get an airport hotel or not be willing to spend money on it (saving those moneyzz!)
2. You might have a super early morning flight and no way of getting to the airport in time for it, unless you go the night before and spend the night there (also called “places with sucky public transport”).
3. You might land late and not have any onward public transport option (different situation, same problem as above).
4. Your flight might get delayed, you might miss your onward connection and not qualify for an airport hotel stay (because life isn’t fair).
5. You are meeting up with a friend who is on a different flight, arriving early in the morning, and it isn’t worth going to your accommodation and back to the airport in a few hours.
6. You made a mistake with your visa application and are one day off, so can’t officially enter the country (so you are stuck in an airport limbo).
7. You made a mistake with a flight or an accommodation and realised too late that you have to spend a night somewhere (and an airport is a pretty safe option).
8. Sometimes, you don’t even have to make a mistake – maybe you simply don’t have a visa to enter the country during a transfer, and this includes going to a hotel too. This is pretty common in countries like China.
9. You are a weirdo like us, travel to a concert and discover that buses back home from the airport start earlier in the morning than from the city centre. You spend the night at the airport, saving money on accommodation and catching the first airport bus home (true story from seeing Green Day in Vienna).

There you go, that’s 9 reasons off the top of our heads that might lead to you having to sleep at an airport!

So yes, it happens a lot, to many people.

You definitely aren’t alone in this situation.

And we are here to help, as always, with lots of encouragement, our 💩 luck stories and as many tips and tricks as we know.

Speaking of, we’ve got something that might be of use.

You might want to read this

If you are going to be hanging out not just at the airport soon, but also up in the sky (one of the best places to hang out, no?), we’ve got two posts that might be helpful:

1. Long-haul flight hacks – so that you are loving your long flight and not feeling like 💩 when you get off it
2. How to find free water at airports – so that you can spend your money on fun things, not water bottles in duty free

Give these two posts a read – we packed them full of tips that will make your travels easier and better.

Tip no. 1: Change your mindset

We’ll start with a tip on how to sleep at airports that no one seems to be talking about.

And yet it’s one that can change everything.

Here is the thing.

Objectively speaking, sleeping at airports sucks.

It’s cold, uncomfortable, there is no privacy, no proper way to do personal hygiene, and it’s also not safe, at least not like sleeping in your own home or in a hotel.

All of the above is true.

It’s also true, though, that you have two options when you have to sleep at an airport.

1. You can focus on the fact that it’s a sucky situation.
2. You can change your mindset. Let’s talk more about this.

How to change your mind

We are used to travelling like crazy people, so admittedly, this comes more naturally to us.

But these days, everyone will tell you that to be happier, you should practise gratefulness.

So, if you are not a naturally crazy traveller, think about it in the name of being grateful.

How do you practise gratefulness while sleeping at an airport?

• By realising that the fact that you are sleeping at an airport means you are going somewhere. Admittedly, it might not be a holiday – maybe you are flying to see a relative who got ill. But if you are at an airport for a positive reason, think about having to sleep at an airport as just part of the journey – same as having to go through security or passport control.
  
  If you’re flying somewhere for not-so-happy reasons, first off, we’re really sorry. 💔 And second, try to remember that even in tough moments, this airport night is just a small chapter in your bigger story, and hopefully, better days are waiting on the other side.
  
• By realising that your younger self would think this is the coolest thing ever. If you have told your kid-self that you are having a sleepover at an actual airport? How hyped would they be? So maybe nights at an airport are not the most glamorous ones, but maybe they are an opportunity to get back in touch with your inner child?
• It’s a cliché, but what doesn’t kill you (usually) makes you stronger. Pulling an all-nighter at an airport builds resilience. And resilience is needed in today’s world.
• This might be a personal thing, but we like to think that cool travellers spend nights at airports. You know, the kind who travel full-time, get up to all sorts of crazy things, and are way beyond mortal concerns – like stressing over wrinkled clothes on a flight. (Yes, we do totally hope this is us, having travelled full-time in wrinkled clothes for almost 2 years.)

Tip no. 2: Think about your situation

The issue with all of these “how to sleep at airports” articles?

They don’t know you and your situation.

Why this matters

We don’t know you and your situation either – unless you tell us in the comments below or give us a shout on our Instagram (feel free to, we love to connect!).

But we at least admit that we don’t know everything about you and won’t be guessing here.

What we will do instead is tell you what you should do:

Consider who you are.

For example: 

• if you are a 20yo petite female flying internationally for the first time vs
• a 38yo, muscly guy with 20 years of travel experience

Should it matter how these two different people spend a night at an airport? And what experience they’ll, potentially, have?

No. But the sad reality of this world is that it does.

The same goes for what your situation is, not just who you are.

For example:

• Are you sleeping at the airport with little children?
• Are you flying solo, but with 5 pieces of luggage that you will have to keep an eye on?
• Will you be at the airport after already travelling for 20 tiring hours, meaning you won’t be able to keep your eyes open and will most likely doze off?

As you can see, who you are and what your situation is changes things big time.

Something to think about

For any emergencies, accidents and incidents, it’s best to be protected by travel insurance.

Did you know we researched 23 insurance providers when choosing the right one for our full-time travels?

Yes, we are that crazy. But it was worth it. In the end, we actually found two companies whose insurance we are happy with.

If you are not sure who to go with, definitely check out SafetyWing or True Traveller. They are both great, both created by travellers for travellers, and both offer amazing value for money.

What you should do

When reading tips on how to sleep at airports, keep this information about yourself and your situation in mind.

Especially, if it’s your first time spending a night at an airport, be careful whose advice you follow. 

If you’re that petite 20-year-old first-timer, maybe don’t blindly trust a 35-year-old muscle guy telling you “it’s totally safe” to crash at the airport.

Always think about your unique circumstances.

Speaking of. Let’s talk about this more in the next tip.

Tip no. 3: Consider the airport

Not all airports are the same.

You might have noticed this when going through security in different airports – why are the rules NEVER the same? Sometimes the rules change day to day, even at the same airport! Is this reel really how it works? (Hilarious, btw)

Similarly, sleeping at airports is not the same everywhere you go.

You might have a quite alright night at one place and a what-the-hell-just-happened at the next.

This means you always have to consider the airport you are planning your sleepover at – don’t assume that you know everything just because you’ve slept at 5 different airports – the 6th one might be totally different!

The thing is, how do you consider an airport you’ve never been to? Also since airports are forever changing, being rebuilt, reshuffled, shops come and go etc.?

Aha, we’ve got two solutions for that, so read on!

Tip no. 4: Stay airside

First of all, no matter the airport, if you can, stay airside, meaning in the area with the gates, past the security checkpoints.

Why?

Because airside is usually nicer and better equipped.

Airports are trying to keep you happy and entertained when airside. And to keep you spending.

This means there are more shops, more food and drink places, more toilets, more chairs, more activities for kids, more, more, more.

Landside is usually just stress, check-in desks and a few sad chairs in the arrivals area.

If you are able to choose, meaning:

• you are landing at an airport and then spending the night there – stay airside, don’t pass through the “nothing to declare” exit
• you are leaving on an early morning flight and are able to go through security super early on, do go through to get to airside and spend the night there

We’ve done a landside night a few times and it’s always been more painful than airside. 

Now, that’s advice no. 1, for when you are considering the airport you are staying at.

Advice no. 2 is our secret weapon.

Tip no. 5: Must-check website

We’ll admit it: we’ve got a secret hack that we use when planning our next airport sleepover.

It’s a website called Sleeping in Airports.

Actually, we check it even when we aren’t planning on sleeping at a 90° angle with the A/C blasting on us in the arrivals area.

Why?

Because it has all the info about an airport – from airport hours to wifi to food and drink options.

If you need to know something about an airport, just check the site. It’s a lot easier than looking for information on the official website of that airport. Plus, on Sleeping in Airports, you can often find info on things you wouldn’t find on the official website, such as whether you need to worry about the security staff at the airport. (Yep, you read that right. We talk about it in the next tip.)

Another awesome feature?

There is a whole reviews section, by airport, where other sleeping-at-airport enthusiasts share their personal experience and often even pictures! It doesn’t get more useful than that – knowing what sleeping at the very airport you will be at is like, from another traveller.

Now, let’s talk about why the security staff is sometimes the biggest problem.

Tip no. 6: Watch out for airport security 

The irony?

You might be worried about people stealing your stuff or bothering you when planning how to sleep at airports.

What a lot of people don’t realise, though, especially if they’ve never done a night at an airport, is that often the actual airport security is the bigger problem.

Why?

In many places, they’ve been instructed to not let people sleep at an airport.

We had this issue at London Stansted, which is a terrible airport, with literally nowhere to spend the night on landside, even when you want to stay awake. The security even had an issue with people sitting on the floor, despite the fact that there isn’t anywhere else to go.

We did say nights at the airport sometimes suck big time. This is where shifting your mindset will help big time – unless you want to fight airport security and get banned (would not recommend).

Why do the security staff not let people sleep?

There are many reasons for this, for example:

• Travellers are often inconsiderate and set up camps anywhere – blocking doors, corridors and other access points
• Cleaning often happens during nights, when there are no flights, and it’s impossible to do when the whole floor is like a pillow fort
• The unattended bag announcement we all know? It gets a lot harder to figure out what’s an unattended bag if you can’t even see whether there is a person underneath all the hoodies, blankets and backpacks
• Airports are for flying, not for free lodging. Security doesn’t wanna spend their shift figuring out who is an actual traveller and who is a homeless person (or a shady character)

How to avoid having problems with security:

• Be considerate of where you set up a camp – we’ll talk about this in the next point
• Don’t sleep on the floor – if you stick to chairs, you are a lot less likely to get in trouble
• Stay airside. Security is a lot more wary of people sleeping on landside than airside. Why? Because to get to airside, you have to be an actual passenger – meaning you have been screened via security and often even passport control, and you have a reason to be at an airport
• We’ve already covered this in tip no. 5, but check Sleeping in Airports, which also has information on how staff behave towards sleeping travellers and whether sleepovers are discouraged

We keep mentioning finding the right spot when sleeping at an airport, so let’s talk about that in more detail.

Tip no. 7: Find the right location

One of the top things that decides whether your night at the airport will suck or be bearable?

The location of your sleep camp!

There are a few things you need to consider, so let’s talk about them.

Which part of the airport

When deciding where at the airport you should try and set up your “bed”, think about these things:

• How loud the area is
• Whether there is anyone else there. Contrary to the popular belief, you shouldn’t try to isolate yourself, especially if you are solo travelling. You will just make yourself more vulnerable
• If you can, set up near a security office to feel extra safe
• Airside vs landside – we’ve already covered this in tip no. 4

Who is near you

People move around at the airport, so you can only partially decide who you set up your camp next to.

You can, at least, consider this:

• A busy area where people are moving a lot might not be quiet enough to sleep in. Plus, it might be easier to steal something from a sleeping traveller where many people come and go.
• Spending the night in a quiet area with other travellers who are (un)fortunate enough to be at the airport overnight? It might be peaceful, but it might again be a good area for thieves, if everyone is asleep.

What time is your flight

You might have a 7pm to 7am layover, leaving on a 9am flight.

That doesn’t mean, though, that you get to have a glorious 8-hour sleep, from 11pm to 7am.

Why?

Because flights start early in the morning.

Think about these things when deciding on your location:

• An area that is quiet in the middle of the night might get super noisy and busy when people start arriving for the early morning flights at 5am onwards (or so). Always check when the first flights are.
• Don’t set up somewhere where you will be in the way as people arrive to the airport.
• The same applies to sleeping in the arrivals area – check for the first flights arriving to make sure you are not in the way and disturbed.
• Safety is also a factor – a sleeping traveller in the chaos of hundreds of people coming into the arrivals area? The perfect target for a thief.

Basically, if you have a choice of seats, don’t plop yourself on the first one you spot.

Think about where it’s located.

Walk around the airport a bit if you are not familiar with it.

Find the best spot that will let you sleep and stay safe. 

This is especially important if you are travelling solo.

If there are more of you? You can rely on each other and sleep in shifts. Let’s talk more about that. 

Tip no. 8: Shift work

Admittedly, this tip is only useful if you are travelling with someone else.

But.

If you have a travel partner (or a few), some things become super easy while others are a bit more difficult.

The easy stuff

You don’t have to worry about safety and security.

Take turns sleeping, so there is always someone keeping watch. We know many people don’t do this – everyone just sleeps – but we don’t have that kind of faith in humanity and would probably not even be able to fall asleep knowing one of us isn’t on guard duty.

Here are a few things to think about:

• You can divide the night evenly, so everyone gets the same amount of sleep.
• Alternatively, if you know someone needs more sleep or is not able to sleep on a plane, but is fine sleeping at an airport, you can agree that they sleep while on the ground, while you’ll get to sleep on a plane. We did this previously during our overnight layover in Qatar – Daniel slept while Mirka stayed up the whole night.
• If going for this second option with an uneven split, make sure the watchman (or a watchwoman!) is entertained enough to not fall asleep during their shift.
• The bigger your travel group, the better – meaning the more sleep each person will get.

The difficult stuff

The one big disadvantage of not doing your airport sleepover solo?

The bigger your group, the harder it might be to grab a good spot. Airports are forever busy, so sometimes finding even 2 chairs together to sleep on with your partner is impossible. Now try doing that for a 4 or 5 person group.

Tip no. 9: Safety in numbers

A good tip for solo travellers? Or even couples and small groups who don’t feel safe?

Try to find decent-looking people you can (at least briefly) befriend.

Why should you befriend people at the airport?

• There is safety in numbers – you are a lot more likely to be a target if you are obviously alone, away from everyone else, than if you are surrounded by others.
• They can help watch your stuff if you need to pop into a toilet or to get water (we’ll talk more about that later in this post).
• An ideal situation? Finding a couple or a group who is sleeping in shifts. That way you know: 1. They are also on alert and thinking about safety. 2. Someone will always be awake and watching the area, which, if you set up near them, includes you.

How to approach people at the airport?

We know it can be scary, to talk to strangers, especially if you are: introverted/shy/awkward/young/inexperienced/alone etc.

The best advice we can give you? 

Don’t overthink it. And also:

• Find someone similar to you. If you are a solo female backpacker, try to find a group of girls, for example.
• Remember that everyone is in the same boat – you are all stuck overnight at an airport and (most likely) not loving it.
• You don’t actually have to do small talk with someone; often, just making yourself known to the people can help, so they are aware of you and are more likely to notice if anything goes wrong. You can try saying something simple like: “Hi, mind if I set up next to you?”
• If you are brave, you can explain more: “Hi, mind if I set up next to you? I am travelling solo and I’m a bit worried about being on my own in case I doze off.” People are usually happy to help once you ask.

One thing we’d say, though? Even if you befriend someone who is staying awake, and have them keep an eye on your stuff too? You should still keep your most precious belongings safe. Read the next tip to see how.

Tip no. 10: Keep belongings on you

We’ve got Grammarly screaming at us that “on you” is not correct.

It’s “with you”, you uneducated troll!

Except, in this case, we really do mean on you.

The most important things, like your passport, wallet, phone etc?

They should be in an inner pocket, ideally zipped underneath another layer. Say a pocket of a hoodie under a jacket.

Or they should be in one of these money belts or pouches that you can wear underneath all your clothes. You could even use our beach secret weapon here – the waterproof bag.

Why does this help?

Hopefully, by having your important stuff on you:

• You will not be targeted by thieves, because no one wants to be caught hanging over a sleeping person at an airport like a creepy vampire
• You will be able to feel someone is trying to steal your stuff – because it’s literally on you

The one problem?

If you travel with big, expensive and precious items, like a laptop, headphones or a drone, this strategy doesn’t work. 

(Would love to see someone trying to sleep with a drone and a laptop underneath their hoodie. If you ever see this IRL, please snap a faceless pic and send it to us.)

Tip no. 11: Tie it up

No, we are not talking about some 50 Shades tactics here, you dirty penguin.

We are talking about what to do with your bags, especially if you have quite a few, so you can’t just hug them while sleeping or use them as a pillow (more on this later).

So what can you do?

Well, you can tie your stuff together with a paracord.

If you are thinking: para-what?? Then you’ve got to read this post – paracord is one of the weird things we travel with that you wouldn’t think is useful, but in reality, really is.

And if you are wondering, “How on earth will tying my bags together help? All I wanna know is how to sleep at airports, guys??”

Yes, exactly our point!

Tie your bags/suitcases together, and someone won’t just be able to snatch them as they are passing by.

If you want to be extra safe, you can learn some cool knots that will be hard to untie for mere mortals. Another tip is tying everything to something else – loop the paracord through all your bags and then tie the lot to a chair you are sleeping on.

Yes, you might look like a weirdo.

Who cares, though, right? Least your stuff is safe!

Tip no. 12: Protect your backpack

Speaking of protecting your luggage, if you are backpacking and your backpack is this beautiful, amazing, super cool thing that carries your whole life in it (if you are a full-time traveller), so you love it very much? 

We get that. Our Ospreys are the best.

Except for one problem.

They come with multiple access points, meaning if we wanted to lock them all, we’d end up adding a kilo of weight to the bag in the form of locks (and look like total morons).

What’s the solution then?

Getting a backpack cover. Super useful for travelling in general – you will be grateful for it in many situations.

Like when you are sleeping at an airport – put your backpack into its cover, lock the cover, then tie it to a chair using paracord.

Paranoid backpacker?

Maybe.

But at least your whole home won’t get stolen.

Tip no. 13: Time your sleep

Another tip, useful especially for solo travellers?

Timing your sleep well.

What do we mean by this?

If you know you’ll have to stay awake at the airport, be prepared. This can mean anything, like:

• Bringing caffeine drinks to help you stay alert
• Sleeping on the plane if you have a night at the airport AFTER your flight
• Getting plenty of sleep the night before your sleepless night at the airport

On the other hand, if you can sleep (e.g. because you’ll have a partner standing guard), but you know you’ll struggle to sleep at an airport, make sure you tire yourself out beforehand.

This can mean doing the opposite of what we’ve just suggested:

• Staying away from caffeine drinks
• Not sleeping on a plane beforehand
• Tiring yourself out throughout the day, so you can fall asleep easily at the airport

We talk about this in our post on surviving long-haul flights, because jet lag is a real pest that can ruin the start of a holiday or a trip, so make sure to check that post out too.

Tip no. 14: Water fountains

Now that we’ve covered safety, let’s talk about the rest of the bottom level of Maslow’s pyramid (wonder what he’d say about sleeping at airports, btw!).

Once you make sure you are safe, you’ve got to make sure that you are hydrated.

Because boarding a flight which will dehydrate you if you are already dehydrated is a sucky idea.

We won’t go into detail here about how to source (free) water at airports because we’ve got a full post on that.

Check it out and always make sure you’ve got plenty of water to get through the night.

The one thing you’ve got to think about, though, when it comes to water? 

The fact that it will want to come out at some point… Let’s talk about bathroom trips.

Tip no. 15: Toilet trips

The issue with going to the bathroom during your airport sleepover?

Your stuff.

• If you take it with you, someone might take your dream (lol) sleeping spot while you are in the bathroom. Happens a lot, especially at airports with 5 and a half chairs for all the passengers (looking at you, London Stansted).
• If you leave your stuff at your seat/spot on the floor, it might well not be there when you come back from your bathroom visit.

This, of course, applies to solo travel. If you are travelling with someone else, just take turns on bathroom trips.

So what can you do if you are on your own?

Solo travel solutions

A few things:

• Use the bathroom prior to setting up for the night
• Hydrate strategically through the night – drink enough to not die, not like a camel stocking up for a two-week desert trek
• Find a spot near a bathroom. Near so you can easily pop in, not so that you can smell everyone else’s business (crucial distinction)
• Take your valuables with you to the bathroom
• Make friends. Ask someone near you to watch your stuff. Key: make sure they look like a decent person, not someone who will end up actually stealing your stuff (helps if they are also camped for the night). Also, make sure they are not sleeping on and off – if you need longer in the bathroom and they doze off while you are there, they won’t be much help to you

None of these are ideal, but that’s the life of travel – you do your best and hope it all works out.

Tip no. 16: Don’t starve

The funny thing about airports?

While they stay open 24/7, often nothing else does.

In the middle of the night, there is often nowhere to get food or drink.

Actually, never mind in the middle of the night, often places close at 10pm and don’t open till 5am!

And this isn’t true just for some obscure small airports.

Know the famous Changi Airport in Singapore?

Every time we were there was at night, and every time, nothing was open.

Forget waterfalls and cacti rooftop gardens.

We couldn’t even source breakfast when we landed there in the middle of the night from our crazy detour to America!

What you should do

• Always bring food or at least snacks with you. Be prepared. Sleeping at airports sucks enough without being hungry on top of that
• Check Sleeping in Airports for information on what is open during the night
• Alternatively, check the airport’s official website to see what food options are there and what their opening times are
• At a push, you should be able to find a vending machine with snacks to help you get through the night without eating your own arm

Tip no. 17: Beware the Ice Age

Airports’ favourite way to keep everyone moving, and definitely not able to sleep?

Blasting the A/C to the max.

Not all airports are like that.

This is why we always recommend checking the Sleeping in Airports site.

The best advice, though?

Always be prepared.

This can be difficult if you are leaving from a hot destination to go to another hot destination, so you are packing just summer clothes.

We did this when going from Slovakia in August (hotter than hell) to Croatia (kinda the same).

Here is what you can do:

• Always pack a hoodie and/or a scarf with you, no matter what destination you are visiting
• Pack thermal clothes which are thin, but will keep you warm – e.g. a thermal long-sleeve top and leggings
• Pack as little as possible (e.g. a hoodie and no long trousers) and just suck it up for the night

As always, decide based on your own situation:

• How cold you are in general
• How susceptible to getting ill you are when you get cold
• How long you’ll be sleeping at the airport for
• How much of a hassle it is to pack extra layers

Tip no. 18: Plugs give you life (literally)

You thought we told you all you need to know to pick the right location for your sleepover spot, right?

The bathroom, the security, the quiet area…

There is one more thing you should consider, though.

Keeping your dear electronic devices alive.

Now, plugs at airports sometimes go faster than Taylor Swift tickets. 

Why?

Because they often don’t work.

And finding a combo of a good seat AND a working plug?

That’s like passing through security without your bag or you getting searched and nobody yelling at you.

A once-in-a-blue-moon miracle.

Why is this important

There are two reasons why you might need to set yourself up for the night near a working plug:

1. To keep yourself entertained if you are taking sleeping shifts with your travel partner. Or if you are solo travelling and need to stay awake and alert.
   
   Yes, you can bring a physical book to read. Or do paper sudoku. But we don’t know how about you, but those things tend to only keep us awake for so long. It’s a sad truth, but electronic devices are much better at keeping you awake (we are not talking about the quality of the entertainment here, simply about the way screens work on your eyes and brain).
2. After your long (potentially sleepless) night? You still need your phone to work and be charged. For instance, to scan your boarding pass. Or to get you to your next destination. Just make sure you don’t wake up after your night sleeping at an airport to discover your phone is dead and you now have to pay extra to get your boarding pass printed.

Alternatively, always carry a power bank with you (but also first make sure it’s actually charged!).

Tip no. 19: The luxury known as showers

First, a confession.

We’ve had all sorts of showers on our travels – some of our top experiences (read: top adventurous ones) included a coconut shell shower, balancing on a tiny square, surrounded by sand in a little bamboo hut in Cambodia with geckos taking a peek. Or a shower that magically appeared in our toilet cubicle on the Santa Express train in Finland. We might have to write a full post just about our shower experiences, it seems.

The confession, though?

While we have had wild shower experiences, we have never showered at an airport. Yet! 

Here is what you should know:

• If you know you will be spending a night at an airport, plan your shower accordingly – for example, shower just before checking out of your accommodation.
• If you know you will feel yucky, going the whole night without a shower + all the hours of flying, bring body wipes and/or feminine wipes.
• If you can’t source body wipes, don’t resort to antibac wipes! Head to the baby section of a shop and get baby wipes instead.
• If you wear makeup and are a highly-evolved person, remember to also pack makeup wipes (and your makeup, if you plan to reapply in the morning).
• You can sometimes rent a shower at the airport – check out the sleep pods options and see if any offer a shower package.
• Lounges often have showers too – if you are desperate for a shower, it might be worth paying for lounge access even if you aren’t a member.
• It might also be worth checking whether there is a gym at the airport which has showers and paying for a session there.
• Remember to check whether toiletries are provided and, alternatively, bring your own.
• The same applies to towels – if you need or want to bring your own, make sure it’s a quick-drying microfibre travel one and have a solid plan for drying it afterwards.
• Don’t forget that you might not have access to your big luggage if you are spending the night at the airport during a layover. In that case, make sure that whatever you need for your shower is repacked into your hand luggage and also that it can pass through security (watch out for those liquids if you don’t wanna lose them). Alternatively, consider switching to solid toiletries.

Bonus tip

If you are staying at a hostel, it might be worth asking if you can take a shower when you come to get your luggage, if you are storing it there after check out.

We did this on our long-haul flight from Bangkok to Vienna, when we had an overnight layover in Qatar and had to spend it sleeping at the airport.

We checked out, left our backpacks at the hostel, did some last-minute adventuring around Bangkok and then took a shower in the shared bathrooms in the hostel before heading to the airport.

The good thing was, this option was actually offered to us by the kind girl working at the hostel’s reception – we didn’t even have to ask (let’s face it, we wouldn’t have, we are too awkward and introverted for that). She even offered us towels, so we didn’t have to worry about drying our own. Shout-out to all the nice staff we met on our travels around the world. Wish everyone was like you.

Tip no. 20: Don’t be a dirty traveller

Even if you don’t need a shower to survive a night at an airport, remember to at least pack a toothbrush and a toothpaste in your hand luggage.

Why?

When you’ve been travelling or sightseeing the whole day and you still have more travel ahead of you, you are likely to feel like 💩. In that situation, brushing your teeth can make you feel like a new person.

Also, because taking care of your teeth is important and you might not have another opportunity to clean them during your long travel day/night.

We talk about this in our long-haul flight tips post as well – make sure to check it out for more hacks.

A toothbrush and a toothpaste are the basics – decide based on your situation what you need to survive a night at an airport and not feel like a sad brown avocado (that looked totally fine just yesterday – why is it always like that with avocados??)

Tip no. 21: Eye mask and earplugs – with a warning

Don’t expect lights to dim and the airport to become silent when the clock strikes midnight and Cinderella’s carriage turns into a pumpkin.

Most airports (excluding the small ones that have 3 flights a day) are noisy and bright.

How to sleep at airports when they are the opposite of a good sleep environment?

By bringing in extra help, like an eye mask and earplugs.

A few things to think about here:

• We got cheap, thin eye masks on our Qatar Airways flight to Asia. We generally don’t use eye masks, but kept them to not be wasteful and also just in case – you never know when they might come in handy, such as when sleeping at airports. So if you get or find really cheap ones, add them to your luggage (provided they actually work, of course).
  
  Alternatively, you can tie a scarf around your eyes or just bury your head in your hoodie – there are always solutions to travel problems!
• We always travel with earplugs. Again, we don’t generally use them, because they are usually recommended for travellers who stay in shared dormitories in hostels, but: 1. You never know when you’ll have noisy neighbours in your accommodation 2. You might end up going to a concert during your travels, and it’s a good idea to protect your hearing (this is why we carry them). And yes, they are handy for situations like sleeping at airports too, so it’s a good idea to travel with a pair or two.
  
  Alternatively, people use noise-cancelling headphones, but make sure these are comfy to sleep in before you choose this solution. Also, make sure to consider the next bullet point, especially when wearing expensive headphones.
• Earplugs and eye masks should only be used when you are travelling with someone else. Even if you are pretty chilled and not worried about safety (your own or of your stuff) and choose to sleep when alone at an airport, it’s not a good idea to rob yourself of your senses completely by wearing an eye mask and earplugs. You never know what will happen. Remember, you are in a public place and you should always be at least partially alert.

Tip no. 22: Pack a pillow

We know some travellers carry pillows with them. Inflatable or real ones. Some even have one of those magical things like the trtl pillow (btw if you’ve tried any of these, let us know, we’ve been thinking of buying one for years, just can’t decide whether it’s worth the money!)

But if you are travelling light (which we recommend, especially for long-term travellers), you might not want to bother with a pillow for the few times you’ll use it on your trip.

The thing is, you can usually turn something else into a pillow, like a hoodie or a big scarf.

The one exception?

If you are on a short trip and know you’ll be sleeping at an airport.

Because, as we have mentioned, airports are famously blasting air con, like they’ve got a family of polar bears hidden in the backroom and need to keep them cool.

So chances are, you will be utilising all your extra layers – a hoodie, a scarf, maybe even your jacket, meaning you’ll be left with nothing you can scrunch up into a pillow.

If you do need a pillow to get at least some sleep? Maybe pack one, or at least make sure you have a spare hoodie or a sarong that you can use as a substitute.

Bonus tip

We see travellers using their backpacks as pillows.

We can’t vouch for how comfy this is – our daypacks are usually stuffed to the limit, so we highly doubt they’d be comfortable, but here are a few things to think about:

• When using your backpack as a pillow, make sure you don’t crush something important in the process. A fragile drone. A life-saving sandwich. A present for your mum.
• Extra safety tip? Face the zippers on the backpack away from people, towards the wall.
• For even more security, we saw people recommend hooking your arm through your backpack as you sleep. Not sure if that’s comfy, but try and let us know?

Tip no. 23: Phone-a-friend

No, you don’t have to be asking them trivia questions to help you win a million pounds. 

Arranging a call with a friend can help you when figuring out how to sleep at airports solo, though.

Here is what you should think about:

• Calling with a friend (or a relative) can help you stay awake. Not just because it’s entertaining, but because you will actually have someone checking whether you are not accidentally dozing off.
• This can also be helpful if you are staying overnight at an airport alone and feeling nervous about it, maybe because it’s your first time or because the world can be a scary place sometimes. Having someone with you, even if not physically can be reassuring.
• Consider having a camera on to increase your chances of not falling asleep. Being able to see, not just hear, is more entertaining.
• Be considerate of others. Airports are a public place, but if you want to collect good karma points, don’t set up your call right next to rows of sleeping travellers.
• We’ve mentioned this in tip no. 18, but remember to keep your devices charged. Video calls drain battery like nothing else, so call via an app that is less energy-consuming (e.g. WhatsApp instead of Instagram) and do find a working plug.
• This works best if your phone friend is on the other side of the planet, so they’ll have day when it’s your nighttime and you don’t actually keep them up. Alternatively, do any of your friends work during the night and are they able to make calls during their work?
• This can be super helpful, even if just for a few hours. For example, you can call with someone at the start of your night to help calm your nerves down. Or you can arrange a call in the middle of the night, when you are worried about falling asleep. Or have one set up for the early morning hours, when you know that by that point you’ll be super tired and fed up of doing sudoku for 5 hours straight.

A little bonus tip? 

If you’ve got a friend who stays up with you the whole night (even if it’s during their daytime), make sure to bring them something cool from your trip. 

And not a tacky magnet, unless that’s what they collect!

Tip no. 24: Be fancy in a lounge

We only have one experience of using lounges at airports atm – we are not that fancy! 😂

And we went there during the day.

We have heard from other travellers, though, that some lounges stay open during the night too.

If you are lucky enough to have a lounge pass, check the opening hours.

If the lounge is open throughout the night? Perfect! You are sorted with where to sleep and how to stay safe.

A few things to consider:

• Check whether it’s okay to sleep in the lounge – ask other pass holders or, even better, contact the lounge/company directly
• Even if the lounge isn’t open the whole night, does it maybe open early in the morning? Could you stay up for most of the night and then grab an hour or two of sleep there, hiding in a corner somewhere?
• Does your pass include food? And is it available during the night? If so, even better!

Basically, figuring out how to sleep at airports is a lot easier if you have access to a lounge.

Although, maybe the thing is, if you are the kind of a person to have lounge access, you are not the kind of a person to sleep at an airport. 🤔 Perhaps?

Tip no. 25: How to sleep at airports: alternatives 

If all of this sounds too horrific to you, maybe sleeping at airports is not the right thing for you.

In that case, consider the alternatives.

Again, check the specific airport, but often there are:

Sleep pods 

These are small rooms, the size of a broom closet, directly at the airport, used literally just so you have somewhere safe to sleep. You usually pay by the hour (though often minimum number of hours applies). 

Consider the cost vs value. 

Also, consider the size, if you do suffer from claustrophobia (most of the time they are windowless).

Airport hotels

If you want something more than a glorified broom closet (and can afford it), consider booking an airport hotel. 

The issue? 

They are usually pretty expensive. Often fully booked out. You also need to add the cost of a shuttle, unless the hotel is directly connected to the airport or within walking distance. And remember the visa problem – make sure you can actually legally check into the hotel.

Free stopover hotel

This is the dream where the airline organises a temporary visa, a hotel stay and transport there for you for free.

For example, Qatar Airways offers this if you end up in Doha with a long layover and no other onward connection available.

The trick?

You’ve got to fulfil all the requirements.

When we were leaving Asia to go back to Europe? We fulfilled all conditions but one.

Our fare wasn’t fancy enough, meaning we paid for the cheapest tickets, so we didn’t qualify.

It was sucky, spending the night at the Doha airport, with the creepy teddy, rather than sleeping soundly in a hotel, but hey, we are all about saving money, so we weren’t too mad. (How creepy is that bear though?? See pic below.)

It’s worth keeping this option in mind, though, and checking whether it’s available to you on your next layover flight.

Pro tip

Remember our secret weapon, the Sleeping in Airports website?

It has not just information on how to survive a night at any airport, but also info on airport hotels, lounges and sightseeing during layovers, if that’s something you are lucky enough to be able to do.

So make sure to bookmark the website and use it next time you fly somewhere new!

Don’t forget this

Are you spending a night at an airport hotel or a sleep pod and your airline offers you the option of dropping your luggage off earlier, the day/night before your flight?

And you think it’s a great idea, because you have a 7am flight, meaning you won’t have to be queuing with all the other sleep-deprived people at 5am to drop your suitcases off?

Go for it! It’s a great help.

But remember to first repack all your essentials into your hand luggage.

That means everything you need for the night, like your night cream, toothbrush, slippers and pjs, but also things you need for getting ready in the morning, like your make-up or a hairbrush (we travel with this one btw). 

We’ve heard many stories about travellers getting excited, dropping off their baggage early and then realising they have nothing with them for the night at the hotel (and we also made this mistake ourselves, though we only forgot to repack our sliders).

Warning

Don’t go wild when repacking for the night, though. Remember that whatever you take out of your big luggage will need to pass through security the next day. You don’t wanna lose your favourite face serum because it’s over 100ml.

Bonus tip

What can you do to stay safer on your travels?

• Check out our travel safety section – it’s full of tips for staying safer as you travel (some are pretty… uncommon, let’s say)
• Get travel insurance. Cause you never know when you will sleep so well at an airport that you’ll oversleep and then break your leg, falling over an old lady’s walking stick as you run to your gate. Thankfully, not based on a true story. But yes, get travel insurance.
  
  When we travel, we trust True Traveller or SafetyWing – depending on the kind of trip we are doing. We’ve used them both and had nothing but awesome experience.

Have you ever slept at an airport? If so, which one, and was it one of the top 10 nights of your life, or are you normal? 😂

Let us know in the comments below!