You wouldn’t usually expect airports to provide a great night’s sleep, but when your flight is delayed and the nearest hotel is fully booked, you’re left with very few options.
It begs the question: where are the best and worst airports to sleep in? As it so happens, a recent study has shed some new light on the subject.
Ninoy Aquino International in Manila has been singled out as the world’s worst airport to sleep in, according to sleepinginairports.net – a travel website which invites travellers to review their sleeping experiences at airports. Travellers looking to catch 40 winks at the airport’s Terminal 1 complained about theft, bribery, the absence of toilet seats and running water in the toilets.
The published findings are the latest in The Guide to Sleeping in Airports’ annual list of the best and worst airports for shut-eye.
A lack of adequate or uncomfortable seating, noisy terminals, poor facilities, rude security staff and dirty toilets were among the biggest complaints made by the thousands of travellers who took part in the poll.
The website said the facilities were better at Manila’s Terminal 3, which it described as “clean, spacious and with an internet connection.”
Paris Beauvais was voted the second worst airport, with travellers complaining that the airport closes overnight – forcing passengers to crash out in awkward places.
In third place was Keflavik International in Iceland, which the website claims doesn’t allow passengers to sleep in the terminal.
Worst airports to sleep in:
- Manila (T1)
- Paris Beauvais (France)
- Keflavik (Iceland)
- Bergamo (Italy)
- Kiev (Ukraine)
- Frankfurt Hahn (Germany)
- London Luton (UK)
- Pisa (Italy)
- Paris Charles De Gaulle (France) (T3 & T2A, B, C, D)
- Los Angeles (US)
The Guide to Sleeping in Airports said the results are skewed towards the larger share of passengers sleeping over at European airports: “The list this year is very heavily European, simply because that’s where the most airport-sleeping adventures are to be had.
“We base our list on user reviews and poll votes and we just happen to receive more reviews for overnight sleepovers for European airports.”
Singapore Changi airport caters for bleary-eyed travellers with napping areas dotted around its terminals.
Asian airports top the list of best airports to sleep in
Those looking for a decent kip are suggested to venture East. Asia’s airports fared the best when it came to the most comfortable terminals for sleeping.
Singapore Changi was voted the cleanest and most comfortable airport to sleep in, which the website said travellers also loved for its range of amenities and entertainment.
Hong Kong and Seoul Incheon were voted as the second and third best airports respectively to sleep in.
Best Airports to sleep in:
- Singapore Changi
- Seoul Incheon (South Korea)
- Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
- Amsterdam
- Munich (Germany)
- Vancouver (Canada)
- Zurich (Switzerland)
- Frankfurt (Germany)
- Toronto (Canada)
Data sourced from sleepinginairports.net
Share your stories
Have you ever slept in an airport? Where has been your best or worst experience? Tell us by commenting below.
Endhoven (NL) the worst ever,they shut the airport and throw everyone out to freezing cold,NO MERCY bloody politics.
The rudeness of the staff make the rest just awful and unforgettable experience..
I do remember spent night out with other passengers while was snowing and wrapped up with all cloth including towels!
check it your self.