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Airports that are good to spend the night in - and one bad one

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Some airports are just better to sleep in.
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Airports that are good to spend the night in - and one bad one is written by Jens Skovgaard Andersen.

Airport transportation plane travel

Airports as bed

Perhaps you, as one of the many travelers, have already tried several times to stay overnight at an airport. It may also be that you have tried several times to feel exhausted after a long journey, but at the same time do not feel completely comfortable just closing your eyes for a moment in such a busy and crowded place as an airport can once be.

Okay, to begin with, it might sound a bit too cross-border and at times a bit degrading to spend the night at an airport, even if you're tired. In the past, sleeping in an airport was something that only young budget-conscious backpackers took advantage of. This was especially the case with the often long and energy-draining stopovers on the carefully planned round trip or at the very early morning departures, which only the most morning-fresh travelers usually feel completely ready for.

That way, as a backpacker, you could save an overnight stay in a hostel and instead have extra money to live out your many travel dreams. Immediately a pretty good strategy to get more out of your trip.

Gradually, international long-haul flights have almost become synonymous with inconvenient stopovers. Close-to-midnight arrivals, early morning departures and all-day stopovers. We've all been there. If sitting for hours in the departure hall and looking at your watch just to follow the movement of the hands or walking back and forth through the airport's shopping area doesn't exactly seem too appealing - how about trying a good old-fashioned nap?

Often, a little nap in the glow of the airport lights will feel both welcome and well-deserved after bravely fighting the travel world's many trials, which can make even the most indulgent travelers roll their eyes and erupt a single, but deep, sigh.

Fortunately, there is hope ahead. There are several airports around the world that are both comfortable and not least quite interesting to be in, now that the journey still requires a stopover.

1. Changi, Singapore - among the airports that can do something special

As is often the case when it comes to ranking the best airports in the world, the incredible Changi Airport in Singapore ends up at the top of the list. Admittedly, this is also the case here, where this colorful and flower-rich airport must be considered one of the absolute best places if you just need to close your eyes between two departures.

Travelers will quickly discover that both free massage chairs, seats and benches without armrests as well as several relaxation areas are for free use. All of these are part of the offer for waiting travelers. The airport also includes a cinema with the latest movies, a butterfly park and free use of Playstation and Xbox.

In addition, if you do not mind paying for a little extra comfort, there are so-called bedrooms with fitted armchairs and spa and wellness areas where you can enjoy a relaxing dip.

2. Incheon, South Korea - among the airports we love

Just as it is in Changi, the importance of being able to relax and recharge your batteries is also in focus at South Korea's largest airport, Incheon International Airport. It must be possible to combine the ultimate bustle found in the huge airports with the possibility of sheer relaxation, silence and the feeling of idyll. And here Incheon certainly does not disappoint.

In addition to being an extremely modern building with an equally unusual appearance (especially seen from above), here are also the best conditions for you who want to get an hour on the eye before the next flight.

There are certain parallels between number one and two on this list, and of course Incheon also houses several lounge areas where it is possible to get away from the noise, get your legs up and possibly enjoy a soothing massage in the free massage chairs.

As is the case at most major airports, here - of course - there is also the option to upgrade by paying a little extra. If you sleep best after a walk past both sauna, spa and a massage, then of course it is also possible. Alternatively, you can book in for half or full days at the departure hall hotel.

3. Helsinki, Finland

If you need a good and solid nap after a long flight, then Helsinki Vantaa Airport is definitely the place to be. The airport in the Finnish capital takes the possibility of getting some sleep on the trip quite seriously.

In Helsinki you will find the so-called 'GoSleep' sleeping capsules, which immediately lead the mind to what could be an unusual mix of Arne Jacobsen's legendary masterpiece 'The Egg', and a smaller vessel that could have its place in George Lucas' Star Wars universe. However, they are smart, and with their design design as an egg-like capsule, where you can even pull a roof over you and get complete darkness, they are an excellent solution for those who just want to doze off a bit.

In addition, this smart "egg" contains both a safe space for storing your luggage while you gather some new energy, but also the possibility to recharge the batteries on various electronic devices. Unfortunately, the sleeping capsules are not free and cost € 6 euros per hour - which is not really that bad for a little extra energy (and battery) on the trip.

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4. Munich, Germany - one of the closest airports in Denmark

Okay, if putting yourself to sleep in a futuristic sleeping egg is not just you, how about just closing your eyes in a more traditional sleeping cabin? Maybe it pulls a little more in most than the sleeping capsules in Helsinki.

At the airport in Munich, Germany, there is something very special for those who need a little sleep - more specifically the ingenious Nabcab sleeping cabins. These cabins can be located in the middle of even the busiest part of the airport and are at the same time completely soundproofed and offer a real bed to sleep in, duvet and pillow as well as a small desk with mirror and TV screen.

The basic idea with these sleeping cabins is that they should be able to function as a mini-hotel room in the middle of the airport, where you also have enough space to sleep, walk around a bit, arrange make-up and sit at your computer as on any other room. They are smart, innovative and cost € 10 euros per hour to rent.

If you are not yet quite ready to rent one, then the airport has plenty of seats and benches in various terminals and departure halls, which both have plenty of space and which even make it possible to sit back.

5. Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn International Airport has named itself the most cozy airport in the world. Such. And yes, it is definitely cozy and certainly also among the very best to visit and even stay overnight in.

The airport is quite sleep-friendly for tired travelers, and here are a myriad of sleeping options in the form of benches without armrests, free sleeping capsules á la those from Helsinki, beanbag chairs, comfortable sofas and armchairs. All well represented in the majority of the airport, which should make it possible to find a place to calm down.

As in many other airports, there are various lounge areas, which either require payment or you are a member, where it is also possible to book a room at one of the hotels near the airport.

plane - airport stansted uk - travel

And then there was Stansted, England…

Have you previously arrived at Stansted Airport near London knowing that your next flight will unfortunately be several hours in the future? Maybe it would just be the case to be able to doze off a bit on one of the many benches and chairs that are found around the airport. Yes, maybe even just somewhere on the floor next to your stuff and thereby enjoy a few hours of sleep while you still wait.

If you have once tried to make a stopover in the late evening hours of the day after a long flight, you can probably not blame anyone for considering just this. We should rather hurry to point out that Stansted is neither among the worst airports in the world nor, for that matter, that Stansted itself is not a place you want to stopover.

On the contrary, Stansted is a pretty nice place to land if you have booked a trip to London and need to move further into the city center. However, if you are planning your next trip and have a long stopover in Stansted, wait a moment before pressing the book button.

At the beginning of the summer of 2018, Stansted Airport has in fact tightened its guidelines enormously for the use of the airport's floor areas and seating. This means that there is now a definite ban on staying overnight at the airport. Yes, there has even been a ban on taking a nap sitting on a single man seat, where you have now sat down to wait anyway.

One may ask oneself, what in the world is the basis for this ban? In addition, one can consider whether it is at all fair that tired travelers - young and old - can not be allowed to just close their eyes for a moment, if they are now either exhausted or in need of it.

Regardless, Stansted takes their new ban quite seriously, and they have even deployed what can easily be described as 'anti-snooze guards', whose role is to patrol the airport every ten minutes and wake up the passengers who have fallen in. sleep. It is said that Stansted wants to change its image for the better.

That is basically what this new ban should help solve. The ban is also based on the fact that the airport has received repeated complaints from travelers who travel on the earliest flights in the morning, and who have therefore been met with great annoyance by the sight of hundreds of sleeping travelers lying on both floors and benches.

It is of course understandable that it can seem extremely annoying not to be able to get either back and forth when you are busy and want to reach your plane. Likewise, it may not be entirely fair if it can already be difficult to find a place to sit at the airport, precisely because many people lie and sleep on the benches and at the same time fill up for three.

And of course, the function of the airport is not that the airport area should be able to replace an overnight stay at, for example, a hotel or hostel and therefore become an excellent opportunity to save some money on expensive overnight stays. Of course, there are also airport hotels near Stansted that are specifically designed to address these needs.

All in all, Stansted's choice to ban sleeping travelers gives a lot of debate, and it will certainly be a factor that more travelers will consider the next time they plan a trip that includes a fairly long stopover and preferably should not skip the budget.

Maybe a few hours in the "egg" is still very well spent?

About the author

Jens Skovgaard Andersen, editor

Jens is a happy travel nerd who has traveled in over 60 countries from Kyrgyzstan and China to Australia and Albania. Jens is educated in China Studies, has lived in China for 1½ years and is a member of the Travel Club. He has extensive experience with the travel world as a tour guide, lecturer, advisor, author and photographer. And of course most important of all: As a traveler. Jens often goes to places where it is also possible to watch a good football match in the company of other incarnated fans and has a special fondness for Boldklubben FREM, where he sits on the board. For most people it is obvious to look up to Jens (he is barely two meters tall), and then he is a 14-time champion in the TV quiz Jeopardy and still single, so if you can not find him out in the world or on a football stadium, you can probably find him out touring in the Copenhagen quiz environment.

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