Having spent some nights in a number of European airports, I have realized that it is much more comfortable and safer to overnight airside rather than landside.
At landside, there might be more people wandering around. My luggage might be taken away if I were to sleep. Fortunately, having overnighted landside at Oslo and San Francisco airports, I manage to have some sleep, albeit keeping a close eye on my belongings.
At airside, it is very quiet and hardly anyone around. Most flights usually arrive and leave by midnight, especially in Europe, so there will be very, very few passengers airside. It is thus very easy to find secluded gate areas to lie down flat. In European airports, the seats at the gate areas are always equipped with power sockets. Some even come with usb ports.
Note that the security checkpoints might be closed for a number of hours at night. This will be broadcast in the terminal building and that people will not be able to move in or out of the terminal building.
Also, I'm not sure whether I'm allowed to clear security into airside for my next day's flight, even with boarding pass in hand. Thus, when I land at night and due to depart next morning, I will just stay airside. This is what I did in Munich and Copenhagen (twice) airports. There is no security check as well, after I landed at Munich from Vienna and before my flight to Dubrovnik.
Initially, I had wanted to leave Munich airport to visit the city for a couple of hours at night. However, my Austrian Airline inbound flight from Vienna was delayed. I ended up arriving at Munich airport late at night. So then I decided to just stay at the airport airside and get some sleep. I felt safe and secure sleeping soundly airside.
Have to visit Munich another time!
At landside, there might be more people wandering around. My luggage might be taken away if I were to sleep. Fortunately, having overnighted landside at Oslo and San Francisco airports, I manage to have some sleep, albeit keeping a close eye on my belongings.
At airside, it is very quiet and hardly anyone around. Most flights usually arrive and leave by midnight, especially in Europe, so there will be very, very few passengers airside. It is thus very easy to find secluded gate areas to lie down flat. In European airports, the seats at the gate areas are always equipped with power sockets. Some even come with usb ports.
Note that the security checkpoints might be closed for a number of hours at night. This will be broadcast in the terminal building and that people will not be able to move in or out of the terminal building.
Also, I'm not sure whether I'm allowed to clear security into airside for my next day's flight, even with boarding pass in hand. Thus, when I land at night and due to depart next morning, I will just stay airside. This is what I did in Munich and Copenhagen (twice) airports. There is no security check as well, after I landed at Munich from Vienna and before my flight to Dubrovnik.
Initially, I had wanted to leave Munich airport to visit the city for a couple of hours at night. However, my Austrian Airline inbound flight from Vienna was delayed. I ended up arriving at Munich airport late at night. So then I decided to just stay at the airport airside and get some sleep. I felt safe and secure sleeping soundly airside.
Have to visit Munich another time!
