The following, one-man portable tent, caught my attention. [mini motel]
Another site that logs sleepers’ opinion about “the best & worst” airports to sleep. [sleeping in airports]
On the lighter side of “sleeping in Airports”… [link]
I should add “sleeping in Airports” to my travel repertoire. Till date, I have had the opportunity to sleep overnight, twice at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand. I was on a two-week backpacking trip to Thailand and Cambodia. It is quite not a situation that everybody would enjoy as your sleep is constantly interrupted by loud Announcements (though wanes during the wee hours), sound of floor cleaning machines, uncomfortable sleeping posture and more importantly your unconscious mind that feels insecure about a surrounding that it deems as not-so-safe to leave your luggage unattended.
So, what do you do? Sip a cup of coffee from the nearby Cafe and start reading a book? How long? You got your “Periods” or is your constipation annoying you? You need a system re-charge in the form of a six or eight hour sleep. The “Muslim Prayer Room” from across the bench that you are lying looks pretty tempting. Again, your {so-called} self-righteous mind prohibits you from using the prayer room as a sleeping room. Then why the fuck didn’t the Airport Authorities think about a travellers’ lounge that is insulated from the Announcements and offers a makeshit place to lay your portable tent/sleeping bag? Are the Authorities less humane to non-religious (as in religion) rituals of life?
In these days, when flights get delayed by hours or for whatever reason, i don’t think it is a bad choice for budget travellers. Did you say, i’m such a miserly bastard that can actually afford a motel room? Oh come on, what would you do if your flight departs at 6 AM and with the 2 to 3 hours early check-in formality and an hour that could be spend on travel from motel to the Airport? OK. OK. Let’s say 3:30 AM to start off from the motel. See…it is better to sleep at the Airport. You sleep in installments that you never intended but yet you claim it as “sleeping in Airports”.
OK. Let me suggest you some handy tips if you intend to sleep in Airports (or unintentionally):
- Have a handy sleeping bag. In some artificially climate-controlled environments, it can get insanely cold (especially if you are from the Tropics).
- Have soft overhead ear plug types. They can attentuate surrounding sound by some dBs. Hell - who cares the Science I speak.
- If you are paranoid that you might miss your luggage, store them in a paid luggage storage space. Not all Airports provide this facility. You have to check with the concerned Authorities. Some might use double keys and can be opened only if the Authority uses his key as well. Now, if this is a 24 hr service then no worries. If not, i don’t think you can really make use of it for an early morning flight in spite of having such a facility at the Airport.
- If the above point is taken care of…i think it solves a whole lot of your psychological trouble. Have a pocket alarm clock to wake you up. My cellphone (though not in roaming) is useful as an alarm clock. Come on…think about ways to use your existing gadgets in out-of-box ways.
If you don’t want such a hassle, better avoid domestic air-travel or stick to a time of departure that suits your sleep cycle. Sometimes you cannot always afford luxury if you are on a back-packing trip or on budget travel. That said, nothing should deter a flexible mind.
Wish I could sleep like the {care-free} ones that I see nearby the Railway Stations and Bus Stations.