Sleeping in Sydney Airport

Sleeping in Sydney airport wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I almost thought I would have to sneak around the airport hiding from the guards and keep finding a windbreak or someplace warm and somehow safe at the same time.

Sleeping at Sydney Airport

So they lock down the airport or shut down which is weird for I have never heard of an airport closing before especially one in a big city like Sydney. From 1130 pm till 3 am they close the airport and all of us overnighters were technically outside the airport between the link from the airport to the train station. They did however designate the place as a waiting area and by 1 am a guard would come around and ask people for their passport for checking. I guess they just don’t want any homeless people loitering around. 

Charging Stations

Why would they close the airport for 4 hours is beyond me but apparently Sydney airport only have flights till 1030 pm which is last flight in and out of the airport and the next was 6 am in the morning. Thanks to the 6 am flight, check in counters are force to be opened 3 hours in advance hence the airport reopens at 3 am.

The waiting area had a huge toilet which was good and drinking water the essentials when you are stuck outside. Chairs are available thou due to armrest, one cannot sleep on the chairs flat. Power points are a few around and I guess it’s the first person to camp there gets to monopolized it for the whole night. Wifi thankfully was free and on throughout the night but so is the lights as well. Even internet stations were available.

What may be a little bit scary but rarely noticed by people waiting for the next flight is that we were actually locked in between the airport and the train stations. All doors were locked so we couldn’t get into the airport nor could we go to the train station but a door is still open for smokers and in the case of emergency to run out of the building as well.

Still I now know it’s doable … and my next flight from Auckland-Sydney-Santiago I would definitely do it again to save some money. Train to town cost AUD 17 one way and then one would need to check into a hostel, get up super early and still feel tired anyway. The airport do have free showers available when it’s open and it’s on the opposite ends of the waiting area at the departure.

This time I would be armed with a sleeping bag thou to make things more comfy.