Sleeping in Heathrow

I have slept in Heathrow before and it was fine. I don't think you can stay in the secure area (at least you couldn't when I did it). I just camped out on a bench in a public area near a bar that was open late. There were several others near me and many more throughout the concourse. I cabled my bag to the bench. Since we were all there for the night, we watched each other's bags when people went to the restroom, etc. You will have to retrieve your checked bag and keep it with you during the night. In my case, my ongoing airline opened its desk at 6:30 a.m. for check-ins. One thing you should be aware of is that the shops close around 9:00, so you will want to have food/drinks with you in case you want something during the night. Places like Krispy Kreme open back up again at 5:00 a.m. There is a lot of activity during the night (maintenance and cleaning) so I never felt like it was dangerous.

We spent about 12 hours in Heathrow on a layover from Paris back to the US. Look for a "prayer room" - they're relatively quiet, not terribly bright, and have comfy, recliner chairs. It was about as good an environment to sleep in that I've found in most airports (short of a "transit hotel"). I don't recall which terminal we were in but I'm sure they have one for each.

Thanks for the tips! I feel better about sleeping there now. :)

Yeah, I've been reading the reviews on that site and they seem mixed, so I thought I would seek help here, too. Thanks for the tip on the YOTEL. I'll have to check it out!

We have spent the night at Costa Coffee, at LHR. They stay open all night, I believe. (I was asleep part of the time so not positive) Costa Coffee is almost outside the airport, close to the Bus terminals. Someone needs to be awake all the time. People come and go all night. If you are by yourself, I would attach my luggage to self with a cord, etc.

We have spent the night at Costa Coffee, at LHR. They stay open all night, I believe. (I was asleep part of the time so not positive) Costa Coffee is almost outside the airport, close to the Bus terminals. Someone needs to be awake all the time. People come and go all night. If you are by yourself, I would attach my luggage to self with a cord, etc.

I want to try the Yotel myself on my next trip through, but since you said you are a poverty-stricken student you will probably find it's outside your budget. The Yotel charges by the hour, with a four-hour minimum.

Thanks for the tip, John! And you're right Nancy, I looked at the prices for Yotel earlier and it is going to be too much money for me. So I guess I'll spend the night at the airport! I'm kind of excited for it, because for me it'll be a new adventure. I'm not too concerned about being able to sleep either, because I'll probably just sleep on the plane. :)

www.easyhotel.com Easyhotel Heathrow can be as cheap as 25 pounds a night ($40) with advanced booking. It has a tiny room with a clean bed and clean shower/bathroom en suite. Not recommended for claustrophobics!

I'm also a big fan of airport "transit hotels" - for me the cost is worth it (and they're not cheap). Used them recently in Jakarta and Singapore and they made a huge difference. I'm now a believer - no more trying to snooze stretched out across plastic chairs for me.

Yotel is the way to go! I second the idea of staying there.

Candice said that she can't afford Yotel, Evan.

Yeah, you're right Nancy. I'm not going to go the Yotel route, although I wish I had enough money for a decent place. I might be able to do the Easyhotel, but that's still a bit of a stretch for me. I'm still leaning on sleeping in the airport, so I hope everything goes well. Thanks for all the tips, everyone!

Candice, you might consider bidding for a room on priceline. I don't know what your budget is, but I've seen people post winning bids of under $40 at some of the LHR hotels. For tips on bidding, check the website biddingfortravel.com and scroll down to the section "Europe Hotels". There is a board just for London airport wins.