Sleeping At Heathrow Terminal 5: Everything You Need To Know

As I am writing this at 6.35am from one of London Heathrow airport many bougie airport lounges (thank you Trusted Housesitters for including lounge passes in your membership!) in terminal 5, it is safe to say that I survived. Want to know how it went sleeping at heathrow terminal 5? Keep on reading!

I had a nights gap between a housesit ending and my flight to New York City so I initially looked into airport hotels. Wow they are so so expensive! We’re talking over £150 for a room at an airport hotel. One that I would have had to vacate at around 5am the next morning anyway because of the time of my flight. My frugal little heart wheeped at this price and refused to even consider it.

Enter my crazy idea – why don’t I just sleep at the airport.

When I concocted my crazy plan to just crash in the airport, I went down a rabbit hole online trying to understand if a. this was allowed and b. what would it be like? And let me tell you, my experience was nothing like the horror stories I read online. It was actually very peaceful and I may even go as far to say I enjoyed it and would do it again.

Read Next: 48 Hours On A Train: A Review Of The Amtrak Empire Builder

MY EXPERIENCE

I arrived at around 11pm after taking the Elizabeth line in from Tottenham Court Road and then the free airport shuttle to terminal 5 to find there were already a few people camped out for the night. Not going to lie, an almost-empty airport is an absolute vibe. It reminded me of when I did rehearsals for my high school shows on the weekend and we would just walk round the empty school. You feel like a sort of VIP with privileged access.

As soon as I arrived, I went straight to the toilets to change into my comfy clothes for the night. I’d come straight from an evening out in central London so my phone was on its last legs. Priority number one was finding a plug. These were very easy to come by but getting one near an empty chair was rarer. But I succeed!

I sat there for about an hour, charging my phone and facetiming a friend about a show I’d just watched. It was after midnight by the time we were done chatting and I was yawning none stop, so I needed to find a comfortable space to make into my base for the night.

I ended up relocating a stone’s throw down to a bench where there were only 2 armrests across 4 seats so I could make a sort of bed. Thankfully I’m 5”3 so I was easily able to fully stretch out and even fell asleep on my stomach.

Did I get a good night’s sleep? Hell no. Although I did sleep for 2 hours straight and compared to what I thought would happen, I am calling that a win! Plus I felt fully safe enough to sleep without worrying about my bags and wasn’t bothered by a single person! The dream!

The following morning, I vacated my little base as soon as security opened and then went straight into the club aspire lounge. Where I have been eating and drinking to my hearts content since!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Heathrow never sleeps

Although security and the check-in desks are closed, there are still workers doing their jobs overnight. Including the loud speaker announcements which drone on all night! 

Security closes overnight and reopens at 4.30am

I had the idea in my head that I would rock up around 11pm, head straight through security and sleep amongst the gates. Little did I know that security is not open 24/7 so this was not a realistic plan. If you are going to crash at Heathrow terminal 5, it will have to be landside – meaning before security.

They have plug stations

There are multiple plug in stations around the check-in area (where you will most likely have to base yourself) meaning you will be able to charge your devices.

They have free wifi

It’s not high-speed wi-fi but they have it! No rationing data here – you can roam until your hearts content.

Only basic facilities are open

According to the interweb there is a 24/7 Costa in Heathrow terminal 5, god knows where that is! I couldn’t find it for the life of me. The toilets are open and there are multiple water dispensers but other than that you’re on your own. Bring snacks if you know you’ll want them. Or you’ll have to wait until dawn for the shops and on-site restaurants to open.

Read Next: Wowcher Mystery Holiday Review – Is it worth it?

Currently there are no sleep pods open to the general public in terminal 5

Whilst you will find a handful of sleep pods within the forty winks nap lounge, these are within the first class lounge and not open for just anyone to book. Unlike other major airports, there are no nap lounges or rest zones landside at terminal 5 so if you’re looking to crash at the airport, whether you’re taking a break during one of your long journeys or you have extra time before your next flight, the best way is to grab a bench and get comfy. 

Alternatively there are hotel options if you’re not on a strict budget

If you’re not super frugal like I am, you could book one of the many airport hotels at London Heathrow based within the surrounding area of the passenger terminals. If you’re flying with British Airways, then you will be flying out of terminal 5. Thistle Hotel boasts that it’s the closest hotel to terminal 5 and they offer a shuttle bus service. 

TOP TIPS

1. Bring warm clothes

I got into London Heathrow terminal 5 from central London, after going to see a West End show, so I was wearing evening clothes (read: jeans & a jumper). Temperature wise I was fine in this but not for comfort so I changed into leggings and a hoodie the minute I could. This was all I needed for the first half of the evening but when I woke up at around 2am, the temperature had dropped and it was freezing. It was like someone had switched the air conditioning on. Big winter coat to the rescue – I used that thing as a blanket!

2. Choose a good bed

And yes by “bed” I mean bench. Don’t get your hopes up for a rough comfy double bed plopped in the middle of departures! Unfortunately the benches were not all created equally and some made better temporary beds than others. Approximately 50% of them had unmovable armrests between each seat, meaning it would be almost impossible to stretch out. So unless you like sleeping sitting up, make sure you choose one of the best option benches that only has one or two armrests. This means you will have two-three seats length to stretch out. Easy if you’re short like me!

3. Don’t forget headphones

Remember those loud speaker announcements? Yeah you’re going to want to drown them out! Whack in your headphones, play whatever suits your fancy and drift off.

The verdict – no where near as bad as I thought it was going to be and if I have an early morning flight again I will 100% just crash in the airport!

Have you ever crashed at an airport before? I’d love to hear all about your experience!