Overnight in Changi Airport

Changi Airport is absolutely huge, and if you ever want to get your steps in then this is the place to do it. It’s one of the nicest airports I’ve ever visited, and there’s tons to do both at the airport and at the attached Jewel shopping mall.

Because it’s a transit hub, a lot of flights stop at Changi before heading onward to Europe, the United States, and elsewhere. I recently flew through Singapore on my way to the United Kingdom from Vietnam, and I had a long layover at Changi Airport.

It wasn’t long enough to really make it worth leaving the airport, but neither was it short enough that I could just stay up all night until I flew out. So I decided to try sleeping overnight AT the airport! Here’s my experience, and all the info I managed to gather for those looking to sleep at Changi overnight as well.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and buy something, I get a small percentage at no extra cost to you. Your support helps keep this blog running— thank you! Read full disclosure here.

Sleeping in Changi Airport

First off, it’s much easier to sleep at the airport if you’re a transiting passenger. If you came in on a late flight, and you have your boarding pass for your next flight already, then you can access the transit areas.

However, if you’re flying out early in the morning but DON’T have your boarding pass, then you have to stay in the land-side spaces– and they’re much stricter about who can sleep there. I’ve seen some reports of people sleeping in various landside public places but I didn’t try it myself, as luckily I had my boarding pass for my early-morning flight.

Secondly, if you DO want to sleep at the airport, you have a few options depending on your budget.

Transit hotels & Landside hotels

There’s a few hotels WITHIN the transit area and more outside transit on the landside. If you’re transiting and want to stay outside of the transit area, then just make sure you’re able to exit into Singapore (with a visa, or visa-free status).

Transit hotels

These are located WITHIN the transit area, so you don’t have to leave through immigration (and come back in before your flight). This is a good option for people who only have a short layover and want somewhere private to nap for a bit. The transit hotel rooms can be rented in blocks of time, from 3-12 hours.

The transit hotels in Changi Airport are:

• Aerotel in Terminal 1. These come with meals! They also have single OR double rooms available.
• Ambassador Transit Hotel in Terminal 2
• Ambassador Transit Hotel in Terminal 3.

🌟TIP: Book your transit hotel as early as you can. They give discounts if you book at least 2 weeks ahead of time!

Landside hotels

There’s a few landside hotels IN the airport, and a few more very nearby. The ones nearby don’t have shuttles, so you’d still have to make your way there and back on your own.

Still, if you have the money and/or time, these are much better value for the cost and they’re more comfortable than the transit hotel rooms. They’re more like proper hotel rooms than cubicles, and they usually come with more comforts.

Your land-side hotel options are:

• Crowne Plaza Changi Airport (the most-recommended from other travelers)
• YOTELAIR Singapore Changi Airport in the Jewel, level 4

Snooze lounges

These are FREE spaces within the transit areas where travelers can lay down nearly flat and “snooze” aka nap.

I say “nearly flat” because the provided lounge chairs are a strange shape that I suppose is good for your back but doesn’t feel very comfortable to lay on for a long time. Probably that’s the point!

These lounges fill up fast, so if you want to snag one then get there before 9pm and STAY THERE. I managed to get a lounger for a few hours but then left to go to the bathroom, and never managed to get another one again. One of the downsides of traveling solo, I suppose– nobody to save my seat for me!

Snooze lounge locations are as follows:

Terminal 1

• Level 3, Departure Transit Hall East

Terminal 2

• Level 2, Departure Transit Hall North Pier opposite gate E5
• Level 2, Departure Transit Hall North Pier opposite gate E11
• Level 2, Departure Transit Hall near Cocoa Trees
• Level 3, Departure Transit Hall near Sunflower Garden

Terminal 3

• Level 2, Departure Transit Hall South near to GST refund counters

Terminal 4

• Level 2M, Departure Transit Hall

Chairs & benches

Changi actually has quite a few fairly comfortable chairs and benches in the transit area. If you can sleep sitting up, then grabbing one of these high-backed chairs would be a good option for you.

Otherwise you might be able to get a bench. There are several seating areas with padded benches, though of course they do get full quickly.

Floor

This is what I ended up doing after I couldn’t find another lounger (or bench) to sleep on. Technically I think the Changi staff don’t like people to do this, but if you can tuck yourself away into a corner it’s not so bad. I recommend bringing a blanket, as it does get cold. I saw some people with sleeping bag liners or flat sheets as well– very smart.

As for where to sleep on the floor: you can try basically anywhere, but obviously it’s better if you can find somewhere out of a busy path. I slept between that chair in the photo above and the window, which worked well because it’s not a main pathway.

I DID see people sleeping right in the hallway going from the gates to the transit area, but for me that’s very exposed (and noisy). I recommend trying to find somewhere else if you can.

I saw a few people sleeping in a large empty space near the TV lounge in Terminal 1, but that’s not a legit sleeping area (I think it’s a construction zone?) so be cautious about using it. There’s a few corners in the free seating areas that are out of the way and behind chairs that people used as well. And there’s some spots near the elevators on the floors up to the Airport Lounges (the paid kind) which are tucked away.

Supposedly also people sleep in the 24-hour movie theater, which does have comfortable seats but also has movies playing loud sounds at all hours…

What’s it like to sleep at Changi Airport?

It wasn’t bad, actually! It’s generally fairly quiet, for an airport, and if you can find an area tucked away from the main walking paths then it’s usually very quiet. The restaurants stay open late, which is fairly noisy, but by 1am or so it’s VERY quiet.

The lights are on always, of course, so you’ll need an eye mask.

I was a little concerned sleeping in public as, being a solo female traveler, I didn’t have anyone to watch my back (or my stuff). But I wasn’t bothered by anyone IN the airport– probably because I was in the transit area so it was closed to the public. Singapore is generally a safe country anyway, but it’s still good to be cautious. Locking your luggage to a chair leg and making sure the zips aren’t able to be opened quickly helps a lot.

The 3am wake up

Every review of a traveler sleeping at Changi mentioned how security staff came and woke them up at 3am to ask for their boarding pass.

And it’s true! It happened to me!

They were very nice about it, though, and once I showed them my boarding pass (and passport) they left me to sleep on the floor again. 😉

If you’re not a transiting passenger, they WILL ask you to leave. You’re not allowed to be in the transit area if you’re not transiting.

Alternatively: Hotels in the city

If you have a significantly long layover (like, maybe more than 10 hours?) then it might be better just to exit the airport and go into the city to stay. It takes about an hour by public transport to get from Changi to the center of Singapore, and faster if you take an Uber or private transport. Here’s all the way to get from the airport to the city, if you’re interested.

Within the city itself are TONS of hotel options, including some nice hostels if you’re a budget traveler.

• My favorite hostel is Betel Backpackers
• A nice mid-range hotel is Ann Siang House, part of the Unlimited Collection
• If you really wanna go all out, there’s always the Marina Bay Sands hotel

Cheap food in Changi Airport

Changi Airport actually has quite a few good places to eat for not much money! Sure, it’s easy to accidentally overspend and buy a $7 USD coffee, but if you pay attention you can get some good food for cheap.

• Gourmet Sarawak in Terminal 3, especially for their S$6 kaya toast breakfast set
• SG Hawker in Terminal 1, where you can get “street food” for a decent price

Read more: 11 Foods to Try in Singapore

Final Thoughts

While I’m glad I experienced what it was like to sleep at an airport finally (after 3 years of full-time travel), next time I’m just going to fork over the cash and go into the city to spend the night at a hostel instead. Sleeping in public was super uncomfortable, and while I managed to lightly doze it wasn’t exactly a restful night.

Still, if you have a flight at a weird hour, or if you’re super tight on your travel budget, then sleeping at Changi Airport isn’t the worst idea ever.