Knobbgb

I'll by flying UK to Athens a couple of times later in the year and my first choice (for mileage collection purposes only!!) is SAS. So, the routing is xxx-CPH-ATH but the only ATH flight leaves CPH at 08:40 in the morning. I'm thinking of taking a late flight in from the UK and spending the night in the airport. I know some places are more 'friendly' for this than others.

Does CPH allow me to just stay airside after arriving - remember this will be from outside Schengen if that makes a difference? If not, are there places to hang out and sleep landside or am I liable to be kicked out of the airport totally? I transited CPH last year (arriving from within Schengen) and I basically left the aircraft and walked right into the departure lounge but I'm just thinking it might be different arriving from outside.

I'm getting a bit old for this lark now - it wouldn't have bothered me as a 20-something. The last time I slept in an airport (other than my home one) was at AMS last year and they even had some reclined 'couches' in a nice, quiet, dimly lit area for over night sleepers. I'm used to ATH where it's a bit different - you have to go landside first but security seems to be open from very early (around 3am) so it's not a big deal.

A related question - will there be anywhere to get decent priced foor or drink while I wait or will I need to take out a second mortgage? I'm assuming they'll accept Euro at all the airport shops but what about if I head out of the airport?

Thanks in advance.

PS - didn't there used to be a dedicated area/thread about sleeping in airports? I couldn't find it.

GUWonder

CPH is a rather uncomfortable airport for overnight staying -- but it's way worse landside than airside. Since CPH has some flights departing as late as 1 am or so (if not even later) and has some flights as early as around 6 am, you should be able to stay airside for all the hours or at least half of the time.

rts123

This may help with the sleeping part: http://www.sleepinginairports.net/eu...en_kastrup.htm

I flew out of CPH yesterday and although I didn't eat there I saw a wide variety of restaurants, from hot dog stands to more formal sit down places. Finding *something* to eat that won't break the bank shouldn't be a problem - if places are open when you're there. Not sure if Euros are accepted (they were in Copenhagen taxis) but credit cards certainly are.

Knobbgb

Thanks. I'm just worried about arriving from outside Schengen. I seem to remember the ex-Schengen gates were on Pier D. The website states that connections from outside Schengen have to pass through passport control (obviously) but NOT security (from EU) so - hopefully I can get access to the main areas, even after midnight.

Thanks for the link rts123!

gnaget

If you arrive in non-Schengen from an "unclean country" where you have to go through security to connect, then you are on an upper level where you either walk straight to passport control and you are forced to go to baggage claim, or you go through security and then downstairs to passport control in the "big hall" and enter the Schengen part of the airport.

I am pretty sure that arriving from the UK in the C pier then all passengers go to this same passport control on the lower level (you are allowed to mix with departing passengers), so they then enter the Schengen area close to the SAS lounges. Arriving passengers would then take an escalator down to baggage claim while you would be free to wander the terminal.

I have not arrived from a clean origin (e.g. US or UK) at CPH in recent years on the non-Schengen side, but I am pretty sure that's the way it works.

stut

Correct. If you arrive from the UK on the C pier, you immediately exit into the mixed non-Schengen area, with very limited facilities. You can then pass through immigration into the mixed Schengen area, where you can either stay, or take the escalator down to arrivals.

Some SAS flights land at the shared Schengen/non-Schengen D1xx gates, in which case you will be sent upstairs, but will be routed round to the C pier mixed area, where it'll be the same as above.

Haven't arrived at the LCC D gates before, but I think you just pass through immigration as you leave the LCC area, and are into the mixed D pier Schengen there and then.

In terms of food, I find it slightly disappointing. The highlight is actually the ever tasty Lagkagehuset bakery (I do love Danish bread) - unless you want to go to MASH, which will definitely set you back a penny or two.

johnnywho

I am in a similar situation like the OP described. My flight will arrive late from Germany and I have a connecting flight which already leaves at 6am

Is there a way I can stay airside and pop into one of the lounges as soon as they open?

I guess it would be ok without luggage, but I might have to check luggage and I am not sure I can go back or rather stay airside once I pick up my luggage downstairs.

Let's assume I end up landside after picking up my luggage, how soon can I go back airside when I have a 6am flight?

:D!

I slept airside at CPH a few days ago.

I arrived from LHR at 2200 and departed on the 0438 train to Aalborg.

At 2300, there were plenty of people airside, who looked like they were staying the night rather than catching the last flights of the day. They were sleeping on chairs and on the floor around B, C and D gates. The problem is that the lights by the gates stay bright, and also the chairs are mostly not long enough to lie flat. Some people had brought sleeping bags and slept on the floor.

The only place which had dimmed lights was the Transfer Centre. Furthermore, it had comfortable soft chairs where it was possible to lie flat. There were only 4 other people there when I nodded off despite it being very noisy with workers slamming doors and vaccum cleaners. I think the noise stopped by 0100 but I wasn't really disturbed by it and slept very well until 0400. Then it started to get noisy again. I then went for a walk around and the airside area was heaving with people both sleeping and not sleeping. Also, it was relatively warm overnight but I don't know whether it would be cold in winter.

I exited the airside area to catch my train. I was slightly apprehensive in case the route via baggage reclaim was closed (since there were no flights arriving for a few more minutes) but it was not. There were 2 people sleeping in baggage reclaim and some cleaners. No security guards or police/customs officials bothered me on my way out.


If you arrive from Germany, you will arrive into the airside area without security checks or immigration, but you must go landside if you need to pick up luggage.

If you have your onward boarding pass, then you should be able to get back airside before the ~3-hour lull in departing flights (sometimes the last flight is at midnight and sometimes there are departures at 0130 or so).

The problem is that if you need to recheck your luggage, you would need to arrive before the bag drop closes. I guess it may be ok if you arrive by 2300 and you are flying SAS or Norwegian, but for other airlines it depends whether they have any late night departures. Also, SAS should interline to itself. Otherwise, you will need to wait until about 0400.

If you are stuck landside and want to sleep, it isn't very pleasant as I have also experienced this June. I was on a different timezone so I didn't feel like sleeping, which was just as well because it is not possible to lie flat on any of the benches landside (the armrests get in the way and also they are wooden and hard). Everywhere is brightly lit yet also quite cold and there were a surprising number of people arriving all throughout the night (the trains never stop running). Also for some reason, many people were just sitting around from midnight with their bags ready to be dropped off in the morning. Worst of all there were so many familes with young children screaming and running around. I don't know why only 20-30 people were actually attempting to sleep out of the 200-300 people who were landside.

In June it is bright by 0330 which is when I left for a walk around Amager before my flight later in the morning. However in August it doesn't get bright until 0500. I wouldn't do it in winter, but this summer I was quite happy to spend these 2 nights at the airport rather than paying DKK 2000+ to have a hotel room for 3 hours.

flatlander

If you want a cheaper hotel room, the Cabinn Metro is 2 stops from the airport on the train (therefore about 20 minutes journey time including waiting) and far less than DKK2000, their rooms are in the DKK600 range. I do not recommend the Copenhagen Go hotel, even though it looks closer, because the rooms are small, old, and crappy.

If you still want to sleep in the airport, !'s description above seems quite complete.

:D!

Yes, the Cabinn Metro can be cheap, I did stay there at a later date and only paid GBP 17 for the room (a hotel website promo, plus a currency exchange in my favour) - which to me was not worth much more than that... tiny and barely any facilities, but Denmark is expensive.

If you have an extra DKK 600 to spend you could probably just book more expensive flights with better timings or a direct flight. For me it would have defeated the point of the trip to spend that amount, even though on a different trip I might easily pay double that for a hotel.

flatlander

I think the original poster wanted to fly SAS for mileage earning reasons, and is constrained by there being only one morning flight CPH-ATH. So, unless he/she relaxes the mileage earning constraint, the overnight stay in CPH will remain.

GUWonder

For perhaps less than 800DKK total net out of pocket (for hotel
Night+roundtrip transport), a person could take the train from CPH to Sweden and stay at the Best Western or Quality View in Hyllie. I would do so when it means I could get 3.5+ hours of sleep in a bed that I wouldn't otherwise get for the day. But there is the small risk of the bridge closing down (at least in part) due to weather while the airport operations continue.