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I’ve never been to a hotel where check in is the end of the time you can show up. Usually it’s the start of the time you can show up. What places limit the time you can show up?
When they close the office for the night. I've run across this with small hotels, b&bs. But sometimes they also can make arrangements if I tell them I am arriving late. Always ask!
Icm trying to rent airbnbs (or other private homes), and preferbthe ones with electronic code locks - you arrive at five a.m., have zero interactions with people, get inside and fall asleep
Yeah me too but such is not always possible in some cities. Or for some budgets.
I've done it before twice, it's fine as long as you apply your normal safety practices for being out in a city at night but there are two caveats: you will be very bored and you will feel like a steaming heap of dog shit the next day
(I have not been to Madrid and do not know what it is like as a city, so this is meant generally)
It just sounds like you'll ruin the coming day for yourself. A lot of places have 24hr check in, e.g. keys in a lockbox with a number code.
If you are taking a flight in the morning, could you spend the night in the airport?
I've slept at various airports under just these circumstances. Pretty common.
According to https://www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/madrid-barajas-airport-guide.htm the airport is open 24 hours so they can just hang there. Allowing about an hour to get to the airport they'd only have five hours or so. By airport waiting standards that's nothing!
I have done this. It sucks balls but is better than wandering around a city all night.
It is not crazy for someone to be somewhere at some time of day or night.
Try to get a room or at least stay in the station if it's open overnight. I just spent a night on the streets in Chicago. My body was already exhausted from 18 hours of train travel and spending the whole next day walking around the city. I put my stuff in a locker and forgot my coat. Ended up shivering away the night even in 70 degree fahrenheit because my sugar bottomed out to an extreme level. On top of that I was dodging someone who was pretty strung out and constant dog walkers at like 2 am at the park I settled at. Between the travel and that day, I ended up getting like 2 hours of sleep total in a 48 hour period. I have no clue how I survived the night to get around the next day, but it wasn't pretty. It put a physical toll on my trip that I could have avoided if I planned things better. The recovery took extra long too.
I spent a night in an airport once because I ran out of money the night before my flight--I had exactly the right amount for a taxi to get to the airport. Security wouldn't let me sleep anywhere I found that was semi-comfortable, I spent most of the night laying on a concrete bench. I slept the entire flight.
One option to consider would be stopping for the night in a town north of the city to have an earlier arrival. If there are morning airport connections that get you checked in early enough.
Call somewhere and ask. Let them know the timing. And ask if they have prorated booking (it's extremely rare, but never hurts to ask).
Would it be too dangerous to stay up all night on the street?
Personally I believe that the inner part of this very civilised city should be safe. Maybe there's a few suburbs that should be avoided, idk.
FWIW I did the same years ago and got some of the best impressions of the city in question (not Madrid, but EU), and great photos. I didn't feel the slightest bit of danger. But I'm 185cm and obviously male. That does make a difference.
The problem is that I'm 1.60m and I've been harassed previously in an airport at broad daylight. That's why I'm a bit scared to do this but I think I'll stay by the police department
There's a pretty active night life, go to a disco, then sleep on your flight!
this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2025
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