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There's a pretty cheap and convenient ticket I can buy but it has a 21 hr layover in Paris-Orly (ORY) airport. I do have a visa but in case I stay just at the airport:

  • Are there any sleeping areas in the airport?

  • Are there any noise, ventilation, safety, smell or other problems?

Uciebila
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user134309
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    Related: Is it possible to transfer airside when flying through Paris Orly airport? It's possible that you'll have to leave the secured area anyhow, which might change your calculation about whether or not to sleep at the airport. – Michael Seifert Mar 06 '23 at 16:20
  • Wait what does that mean? What exactly is secured area and non secured area? – user134309 Mar 06 '23 at 16:28
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    @user134309 you would need a visa, need to go through customs and immigration, and then go through security again for the next leg of the flight. – Esther Mar 06 '23 at 16:32
  • The "secured area" is the area of the airport behind the security (and usually immigration) checkpoints. If you have to change terminals at ORY, the answers on other question imply that you will have to leave one terminal (passing immigration to "enter" France, so you may need a visa) and then go through security (again passing immigration to "exit" France and also having your bags X-rayed, etc.) – Michael Seifert Mar 06 '23 at 16:32
  • So definitely check whether you'll need a visa before you book this! Here's our canonical advice on how to figure this out; this one discusses general rules, while the first question I linked discusses the concerns specific to ORY. – Michael Seifert Mar 06 '23 at 16:34
  • Oh ok thanks I have a visa. I'm just concerned about the sleep situation. I'm reading some horror stories from Nov 2021. (People are forced so stay in a basketball court sized area at night. Most people can't find a place to sit. They added pictures to show how its like). Seems like I should not book the ticket – user134309 Mar 06 '23 at 17:33
  • Seems a bit crazy https://www.sleepinginairports.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/paris-orly-Gpuddles-2-scaled.jpg – user134309 Mar 06 '23 at 17:39
  • Can you tell us where from and to you would be flying from, your citizenship and/or relevant visas or resident permits, the airline(s) involved, the arrival/departure times, and whether the two flights would be on a single ticket or booked separately? – jcaron Mar 06 '23 at 21:38
  • It’s worth noting that Orly has been drastically reconfigured relatively recently so that many old answers may be outdated. – jcaron Mar 06 '23 at 21:39
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    If you have a visa, for a layover of this duration, I would strongly advise booking a nearby hotel. – jcaron Mar 06 '23 at 21:40
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    It may be helpful to know that the "security area" is offten referred-to as "airside," while the non-secure area — which one accesses coming in from the street in front of the terminal — is often called "landside." – DavidRecallsMonica Mar 07 '23 at 05:29
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    You can often purchase lounge access for a somewhat reasonable price (last time I paid about 30 Euros). For such a long stay, that might well be worth it. Check the lounges and what facilities they have available. Some of the higher-tier lounges have showers and even beds where you can sleep a few hours. – Tom Mar 07 '23 at 07:09
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    @Tom Premium lounges I'm familiar with have time limits, determined by your onward boarding time. At the very least, staying there overnight will be far more than 30 euro; more likely it won't be allowed at all. – Sneftel Mar 07 '23 at 09:50
  • Should you book it? How can we possibly know? – CGCampbell Mar 07 '23 at 16:41

1 Answers1

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If you have a 21 hours layover in ORY, the best way would be to allow you (almost) a full day to visit Paris. It's very easy to reach Paris downtown from / to ORY airport. You can find all public transportation on the Paris Aéroport site, with their respective price and time.

If, for any reason, you can't or don't want to enter in France and want to stay inside the airport, here's what you must know:

The airport is easy to navigate.
The facilities are fine, and overall the airport staff are generally tolerant of overnight travellers trying to sleep.
Most of the seats have armrests, so many travellers prefer to stretch out on the floor.
Some travellers report being able to sleep on the benches and couches in some cafes.
The airport can be cold, so bring layers – especially if you’re sleeping on the floor.
Plan on bright lights, so bring a sleep mask/eyeshades.

Source: Paris Orly Airport Guide (Sleeping in Airports)

However, please note there's no luggage facilities, so you must watch your luggage until check-in. French airports are safe but vigilance is still required.

There's also 3 hotels you can access with Orly shuttle, but they're not inside the airport itself:

Also, there's no noise issue (at least no more than in any other airport), nor ventilation issue.

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AlexB
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  • https://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/orly-airport : Spend the night at Orly (ORY) Orly airport is closed from 12:30 am to 3:30 am. However, if you have a summons, provided by your travel agency, or an air ticket, you can check in and wait in your departure terminal – audionuma Mar 08 '23 at 15:44