Where I’ve Been Sleeping: Napcab, Munich Airport
Napcab Munich Airport
Terminal 2, Gate H32
The Victim: Me
The Damage: 33.50 euros
The Background: I think I will start a new blog. The Travel Sagas blog. Where people like me can contribute their awful travel sagas in writing. This way, rather than boring your friends with the entire story in person, you can just say, “Here’s the link. It’s easier if you read it.”
The last five days have been hell. Truly. I am not going to bore you with the details. (You really don’t want me to tell the entire story. Let’s just say it involves a 16-year-old German exchange student, a blizzard, and a missing passport.) Somewhere during this saga, I unexpectedly found myself in Munich’s airport, with nine-and-a-half hours to kill between flights. I was exhausted. So I Google’d “where to sleep in Munich airport” and somehow found out about Napcab.
So you see that box up there? The box in the middle of the airport? I slept in that box for two hours the other day. Two very peaceful hours. And although it was a little bit of an odd experience, it was still worth it.
Napcabs are like those Yo! Hotels you’ve read about. It’s a tiny little space with a bed and a desk, meant for the exhausted traveler. There’s a T1 line for you to get online. (Munich Airport does not offer ANY free wireless. Not even in the Lufthansa lounge.) It comes with mood lighting and mood music, and it’s supposed to come with movies and TV, but I couldn’t get those to work. The odd part about the Napcab in the screen you pull down once you’re inside. It’s not a 100% perfect fit, so light bleeds in around the edges. And when people approach the Napcab from the outside–which the curious are wont to do–you can see their shadows flicker against the wall. It’s odd knowing that someone it outside your Napcab, trying to look in.
Here is the view from the other side of the bed. You can see the control center, which handles your music, lighting, and a wake-up alarm if you should so desire.
I entered my Napcab around 12:40 pm. I departed around 2:45 pm. So two hours of blissful sleep, in the middle of a long journey. There’s something to be said for that, even if it was in the middle of the airport. And even if I later learned that even if you only use the Napcab for two hours, you have to pay for three. (Apparently it’s a three-hour minimum.)
When you check out, the unit locks behind you and no one can rent it again until it’s been cleaned.
The Verdict: If you’re in Munich Airport–and exhausted–do it. Note that there are only two Napcabs at Gate H32 so you’ll need to be lucky like I was!
Feb 06, 2011
Was there a line? I would think there would be a ton of people wanting to use this during a long journey! I think there is something similar in Heathrow and that one includes a shower.
Feb 08, 2011
The only similar thing I have come across is in Changi. They have “Day Rooms” you can hire by the hour (quite cheaply actually)and have a shower and a nap and watch a bit of Singaporean TV. I really dont understand why more airports dont offer the same service.
Feb 10, 2011
This concept keeps coming and going over the years. I first remember seeing something like this at MSP circa 1994. Called a “Ziosk”, it was pretty much the same thing you describe (although, being 1994, replace “T1 line” with “modem port”). Made an unexpectedly long layover I had there fairly nice, for reasons similar to yours.
I too thing “Travel Sagas” would be a good blog. I’d contribute…
Jul 11, 2011
Napcabs!!
Munich Airport – http://t.co/kagWGBA
Aug 09, 2011
@Hedonia but there are http://t.co/udNv4hD #napcab
Feb 03, 2012
I, too, slept there. It was heaven to lay flat after no sleep the previous legs of the journey in the air and hanging out in other airports. I think I’d been awake and upright for about 24 hours before I got to the napcab. But I screwed up on the checking out part, and ended up paying $163 Euro for a 45-minute nap. I could have checked into a hotel for that amount — I remember going past the napcab later and seeing it marked occupied and worrying that it was still on my credit card, but then assured myself that I had checked out and didn’t go up to check. Lessons learned. I think I was punch-drunk from lack of sleep and didn’t even check to see if a receipt would pop out after I checked out. Just spent a sleepless night now because I opened my credit card statement last night and got the shock of my life, price-wise. So there’s the cautionary part.
Feb 21, 2012
@ weary traveller
Hi, this is napcabs Germany writing… We are sorry to hear that you had problems with the checking out procedure and ended up paying too much for your stay inside one of our napcabs. Do you still have your boarding pass or flight details available, so that we can check your flight schedule and charge you only for your stay? If so please contact us via email at customers@napcabs.com and we will find a way of retransferring. We look forward to hearing from you!! Nicola – napcabs Germany
Feb 22, 2012
too long ago! But thank you for getting in touch!
Apr 22, 2012
“(Munich Airport does not offer ANY free wireless. Not even in the Lufthansa lounge.)”
This is not correct.
I have always used Munich Franz Josef Strauss Airport during my travels between Canada and Turkey. At least for the last 3 years, they offer wireless that can purchased (by the hour, or monthly) with a credit card.
Apr 22, 2012
duh… I haven’t noticed the word “free”…
No, they don’t offer “free” wireless…
Please feel free to delete my replies.
Regards,
G.