Airport at night with 3 & 5yo?

[SausageShop]

We're looking to book a holiday to Turkey in May. We went last year at the same time. Flights arrive there at 01:00 and on the way home we leave at 22:00 ish and get home around 4am.

Last year we took a lightweight buggy for the youngest who was 2 (almost 3) but of course with it being the middle of the night the 4yo was asleep too so she ended up in the buggy while DH carried the youngest which was a pain as the gate was miles from the baggage claim.

We no longer use a pram and they're both still too little to walk that far after waking in the middle of the night and too old for a pram (they'll be almost 4 and just 6).

I don't really fancy buying a new buggy just for the airport but I'm going to have to aren't I? Or is there some alternative that I'm missing??

What did you do with your similar aged kids??

This isn’t helpful, but I just paid the extra for sensible flight times or didn’t go.

We fly at better times. Sorry.

I would never fly in the middle of the night with small children. We pay the extra for decent times or go to places that have better flight times.

If that's impossible then I suppose a cheap double buggy is your answer.

Another one saying - we look at flight and times for each day of the month - and then choose the best daytime flights. Also less chance of delays with flights earlier in the day.

Cheap buggy is what I would do.

And I wouldn't worry about the flight times. The kids will sleep

With kids at those ages we just sucked up the cost of sensible flying times which would suit them better. It’s crap enough traipsing through an airport and juggling luggage aswell as small kids without adding the terrible times into the mix 🫠

I would buy a cheap double buggy and hope they sleep.

Choose better flights.

To be fair they both slept through the flights and transfer (which is the problem as we'll have to carry them!)

We'll likely get at least one cheap buggy then. Those are the only flights on that day and I wouldn't change the whole holiday - we've been twice with them before to the same place so we know what we're getting and everyone's loved it before. It's just an awkward age for travelling.

I suppose I just wondered if there was something I didn't know about that you could hire to get from the gate to baggage claim.

They're rubbish at walking too far no matter what time of day we fly!

Perhaps buy a buggy on Facebook marketplace...?

We had a second hand double buggy for holidays only.

Trunki and pull them along?

glad that I was not the only one who did this. I would rather choose a different destination tbh.

Buggy for three year old.

I have a little thing that slips under my 5yr olds bum so I can carry him for longer and have my hands free and he is secured. Maybe something like that if you need for 5 year old?

When ours were little we used to fly out early something like between 6am and 7.30am. Night before in a Premier Inn (extends holiday by a day and we don’t live close enough to get to an airport at silly o clock), lay clothes out before you go to bed get them up, help them to dress sleepily, kids clean teeth and breakfast at airport by then quietly excited. A little tired during flight, sleep in taxi in private transfer, arrive at destination around lunch time (no kick offs and excited to explore and get in the pool). Return flight usually takes off late morning to early afternoon (no problems).

We got a secondhand double stroller from marketplace when we did similar last year with a 2.5 and 4.5 year old. It barely managed their weight though and was a nightmare to steer so you might have to research what will cope. If you get lucky you might find a double mountain buggy or baby jogger.

I just wake my kids up and make them walk. Then they can sleep again once we are sitting down somewhere.

(We went on lots of UK - US flights due to where we lived. I think I would book reasonable flight time for an actual holiday)