To leave holiday a day early?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Booked a mega cheap week away about 4 hours drive from home, two younger dc and dh. SIL and her dh are kindly staying at ours to pet sit. Due to leave sat, but I want to go a day early.

There's little to nothing to do here, one reasonable beach in amongst a load of muddy land, and one day out type place an hours drive away. One pub which looks half falling down. A small play park which we have visited daily.

Weather reasonable today but v.windy. revisiting Attraction and will do another trip to the beach (if it stays dry) but the weather is meant to be hideous tomorrow. Its been crap most of the week.

Leaving a day early would give us all an extra day at home before school 're starts and work comes round again. Kids can be back in their own beds and we can spend an eve with SIL and BIL.

Dh is very much a "we will just crack on, it's a week away" and won't recognise the benefits of that extra day at home.

If we want to do anything else "nearby" it's about a 2h drive away. Which is halfway home anyways.

I'd leave, can you visit somewhere for the day on the way home?.

Yeah, there is a place we had earmarked for a stop which is a proper visitors attraction with stuff to do so would do that anyways on the way.

We've often left holidays early. It's fine.

I think dh will see it as a "fail" rather than gaining anything from it which is a shame.

Are you sure there is nothing else to do? You must be in the back of beyond if there is literally nothing to do within an hour to 2 hour radius. Can you tell us where you are, maybe someone can help you out with suggestions on what you can do?

Not quite the same, but we cut short our camping trip by one day due to the bad weather forecast on the last day.

It was actually far more relaxed knowing we didn't need to rush to leave at a certain time, and we all benefited from an extra day at home.

We left in the evening so still had the full day where we were, so only missed out on an evening and half a day really.

I'd do it, but I can see your DH's point of view, that you've paid for this and want to stay as long as possible, to get value for money.

Is it possible to do the day trip that's en-route and then continue home?

@Tiredy I agree. Tell us where OP, and we might be able to help!

It's fine to leave early if the kids want to as well. Is there really nothing to do where you are? Where are you? X

We’ve left holidays early twice now, for different reasons. It feels somehow naughty at the time but we’ve always been glad we did.

Obvious question - did you not research before you booked it to see if there was stuff to do?

We left a holiday early once. I also felt a failure as I was (and still) compared myself to my sister who has fun filled action packed holidays and who was all supercilious when I said we'd left early and she was all "oh I would have have packed a giant picnic and we'd have gone to the beach and totally eked out the time we have there'

We were happy to get home. We would just have been killing time until the actual leaving day.

Now I'm better at picking places with lots to do.

I think dh will see it as a "fail" rather than gaining anything from it which is a shame.

I would too, if I'm honest. It doesn't suggest you've had a great time if you leave early! I can see the benefits of the extra day at home before you all go back to school/work, but if it was vital; you'd have gone on holiday earlier.

It's not unreasonable to want to leave early and it's not unreasonable to want to stay. It might have been unreasonable to book a holiday where there is so little that you want to do!

I'd rather not say as dont want to offend anyone.

We did research but it all lead to outdoors stuff which is fine but the weather has been mostly crap. Two nice days we spent on the beach and we would have happily had more beach days if the weather had stayed.

Done a few "drives out" in the opposite direction to home and getting to places and it's all just so bleak. Industrial, muddy, rainy, playparks destroyed so not even able to nip out the car for swings.

Tried the odd little museum/visitors place, all dead, there's just no activity here.

Wanted to take the kids swimming on a rainy day - 1h20mins to the nearest pool!

If tomorrow was meant to be dry/sunny, I wouldn't even think of leaving- but a day spent soaked or indoors isn't that fun.

We often used to leave the evening before the last day when the kids were little to get another proper day at home, miss the traffic etc, and the kids slept most of the way home so a peaceful journey all round. That journey home otherwise takes up a whole day and I agree with you, I'd rather be at home!

If it doesn't feel like a holiday, feels more like a chore to stay, go home.

Sounds grim. I would want to go home too OP.

We left our holiday a day early as we felt that we had done everything we wanted to do and we missed our own bed. Was so nice to have the extra time at home.

We often leave a day early from a UK holiday let (or venue). You can pack up in a leisurely manner and leave mid afternoon - or later if you don't mind what time you get home. Plenty of stops on the way, makes it far more relaxing.

We're leaving a day early today too. Just had enough and want to go home. Doesn't matter does it do what makes you happy :)

I did exactly what you are suggesting and went home a day early from our holiday back in June.

We were camping, the weather had been awful and the thought of a long drive home and then straight into work, nursery etc the next day out me off. Plus I had just found out I was pregnant and was feeling awful.
It was the best decision for us.

I say do it OP. I don't think you will regret it.

I've asked dh to think about it today. I can feel myself getting a little teary about it which is silly. Maybe I'm just tired.

YANBU but I’m another one wondering where on earth you are?! Even the most industrial of areas have plenty of places to visit these days.

Ach, we left a holiday early because the beds were uncomfortable! (They really were uncomfy though). We got up, had a lazy breakfast, packed the car, drove to an attraction on the way home, spent the afternoon there, were home in time for a takeaway dinner. It was great and felt like part of the holiday.

We've done it on a (brilliant) caravan park holiday too now I remember - but that was because we only had 5 days to spend, but because it was peak school holidays we could only book it for 7 days.

There's always such a rush if it's an early check out too, I think it can actually be more relaxing to take your time and leave the day before.

If your miserable then I would leave however I'm staggered that a location which had holiday accommodation and a beach has nothing to do within the surrounding area. Even the most remote of places normally have some tourist attractions. I'm really racking my brains to think of anywhere which doesn't have anything at all to do except a playpark.

I would be packing up and leaving OP. I've done exactly this before. Start packing and tell your husband that you and the children are going home.