To reject this holiday

[AngryBananaSund]

August 2021, beautiful Greece island, great hotel, reasonable price

But

The only flights we can get arrive late evening , but leave to go home at midnight! The latest we could stay in our room is 12, so that’s nine hours of hanging around before we left for the airport!

This is my idea of hell. We could leave the luggage with the hotel and use the poolside showers, but nine hours of minding the passports, devices etc that we wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving there, no real place to have a rest and just killing time for nine hours

Or is it just me?

We generally put all the luggage in the car and go for a drive/beach/food and get to the airport in plenty of time even if it is 3 or 4 hours before the flight, but a midnight flight home and midnight arrival isn't great.

I've changed from beachwear to clothes suitable for a heavily airconditioned plane and arrival in the UK at night in autumn/winter in the airport toilet many a time.

On the way there you'll be paying for a night in a hotel that you will only get to very late and on the way back, you've a long time to hang around.

I see you've booked somewhere else now, but something else to consider would be whether there are better timed flights from another UK airport or possibly even going indirect with a short (couple of hours or so) stopover on the way. The airport on this island can't have all it's flights coming and going in the middle of the night.

Wouldn't put me off at all. The best deals always have a compromise so we have done this many times. Often you can book check out until late, or at least book a room for one hour later for a shower and refresh (bearing in mind the people replacing you are probably on the incoming flight). With covid I imagine this is more difficult, however when we have had to move out early from a place on 2018, we booked a day pay at a luxury all inclusive hotel and enjoyed a highly relaxing day with unlimited food and drink, pools, and a nice change of scenery for the last day. I might do exactly the same next time as it was such a nice way to end the holiday.

Can you keep valuables in a secure box at reception?

Is there a hotel gym or spa or similar where you can shower before you head to the airport?

Or a water park or beach club you could go to for the day?

I'm the kind of person who has a slightly wet bikini in my hand luggage while Im on the plane.

But if I had to do a quick wash over a sink I'd live with it.

I cant stand sitting around fully dressed for hours and wasting the last day.

It wouldn’t stop me going on holiday. I would pay to keep the room on the final day.

When I was much younger, me and my friends would go on holidays with horrible flights like the one you described, because they were cheaper. I think they are awful, but bearable, but I wouldn't do them with children.

For some reason, Greek island package holidays always have weirdly timed flights that you can't change! When it was just me and DH, we didn't mind so much. It just meant dumping suitcases and valuables in the hotel's luggage storage while we enjoyed the pool, then going home with wet swimwear in front pocket of your suitcase. Not really an issue.

Probably wouldn't do it with kids though because the whole process of packing while entertaining them and getting those awful transfer coaches is stressful enough already.