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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Holiday Return Journey

89 replies

Merryoldgoat · 27/05/2022 18:42

We are going on holiday tomorrow about 5 hours away (longer with stops - we’re driving). We have two kids, 4 & 9.

Due to come home the Saturday of Jubilee Weekend.

I think we should leave Friday around 7pm after dinner - kids bathed and into PJs and head off.

DH thinks we go in the morning. Checkout by 10 so not hideous but quite a lot to do hurriedly in the morning.

YANBU - Set off Fri eve
YABU - Set off Sat morn

OP posts:
AlisonDonut · 27/05/2022 19:37

Never, ever travel in the UK on a friday evening.

coffeecupsandfairylights · 27/05/2022 19:39

Merryoldgoat · 27/05/2022 19:28

So no one thinks the jubilee weekend traffic on the Saturday will be really awful?

Sitting in gridlock with two children (both of whom have ASD, one in nappies) is what had me thinking Friday might be better.

However I will deliver the verdict ungraciously to DH 😬

Friday night will be MUCH worse than Saturday morning, it always is. Friday night traffic is horrendous!

DeathMetalMum · 27/05/2022 19:42

I'd go Saturday morning. We're travelling next weekend and will be travelling on Friday (day time) but expecting it to be busy everywhere really. We arrive in the afternoon and then have a short distance to travel Saturday morning (only about 30 minutes).

Saturdays are generally quieter particularly in the morning. I'd expect most people who are going away will be travelling Thursday or Friday with majority of people only doing local journeys on the Saturday.

ShirleyPhallus · 27/05/2022 19:43

This is one of those weird MN things you never encounter in real life isn’t it

Whats the point of paying for the days holiday if you’re going to leave a night early just to get home earlier?! Just book it for a day less!

TheUndoing · 27/05/2022 19:49

I’m baffled by the idea of cutting your holiday short! Why pay for a night’s accommodation if you’re not even going to use it? I think traffic will be worse on the Friday anyway, and the kids will be tired and grumpy.

Babdoc · 27/05/2022 19:50

In my experience, Friday evening traffic is the worst of the week. A mix of tired, grumpy commuters desperate to get home for the weekend and taking no prisoners, and holidaymakers and second home owners travelling to their holiday cottages. (Add in underpowered cars towing bloody caravans at a snail’s pace!) Not to mention lorry traffic, stocking up supermarkets overnight for the Saturday rush.
By going early on Saturday morning, you have virtually no commuters, and mainly light local traffic. Is there somewhere nice to visit en route, with a good lunch spot? Make it part of the holiday, and enjoy it.

RandomUsernameHere · 27/05/2022 19:52

I'd go for Saturday so you're not cutting the holiday short! Find somewhere nice to stop for lunch on the way

Crackercrazy · 27/05/2022 19:53

When we have our 2 week summer holiday (uk based) we always leave Friday night, about 7ish. It’s great waking up in our beds and knowing we have the whole weekend to get ready before work.

Maybebabyno2 · 27/05/2022 19:54

I think Friday eve will be worse tha Sat AM. Most people will travel on weds eve/Thurs AM but the stragglers will go Fri eve I think.

Stompythedinosaur · 27/05/2022 19:54

While I regularly employed the "leave at bedtime and drive while the dc are asleep" technique for 5-6 hour journeys when the dc were little, I think doing this will ruin the last day of your hols.

I think the traffic will be worse Fri night than Saturday too.

Crazylazydayz · 27/05/2022 20:20

It depends whether you are going with or against the traffic. For example if you are driving out of London or into London it will make a difference.

Remember Thursday and Friday are BH so you won’t get the normal end of the week Friday traffic.

If you are travelling Sat AM then leave early so you get ahead of shoppers etc.

Lds1 · 27/05/2022 20:24

I'd not leave a holiday the last night because of traffic, I'd set off early on the Friday morning.

TicTac80 · 27/05/2022 20:29

I think I’d probably start journey back very early on Saturday morning, stop somewhere for breakfast and to stretch our legs, then hopefully be home by lunchtime.

I prefer packing everything ready the night before, having a good sleep and then getting up stupidly early to start driving. The one time I did do a late night drive was when we had to cut short a camping trip in the Lakes as DSS was homesick and wouldn’t settle (he was 10 and his Mum was happy for him to come home early): I dropped him home in York and then carried on to where I live in Kent. Was soooo tired by the time I got home!!!

Rewis · 27/05/2022 20:35

I wouldn't want to cut my holiday short. Get everything sorted Friday night so ther eis minimal things to do on sat morning

Skyeheather · 27/05/2022 20:36

Why would the traffic be awful on the Saturday morning (unless you live in London, where is everyone going that's different to any other Saturday?). Remember the Bank Holiday weekend starts on Thursday 2nd.....

Leave on the Saturday, drive for two and a half hours then stop for a leisurely lunch, then drive the rest.

Lime37 · 27/05/2022 20:39

I think the traffic will be worse on Friday. I would also feel I was waiting to go home all day.

i would however pack and load the car on Friday so minimum to do Saturday morning

BrianWankum · 27/05/2022 20:42

I voted Friday night but I think I’ve been persuaded to Saturday morning. Pack everything the night before, get up and go as early as possible.

Dh and I have recently (aged 50+ !) realised that if we do shorter stints before swapping driving, like an hour or an hour and 15, rather than doing, in this case, 2.5 hours and then swapping, that we get less tired. We don’t have a proper stop every time, just literally stop and jump out.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 27/05/2022 20:52

Saturday for sure, the traffic will be worse on Friday despite the bank holiday. I enjoy my holidays, I wouldn’t want to lose a night.

Annexlife · 27/05/2022 21:12

Our cottage is Friday to Friday and I'm with you op. We are driving back late Thursday night. We need to vacate by Friday 9am so see no benefit in the final night and a rushed morning. We've done this before, full day Thursday, nice dinner, and leave about 8pm. Wake up in own beds and chill. Don't lose any quality time

LIZS · 27/05/2022 21:16

You could even spend the day there and leave late Saturday afternoon.

Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 27/05/2022 21:30

Everyone saying do all the prep Friday night, why is it better to do all the prep and then sleep there rather than prep and go?

I don’t want to spend a day in the destination. When we have to be out at 10 so would have a packed car etc.

We’ve decided to play it by ear - who knows? We might have a dreadful time and come home on Wednesday 🤣

OP posts:
Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 27/05/2022 21:31

@Skyeheather I do live in London.

OP posts:
Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 27/05/2022 21:32

@TicTac80

stopping to eat is tricky with my boys - if it were just DH and me the whole route would’ve been planned with food in mind.

OP posts:
IncognitoAF · 27/05/2022 22:55

This thread is weird!

I don't get why you seem so intent on coming home as early as humanly possible when you've literally paid money to not be there.

10am isn't that early to leave a place, it's very normal.

LuckySantangelo35 · 27/05/2022 23:34

@Merryoldgoat

why do you want to come home early?

You’ve paid for the Friday night, why wouldn’t you stay the Friday night? Really don’t get it

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