Holiday Return Journey

[Merryoldgoat]

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

See I think roads will be busier Friday because of the jubilee.

Another who thinks it is odd to pay to go away for a week, then come back early.
Plus I think Friday night traffic is usually awful.

Spend the day enjoying yourself on the Friday, then pack Friday evening, have a good night's sleep, and accept Saturday is for the return journey.

For those who don’t get what the OP is saying.

option A - have a great day Friday, pack and instead of then going to bed, drive home. If you leave at 7pm you will likely miss traffic.Then have all day Saturday at home.

option B - have a great day Friday, pack and then Go to bed in the holiday home. Wake up early to sort the final things out, worry about being out by 10am and risk having a bad nights sleep. Get up and drive home.

i would always go for option A

You have paid for Friday night so why would've you stay?

Get up and about early enough and traffic should be fine.

I don’t think anyone is struggling to understand what the OP is saying, just everyone is saying what’s the point in paying for the extra night then not using it? You say “have Saturday at home” like that’s a great thing - if it is, why book the holiday to finish on a Saturday and not a Friday?

It'd be 6am Saturday morning for us.

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

the bank holidays are thursday and Friday. so don't see why Satruday would be expecially busy - if the bank holidays were Monday/Tuesday maybe

*expecially = exceptionally morphed into exceptionally 😋

Really not getting why you think Saturday morning if jubilee weekend would be really busy?

I'd leave Saturday after pretty much packing everything up Friday. I'd want to enjoy the last evening and not want a long drive at night.

Saturday morning. Driving at night when tired is awful and dangerous! Better sleep and then drive in the morning

we will be driving back on Saturday, the whole day is still part of the holiday and if it takes an hour or so more than that’s the way it is.

we always look up things like NT properties, often lots of garden or woodland for DD to run around, decent toilets and tea rooms to break it up and be away from main roads.

I hate driving late in the evening, especially after a whole day out and it spoils the holiday that I have to stop the fun early on Friday. We normally just do a pub lunch or take away, pack when DD is in bed and leave as early as possible which is often 8am.

When we do this we pack up Friday night as best we can, wake up early on Saturday and see how far we get before we stop off for some breakfast.

This

We used to leave Cornwall about 6.30am to travel home on a Saturday. Park everything except essentials night before. Kids sleep in leggings and t shirt. Pour them in the car and off we go.

Usually home by 11.30/12 including a stop as traffic would be really clear most of the journey.

You absolutely will not be missing the traffic at 7pm on the Friday. I drive up and down the country a lot at weekends. You either leave about 9pm or, as others have said, enjoy your last day, get most of the packing etc sorted then head back with a couple of planned stops. I found a soft play once, spent a couple of hours there halfway through a long journey, wore out the kids and gave me a break, but a woodland park or NT property or something would work too.

I'd go for Saturday morning too. I regularly have to drive for work and Fridays are almost always horrible. The work traffic obviously won't be as bad but you'll both be tired and grumpy.

Get up fresh on Saturday, pack plenty of snacks and water and take your time. 😊

God yeah, it's the worst. I'd much rather drive in light and sun. Night driving makes me feel so tired.

5 hours is too long a drive to do after a full day. I would plan somewhere nice to stop on your way home on the Saturday to turn the journey more into a trip out as part of the holiday.

If the A303 is involved in your journey I’d leave on the Friday night, you know your children best and what will suit them for the least horrible journey home.

As it’s the BH weekend I suspect the Friday will be the quietest day as those going away for the long weekend will have gone on the Thursday.

Really it’s in the lap of the gods how any journey will be, have a lovely holiday.

@TheContact

OP and family will presumably have many, many dozens of days at home. Over the pandemic probably too many as did we all. Why would one more be enticing? If you’ve gone on holiday presumably it’s cos you want time away!

@TwoBigNoisyBoys

would you? Why?

Presumably you like OP will have I dunno at least 320 mornings per year walking up in your own bed. You can do that any only time. Why would you cut your holiday short for it??

@Darcy101

it’s not all about what’s best for the kids though is it?
what about the adults? they are most important in this situation as they are the ones driving. If they are tired, and/or would prefer driving in daylight etc then that’s what happens, end of

Saturday can be a whole other holiday day if you do it right. We’d get up and out early, drive an hour then stop for breakfast or brunch, do another couple of hours and stop for a walk round a town or a country park, then back home for tea. No stress needed as you have as long as you want to make the journey.

You've paid for the Friday night so stay and enjoy it.