To book a 9pm return flight from holiday?

[Brieandme]

Sorry this is probably a stupid question, but please bear with me - I have only flown a handful of times!

Going on holiday, flights and accommodation will be booked separately. For the dates we want to go, the only reasonably priced option for a return flight is at 9.30 at night. The hotel check out is 11am, and we'll be approx an hour and a half from the airport. There isn't tonnes to do near the hotel, it's not a resort as such but it's mainly tourist accommodation.
No kids with us.

Is this a reasonable plan or will this be a PITA? What do people tend to do if there's a big gap between hotel check out and return flights? I'm not sure if this is a usual part of travelling or if I'm just really bad at planning! The flights there we've got a few options, but the more convenient returns are literally double the price. Our return date is limited by what annual leave we've got (have to fit in with other people's booked holiday) so isn't easy to change.

You might end up spending so much money trying to entertain yourselves that an earlier flight might may work out best

I think it’s fine.

I’m considering a 2.30 am flight after a check out at 11am the previous day.

I didn’t even know flights departed at that sort of time, but it’s looking like it may be the best option we have. I was thinking we’d leave our bags at the hotel and go out for the day. Hopefully they won’t mind us picking them up again fairly late before heading to the airport late evening.

It's fine. I've never cared what time flights were. I like to fly out the earliest possible and come back the latest possible.

We had something similar when we went to a resort in Rhodes. Check out was late morning and our flight was in the evening. We had a hire car and checked out Rhodes old town. Then we went to a resort nearby the airport and had a lovely dinner and went for one last swim in the sea before putting out wet swim clothes into a plastic bag, putting them into the suitcase then going on to get our flight home.

Was a beautiful way to spend our last day.

Now we have children and this sounds like a logistical nightmare 😅

We had a similar flight time and asked if we could extend the room and it cost us 40 euros to extend the room until 6pm.

@Prettypaisleyslippers how much money do you spend on lunch and a walk for two adults??

For those suggesting it's better value to get an earlier flight, the only other flight open is 6pm, or very early in the morning. The latter isn't convenient enough to make that spend worthwhile, and the former would significantly cut short our holiday, as well as costing more.

I totally understand not wanting to do this with kids, but I like the idea of framing it as a relaxed day to get the most out of the holiday, rather than a day of waiting around & traveling which is what I was seeing it as at first.

If you are self packaging, book the hotel one night longer so basically you have the room until you leave.

We booked an extra night at the hotel which means we have it all day and can have a full last day at the beach, have dinner and then leave for the airport later.

We've done this before too. Had a very late flight so didn't need to be at airport until after 9pm. Just booked an extra night but checked out in the evening after having a full day out, dinner, showered and changed.

Late flights are great. An extra day of holiday - most importantly an extra meal, so DP and I always try to find a great last place for lunch. Hotels will store your luggage for you. If we're in an Airbnb most cities will have convenient left luggage lockers at railway stations.

I wouldn't do pool/beach stuff ahead of a late flight unless I had a guaranteed place to shower before I got the flight though.

Tbh OP that sounds a lot nicer than having to get up early, finish off the packing you started the night before, check the rooms are cleared and you haven't forgotten to pack anything, then get ready to go to the airport and have a unsatisfactory item bought at the airport cafe for lunch.

I would much rather be able to pack up, store the luggage then go out and have a lovely lunch followed by a stroll around or browse in the shops, or sit by the pool reading and sipping a cool drink. We usually have a hire car so could extend that for an extra day rather than final use for airport transfer in the morning. 🤔Now thinking I would love this!

Can you spring for an additional night at the hotel so that you can enjoy the room and all facilities for that whole day and then pack/checkout at your leisure in the evening just before your flight? I'd consider that approach, if taking a late night flight.

Without kids should be absolutely fine.

Hotel will almost certainly store bags for you during that final day. If the worst comes to the worst without kids you can just wait about anyway.

@LimitIsUp

i understand and accept that. I am allowed to wonder why for some people a days chilling out and sunbathing would be experienced as exhausting. Me asking that is hardly some big contentious question, I am just curious.