Would you rather

[rabbitcatt]

What would you do in this scenario:

Going on holiday for a week, staying at a holiday cottage. Check in is 4pm.

It takes 6+ hours to get there by car.

Would you rather:

Set off at 6pm and get there after midnight

Set off at 5pm the next morning and arrive around 11am (so you would lose a night there).

Arrive at midnight. But make sure you have breakfast items top of the bags for the morning.

are there kids in the equation? What have I been doing to 6pm?
who am I travelling with? Can we share the driving?
does the 6 hours include any breaks?

No kids

Can't leave earlier due to other commitments

Driving won't be shared

Yes there will be loo breaks at 24/7 services

I’m assuming you mean set off at 5am, not pm. Had to read that twice then. Depends on the circumstances tbh, are there kids going? I’d probably set off the day before as it wouldn’t bother me arriving at midnight. We’d all be settled and in bed by 1am and the kids would happily be up at 8-9am ready for the day. Arriving at 11am to us would mean spending the next few hours getting unpacked and sorted and getting our bearings with plans/activities etc so would lose most of the day faffing round. It’s ultimately up to whoever’s driving though imo

Set off at 6pm. Because I'm a night owl. Also, once you're there, you can relax - beginning with a lie in on the first morning.

Depends what you have been doing prior to 6pm. I wouldn't want to drive for 6 hours if I'd been spending the day eg hiking up and down stairs doing a house move, but I'd be fine if it was sitting at a desk working.

I'd do 6pm - midnight because I have a preschooler who would sleep through most of it, but likely wouldn't sleep at all 5am-11am.

In fact if I was on my own I'd probably do the late one too as I'm a night owl. But have you factored breaks into the journey time? Will you be exhausted?

Set off at 6pm and arrive at midnight - this way traffic should only get lighter as you drive.

leaving first thing you’d expect traffic to get busier as it approaches 9am etc

The first one.You might get a bit of'tea time'traffic but hopefully nothing too bad.Midnight isn't too late and you can just dump your bags and go to bed,sort everything out the next day.
Have a chilled morning ,lie in,unpack etc.
Personally I just like to get there ,it's the travelling I hate.

100% morning option for me

Definitely this.

Evening for me as no kids involved. You can have a lie in and wake up at your destination well rested, rather then being knackered from the early start and long drive.

Depends where you are driving to. Devon/Cornwall I would leave at 6pm. But I would rather get there late and have a nice lay in the next morning anyway.

Oh, also, how confident are you driving in the dark? Is it a fairly easy location to find or will you be doing windy country roads?

What time do you usually go to bed? Are you the kind of person who can stay awake til midnight if youre usually asleep by 9:30?

Basically, I don't think there's one right answer for this as it's really down to whether or not you will feel fit to drive in the evening or the morning, and we don't know you.

I'd leave in the morning - Assuming the reason that you can't leave until 6 is work or something similarly tiring.

If you have got a chilled day and can nap then I'd leave late and arrive at midnight - I hate driving tired!

It depends if the owner will let you in at midnight?

Yes I mean 5am!

Neither, I’d leave about 7 and get a couple of hours more Kip.

Travel in the evening, I'd even take a look for somewhere nice to stop for dinner on the way. Would break the journey in two and also make you feel like your holiday has begun. You can have a nice lie in the next morning and then take the day at a leisurely pace.

If you can get in at midnight and are safe to drive assuming it's after a day at work I'd travel in the evening. Only 1 driver and the long day at work would be my main issues. Leaving at 5am next day you'll have to be up at 4am I guess to leave so will be shattered when you get there so you lose a day too feeling knackered.

If my DP and I had this choice to make, we'd do the 6pm-midnight drive every time. We'd stop somewhere for food on the way, have some podcasts or comedy shows lined up to listen to and settle in for the long haul. I don't drive, but DP (weirdly) loves driving and will happily drive for hours and hours. I'd never make him do those kind of drives but he always suggests it and I'm a very chilled passenger. We're both night owls.

However, obviously it wouldn't suit everyone, as we're all different. If you hate driving at night or are usually in bed by nine in the evening, the second option might be better for you personally. Annoying to lose a night you've paid for though.

Whichever you choose, definitely check with the owner that they can let you in at those times (unless they can just give you a code for the key box or something to let yourselves in).

Set off at 6pm, thank yourself the next day for doing the late one as you can enjoy a full day.