what on earth am I going to do with 3 kids at Gatwick airport for FIVE hours between flights IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT?

[dolally]

we land at north terminal at 2 am and leave from South terminal at 7.30 am. Not worth going to a hotel and .... too expensive anyway for a few hours. Any ideas?

How old are the children?

yeah. pay more money for flights w/more reasonable hours.

Could you take some sleeping bags and encourage them to have a kip on the floor?

Well,take off two hours for disembarking and boarding.Take another hour off for breakfast.
Where are you coming from/going too?
Look at airport website.
If in need of peace,the prayer room is always a quiet large space to unwind in.

pub

When I go to Turkey,there are always people in the Manchester departure lounge pubs at 7:00 am sinking pints and sucking on fags.
That mindless 'I'm on holiday from right now so will get pissed' mentality.

the kids are between 13 and 9 so I'm hoping they might think it's an adventure! Am planning to take little pillows and hope they can kip if seating allows.

yeah thanks I'll look at the airport website. Was hoping someone might know Gatters...

Expat, that's certainly the right answer but the prices are so high nowadays, what with all the taxes and charges they slap on.

Oh,they're older!
You'll be fine!
Have done regular stints of this length with a 4 year old and a baby.
You'll get through it.

Gad, Moondog, I would never have been brave enough to do something like this when they were younger! When they were babes just a two hour flight was enough and I could only get through that if I threw a vodka and tonic down my throat while holding one on my lap.

holding a babe on my lap, not a V & T that is

Find an internet terminal.......

Definitely keep them awake though, its the flight you want them to sleep on, when you are curled up under a blanket with a film on.

Ride back and forth on the train between terminals....

book into one of the lounges there in advance.

No good re the lounges - none of these operate during the night hours.

That sleeping at airports website is fantastic.. it's just AMAZING the info you can find on the net...Thanks everybody.

There is a little soft play area at gatwick south terminal - your kids maybe a bit too old for it. There is the Village in the south terminal aswell where there is a slot machine area and if i remember rightly think there was a table football or something like that in there

If it was me I would take (if you have one ) a portable dvd player (venturer or something like that) and a game boy - I find that passes the time a lot with my children especially if i buy a new dvd they haven't seen

Good Luck

Good luck that is really grim. There is a Travel Inn just outside North terminal if you need to crash but otherwise it could be pretty dire as not much would be open either land or airside. If you want to crash out do so in departures though as it should be more secure.

ta everybody .

not sure what dep lounge i will be allowed in as am arriving international but departing on a domestic flight. Just not enough time to check into a hotel for a kip or even if there was, would be not worth it for the four hours we would be in a hotel. will just have to suss out the airport when I get there. I know North terminal quite well, not that I've ever slept there! Departing from South terminal so will prob get the shuttle to that and then suss it out.
No portable dvd player but then I'm sure the kids will be knackered so its just a question of findinga comfy place to settle down