End of holiday question

[Samwelly]

We got back from Florida at 8am in the morning. Due to the fact that we had not been able to sleep on the plane, we were jet lagged and exhausted. We struggled to do the 3 hour drive home as it was too early to check into a hotel to get some sleep. We usually stay at the Premier Inn and earliest check in is 2pm.

My question is what do others do when they get back from a long haul flight severely jet lagged and sleep deprived?

Is the answer to book two nights at the Premier Inn ie. the day before arrival into the UK and the day after, so that you can sleep after the flight?

It usually takes me a week to properly unwind after a long haul holiday - I always make sure I've got that holiday period booked as well so I can catch up with sleep, mail etc. I usually get a bit of sleep on a long flight but don't feel properly rested at all.

I'd never contemplate doing a long drive back from the airport - we're in London so only fly from the London airports, and they all take up to 90 mins to get home. We usually just take the train or tube. I suppose booking two nights at an airport hotel would make sense and is probably easiest if you don't live close enough to airports. Or you could book a taxi, then you don't have to worry about being alert enough to drive.

I don't know where you were flying into but lots of airport hotels offer day rates - they run from about 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., so you check in, sleep for a few hours, then do your journey. Googling airport hotels day rate and your specific airport will probably throw up some.

Thank you both for your replies.

Fantastic advice about hotels doing day rates. I hadn't heard of this before. We flew into Gatwick. For our next holiday I will Google day rates for hotels near Gatwick. Problem solved!

We get the train to Gatwick so we don't have to drive on the M25.
We set an alarm on our phone in case we fall asleep. We then only have a 30 min drive home.

Where are you travelling from/to?

Hi Ihatethecold.We travelled from Shropshire to Gatwick, so unfortunately too far to take a taxi.

ooh yes, way too far

If we land very early and can be in bed before 10am we go to sleep for 2 hours then set the alarm. Anytime after that we stay up, go out in the garden if possible and winge and moan about who's the most tired.

DH travels for work and thinks that staying in the time zone where you actually are is crucial.
Mostly works.

Would Birmingham be a nearer option?

Hi Wizziwig,

We would have much preferred travelling from a closer airport to where we live. However, it was massively cheaper from Gatwick, so we went with that option.

"My question is what do others do when they get back from a long haul flight severely jet lagged and sleep deprived?"

We tend to fly long haul out of Manchester which is only an hour away, so we organise taxis both ways. It doesn't cost much more than the cost of parking, plus fuel used to get to and from the airport.

^
Same but we fly from Gatwick.