Flying out late v flying back late

[ZenNudist]

Help me decide. Booking flights to Prague in half term. Easy jet threatened strike has made it difficult as really restricted options. I am better at night than getting up early.

Option 1 - Do I fly out late on Monday night from Luton (1h40m drive away), get to Prague at midnight (hopefully carry on bags only) short cab ride to centre, get to hotel late (1am ish). Pay for expensive Prague hotel for the Monday night and then wake up when I like and chill the next day. Flight back on Saturday, gets in about 9pm.

OR
Option 2 - Do I get to stanstead about 10pm on the Monday night. (after putting kids to bed then driving 2 hours). Stay in cheap hotel which also covers parking. 0645 flight to Prague. Then likely tired for first day, but this is cheaper option (save up to £150) as not paying for Prague hotel for extra night. The kicker is flight back on Saturday about 2300, into stanstead at midnight then home (to in laws) about 2-3am! Then got to drive back another 2 hours on the Sunday to get home.

Dh prefer option 2. I think option 1.

Or is there another way?

Or is all day tues to sat really daft amount of time to spend in Prague?

Personally, I would choose Option 1 (in which case you obviously need to make sure the Prague hotel has 24 hour reception!) If the Option 2 flight is 0645, presumably you will need to be at the airport at about 0445, so you won't really get a proper night's sleep at all.

Assuming you're not going for work or something specific, it's quite a lot of time.
Heathrow will have plenty of more conveniently timed flights. More expensive of course.

View of the garden I hadn't thought of telling hotel we will be late.

I prefer option1 but could also do Heathrow at 10am on tues. back midday sat. I think frazzled has a point. It seemed silly to pay more to go for less time!

This has gone from being a weds to sat trip to getting longer and longer. I've not done a city break for ages. I always think it's a shame to go for too short a time but even I think 5 days could be excessive!

Isn't Heathrow parking expensive?

3/4 days in prague is plenty

Option one. You will then get better for money as full last night in hotel rather than leaving at 4am, plus can just take public transport to airport back in Prague as will be open compared to at 4am.

It's quite a long time in Prague though, have you considered a multi city trip? Fly into Prague, stay 2-3 days, then train to another city in Germany/ Poland/Austria , and fly back from there? For example it's only 4hrs by train to go from Prague to Vienna

I'd go for option two - no point paying for an expensive hotel and I always prefer to fly early and return late, it makes me feel like I'm getting more time away so better value for money

Having very recently done EasyJet out of Luton, I would say 2.

Luton is a building site and a shithole. There is not enough places for people to sit. The Gates are in corridors. Both our outward and return flights were at least an hour late as the plane hadn't arrived from it's previous destination. At Luton we were at the 'Gate' in an airless corridor with no seats for all that time.

Will you have kids with you?