Faro - how to keep kids cool/occupied during wait for late night flight

[londoncitymum]

We are in the Algarve and have a 10pm flight on Saturday. With a 10am checkout on Sat am we're thinking about ways to keep the kids occupied for a whole day in the heat while we wait for our flight - will have all our luggage and hire car. Can anyone recommend places to hang out (ideally in the shade). Has anyone booked a hotel room for just a day near the airport?

Can you ask for a later checkout at your current accommodation?.

Checkout times these days in some places seems to be getting earlier; the standard check out time usually is 12.00 noon.

we recently did the same thing, though had an 11am checkout and 9pm flight. We just spent day by the pool as normal, had lunch at the hotel, paid cash. I'd left a bag aside with change of clothes in. We had a shower about 4 ish in the changing rooms, out the wet clothes in the bag and then headed to the airport. By the time we'd filled up the car, taken it back, checked in (long queues) we only had a bout half an hour to kill which we spent at Costa in Faro airport (air conned)

If we hadn't spent the day at the pool I was splanni g to check out the crazy golf nearby. Other holidays we've don't that on the last day of gone to a zoo/museum.

Can you ask for a later check out in the room you stayed in? Means you can just leave everything in your room and then shower/change after a normal day out at the beach etc.

If not, we just put all our luggage in the car and try to make the most of the day rather than hanging around waiting until it's time to go to the airport - so we'll still just go to the beach or wherever and then have a bit of a freshen up and get changed in the toilets at the airport. Could there be play areas or anything similar at the airport so you could go there a bit earlier?

I agree, just ask for a late check out. If they can't give you that they will probably offer to keep your bags and have somewhere to shower so you can spend the day at the pool.

Get later check out. If not available ask for courtesy room. Go to pool or whatever as normal then get showered and changed in courtesy room for journey back.
That's assuming you are staying in a hotel

I just check out of the room (but ask them to keep the tab running), store the luggage and have one bag with a change of clothes for everyone, go to the pool at the hotel, eat and drink as normal and charge to the room, then just change in the pool showers and head off when I want to leave.