Am I unreasonable not booking an overnight stay before our Heathrow flight?

[SillyDenimMember]

So we've booked flights for an amazing 2 week Canadian fly/drive holiday with our DS, all planned very last minute/less than 6 months.

My partner is now panicking and suggesting changing or outbound flights as they are booked for 2pm departure from LHR for a 13 hour flight with 1 short layover arriving at destination late in the evening.

It will take us approx 3 hours to get from home city to LHR by train (of which there are plenty) and my partner likes to be at the airport 3 hours before check-in.

The sticking point...

Partner would like to either change flights to do early morning outbound and stay at a hotel near LHR, or keep the 2pm but still stay overnight the night before.

My argument is that there is plenty of time to not have to book a hotel and make our way to LHR on the day in time for check-in, even if there were some train disruptions. E.g. 4 hour drive in a hire car as a backup.

My partner thinks I'm unrealistic and stupid for not planning extra time for things to go wrong.

Am I being unreasonable?

I wouldn't stay for a 2pm flight, no. DH would though!

Are there any earlier flights? I know US (Florida e.g.) flights are typically pm only so it wouldn't be an option. And if so, can you move without charge?

Having said that, whilst I agree staying the night before is pointless, I do often do things like that just to give DH peace of mind and prevent me having to listen to the worries.

I wouldn't book a night before stay for a 2pm departure, that's nuts. You've plenty of time to get there.

I wouldn't be worried about things going wrong, I'd be worried about being a tired grump. I'd stay the night before and fly in the morning.

Your biggest risk is your short connection tbh, and there's not much you can do about that unless the morning flight has a longer layover.

I would keep the 2pm and stay in a hotel overnight and have a nice leisurely breakfast. If you've spent that much on a trip what's one extra night in a hotel? I'm with your partner tbh I would want to relax on the morning of a flight. But I'm a colossal stress head tbf.

Oh and I wouldn't stay near Heathrow, I'd stay IN Heathrow.

I would book a hotel to reduce your OHs stress (I would get stressed too!). I absolutely hate worrying about being late if there are unforeseen problems.

I've recently done this trip. How exciting!

we did book a room at the airport though because I'm a worrier. Glad I did because several things went wrong before our flight and I am just so grateful we were there and didn't have to worry about getting anywhere on time.

I remember sitting in the departure lounge and checking Google Maps only to see the Motorway closed due a crash.

I just wish I did the same for coming home. Because having caught illness (sickness and shits) on the plane - we were too sick to drive back!

Personally.. i think your partner is crazy.

Leave the house at 8am and you are in good time.

However if its going to cause that much drama / anxiety I'd just pay the £100 or whatever and be done with it.
Go early stay overnight and enjoy your dream holiday

What time do you normally get up ?

i’ m presuming you are all late risers / disorganised / easily flustered

I’d have no problem staying at home - sounds like a perfectly civilized departure time for me.

I go regularly for work, similar drive and would go the same day. However, in a holiday situation just book the hotel. It’s worth it for the peace of mind. If you’re staying near the airport, shuttle buses can run as little as every hour depending on the hotel. But they are much cheaper than staying in the airport if that is a factor. Sofitel at T5 is lovely though (if that’s where you’re flying from!)

Unless your budget is very tight I would always go for the least stressful option and that includes an airport hotel

I only book airport hotels if the flight time means I need to start driving in the middle of the night. Really not needed for 2PM. You can get up an hour earlier if he's so stressed.

If it is stressing him at all, just do it.

We did a big trip to Canada last year and it was amazing. Enjoy!

It’s a 3 hour journey from home city by train, so unless OP lives next door to the station an 8am departure is cutting it incredibly fine.

I’d go for the early flight with an airport hotel. Arriving in BC (I assume) at what will feel like 6am will be horrible, unless you can sleep on the plane and are staying very close to the arrival airport.

It wouldn’t even occur to me to book a hotel the night before for a 2pm flight, but if my partner was anxious I’d probably do it. I’d be worried something would go wrong and then he would be saying “I told you so!” 😅

If its spoiling his excitement for the holiday , and you can afford it, just book a hotel.

He’s right in that 3 hours is advisable for long haul. Which means ideally you’re at healthrow by 11.

if it’s a three hour train, then you need to be at the train station by 8 with your cases ready to go. If the train is last min cancelled or delayed, you don’t have time to go hire a car and get there on time. As it’s a four hour drive. So you could run into issues.

so it would be advisable to be on the train by 7 giving yourself some leeway. Queues can be horrific at Heathrow. And you need to get from train station to check in or from car park.

personally unless a financial issue. I’d go the night before, have a leisurely journey down, a nice down, get up, nice brekkie. Checkout and wander over and check in

so im team husband,

Ditto.

We live a very longway from the airport and rely on two and sometimes 3 types of transport to get there. Anything can and does go wrong. I have been on a bus to Heathrow that got stuck in traffic due to a crash and we made it just as they were closing checkin. That was a trip to Australia. There is no way I'd risk it again tbh!

We stayed at the Sofitel last October. My friend was upgraded and had a TV above the bath! Our room was not upgraded but was still lovely. We said if we did it again we would arrive with plenty of time to enjoy the hotel. Plus I left my car there for the duration. (We are premier inn type travellers usually - so there my be plenty along to say its not that nice a hotel...but we enjoyed it. And it was minutes walk to the terminals).

Also what happens if something goes wrong op? Because let’s face it it happens. Train delay, car breakdown, traffic jam, whatever And you miss your flights, your holiday won’t happen. Unless you can afford new flights and not sold out, you’re all heading home again.

for the sake of one night in a hotel, if you can afford it. Why take the risk. The least risky and least stressful option is start your holiday early and go down the night before.

Heathrow Sofitel is lovely, I really rate it.

Work out what is cheaper. A really early peak time train or a cheap sleepover near Heathrow. I think I would go to Windsor and enjoy the river and views of the castle. Or can you have an evening in London then travel out after breakfast. Lots of train options and if these aren’t working there are taxis. It would feel like starting the holiday early.

Depends on the “three hours on the train” -
is that from leaving your house with bags to bring comfortably in Heathrow departures allowing some wiggle room for delays, or a three hour train journey if all goes according to ideal timings with taxi at one end and the sclep from the shuttle at the other?

Id be happy with leaving the house early and doing the journey the same day, but only if there are realistic alternatives if there are train problems - how could you hire a car at 7.30am?

Arriving three hours ahead of the flight is perfectly sensible and recommended for flights of this distance.

edited to add - agree with poster above, the additional cost of early morning trains might be more than cost of overnight hotel, depending on the day of the week etc. Worth checking that.

I would stay over the night before if travel to the airport is a 3 hour train journey.

You need to build in time to deal with alternative options if the trains have an issue.

Given your distance from the airport, I’m with your DH in this one!