Tips on the final day before moving abroad with a toddler

[Mummy3574]

DH, DS who is a toddler and I are moving abroad in a few weeks.

Our plan is to go into a hotel a day or two before our tenancy finishes, to sort out cleaning, check out etc.

The problem is that we'd have to check out in the morning and our flight isn't until late at night. We could leave our bags with the hotel and try to entertain DS by going out, but as they contain all our possessions (expensive items, lots of sentimental value - we're not shipping anything) I'm a bit more wary of the possibiliry of losing it all. Also trying to get DS to nap in his stroller would be a challenge, and we obviously want him well rested for a long haul flight

The other option is to go to the airport early, DS can nap on the way there, and then we'd have 6h to kill at the airport. It sounds awful to me tbh, even with soft play areas. And we'd be dragging our huge suitcases around for hours.

Are there any other options? What does everyone else do on their final day before they move away forever?

Could you not book the hotel for an additional night or arrange a late check out?

^^that.

I would probably just go to the airport if worrying about leaving bags or as pp suggested get a late check out.
6 hours is not too bad if it's a big airport....moving walk ways to enjoy...lunch in 1 place....ice cream in another etc. Or is there a lounge you could book into at the airport.

If at all possible, get toddler to stay with exciting relative, who brings them out to you a couple of days after you've arrived and done all the admin stuff, got their room ready etc. I'm guessing it's too late to arrange this, though?

How late a check out can we get? Our flight isn't until 10pm.

I was just looking at day hotels. They're pricey but you can stay until 5 or 6pm and have a pool so it's somewhere different to relax before the flight. Flight is 12h, drug will be stressful enough.

Book an extra night at the hotel then you can stay as late as you want!

Book another night at the hotel

Yes what pp said. Pay for another night. It’s just one of those expenses that comes with moving!

Definitely book an extra night if late check out is too early. If you ask for late check out they met be able to do something that would work. Airport hotels have people arriving at all times so you may swing it (and possibly for less than a whole extra night.)
Good luck op. Exciting times.
Remember as a child doing just what you are with my parents and siblings except we were hanging around New York waiting to get on a ship !

When we have a very late long haul flight not from our home airport we usually book a good airport lounge through security, that way the kids (2 and 4) get somewhere quiet to relax, nice dinner, telly, a shower and into pjs before we fly. Then get to gate as late as possible, onto plane, a little bit of telly/drinks/snacks and straight to sleep. We try to do as much as possible during the day to tire them out (swimming, beach etc). When we moved abroad we were lucky that our flight was an early one, but heading back to the uk in a few weeks for a holiday and it's a 10pm flight from here, which is tough on them. Think we'll let them have a decent nap before we head to the airport.

Thanks for the tips.

2yo DS is a loud tearaway monster who doesn't know how to listen to us yet. He will be very excited at the airport even though it will be easy past his bedtime. I love the idea of an airport lounge but he's just going to annoy everyone who wants quiet, right?

A large airport lounge will have different zones, often with something just for dc.

Either another night at the hotel or pay for lounge access at the airport if you have to get there early.

The good lounges are big and have lots of different zones; sofa areas, dining areas, quiet rooms and family rooms. We're always careful to avoid business zones where lots of people are working and quiet zones, and have always been fine. Normally the staff are lovely with kids too.