Is this a silly idea?

[Themousefamily]

Originally Posted by Sarsar1973

We live in south Devon and im not sure id want the 4 hour or so drive home if i was arriving froma transatlantic flight at 745pm. By the time you get through immigration, collect luggage and get to your car it will easily be 930pm which puts you at at least 130am arriving home. Guess your bodies will think its mid afternoon in Florida so it may work but would be really tiring. Trains wont be an option at the time of night, would you stop overnight at LHR?

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This is part of the dilemma. Not sure if the time difference would mean we aren’t too tired to drive home or whether we would be almost as tired as usual 😬
I’m trying to avoid another night in a hotel because I have a much loved doggy to get home to x

[Themousefamily]

Originally Posted by Edna Cloud

We have done this several times. There are plus points and minus points...

Plus points are around the day flight home if you really hate the night flight.

There are a few other points to consider...
We have always done this route with children in tow, so we have had to arrive into New York by late afternoon to allow time to get through the airport, get to a hotel, have an evening meal and get everyone to bed at a reasonable hour. It feels like you leave Orlando earlier than you "needed to" and always before we would have needed to be at MCO for the direct flight home. Overall, it feels like you are travelling for much longer (you set off from MCO at, say 2pm on one day and arrive back in the UK at 8pm the next day). It has not been a cheaper option by the time we add suitcases on to the internal flights and an extra night's hotel accommodation in New York. I have struggled to get a decent night's sleep in the New York hotel room. I find it hard to sleep the first night anywhere and a bit of me is always worried that we will oversleep and miss our flight. If you need to be at the airport for 5 or 6 am, that's an early start!

Once home, it is good not to have to fight to stay awake until bedtime, but if I am back at work the next day, it feels like a rush to get in so late and straight to bed to get up in the morning to go to work (no time to unpack or sort any laundry).

It all comes down to personal preference really.

EC

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Thank you - this is all useful information. I’m a bit like you in not sleeping well the first night anywhere, so yes this could be an issue 😬 and yes it would be a very early start and none of my family are early risers 😂 x

[Themousefamily]

Originally Posted by KarenG

We have done exactly this (though it was from Toronto, leaving about 8am and arriving the same day into Heathrow at 8pm.)

We chose to spend the night in a hotel in Heathrow before driving home. I’m glad we did because we were surprisingly tired and I wouldn’t have fancied the drive home to Devon (though Heathrow tends to be much quicker than Gatwick!)

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Yes you have a good point. Heathrow is definitely a better drive home than Gatwick isn’t it! X

[Themousefamily]

Originally Posted by Noodle500

I had a master plan for 2020 to use my virgin air miles for flights Man to MCO return.
Booked outbound fine for 8 August but when Thomas Cook collapsed reward flights disappeared and one ways too expensive.
DH saw lots of reward flights from JFK and suggested flying from there. As it would be separate booking between MCO and JFK we didn't want to risk delays.
I've convinced DH to stop in New York for 2 nights before we fly home as we've never been.
Our internal flights have cost about £500 with Delta, baggage to be added at check in, 3 people. Booked this as wanted to know flights sorted.
Flight is at 7.30 am from MCO but since we're taking advantage of visiting New York our flight home from JFK is 10pm two days later. Hoping having a whistle stop tour in New York will tire is out.

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This is worth looking into - thank you x

[Themousefamily]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

We started our love affair with Orlando by going direct.

We started our love affair with Florida by going into other airports to save money and then spending a few days outside of Orlando either on our way in.. or out.

We started our love affair with the USA by expanding option 2 into other states, either at the beginning or end of vacations.. again to save money. Internals are cheap, particularly if like us, we are hand baggage only.

As a result of doing option 3, Orlando became an increasingly small part of a whole.. and now it has been cut out in it’s entirety.

UK- Orlando direct and back during school vacation must be the most horrendously overpriced route into or out of the States and we now no longer would even consider it. I can fly cheaper to anywhere in the US than Orlando.. including anywhere on the West or East Coast. I will take any reasonable step to avoid being gouged and any jet lag is merely an inconvenience.

Next Easter hols it is direct in to San Francisco and home from Vancouver with BA.. £395pp. As for jet lag (8 hour zones and 10 hour flight), on arrival at Heathrow at 1400, we have booked the Prem Inn for the night (£29). I should be well refreshed for the 6 plus hour drive to Falmouth next morning. There are always ways to deal with Jetlag!

In summary, yes.. for us, your plan is a no brainier.. however we would lay over in NY for 3 nights either extending the vacation or cutting some Orlando. Indirects can be very advantageous. I would be viewing your dilemma a an opportunity .

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I think if I had a 2pm arrival time then yes I would definitely stay at Heathrow overnight - but god knows if I could sleep with the jet lag 😬
I will definitely look into staying in ny a few nights though x

[Noodle500]

Originally Posted by Themousefamily

I think if I had a 2pm arrival time then yes I would definitely stay at Heathrow overnight - but god knows if I could sleep with the jet lag 😬
I will definitely look into staying in ny a few nights though x

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I figured if we had to pay a premium to stop at a JFK airport hotel for one night and be so close to NY then might as well pay for 2 nights and see a couple of sites. I wouldn't book to visit New York but as we're so close I would love to see Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty.

[KarenG]

Originally Posted by Themousefamily

Yes you have a good point. Heathrow is definitely a better drive home than Gatwick isn’t it! X

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We’ve had a few seven hour drives home from Gatwick 😢

We only live in Exeter! I have done Heathrow in 2 hrs 20 ish but traffic was good!