Airport hotel or early start?

[The Fatadder]

We live 2.5 - 3 hours away from Gatwick and always end up booking into an airport hotel (flying on either the first BA or Virgin flight). The main reason being to reduce the stress on travel day (plus its nice to start the holiday a night earlier.)

I used to fly from Gatwick to Sevilla every other week for work, while I never actually missed the flight there were a number of times when I only just made it (and if it wasn't for my planning on arriving 3 hours before the flight I would have missed it). Missing a flight for work would be bad enough, but for holiday doesn't bare thinking about!

[Andybear]

Originally Posted by vampiress88

I’m about 1.5hours away and my plane will leave at 10 so would be leaving at 5am. Surely that’s enough time even if something happens on the roads.

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What happens if the road is closed for some reason? Accident, spillage from a truck etc. You'll miss your flight.

[Andybear]

I get the train to Gatwick and it takes an hour and a half. I stay overnight at Gatwick as I don't want to do battle with a commuter train on the morning of my flight. I used to use them for work and they were a nightmare. If there's a problem with the train the day before it won't matter. If there's a problem with the train that morning it will matter!

[MaryMendes]

I would never leave any of the motorways to chance especially the M6 so we stay overnight at Manchester airport.

I do miss the days when we flew indirect from Birmingham & could stay at home the night before.

[Gemini157]

If Admin are looking in, I have no idea how I posted this in Accommodation? !
Please move it if you have time

[catherinesian]

We live nr Southampton so about 50 mins from Heathrow / 1h30 from Gatwick so always book a hotel. With the one exception if we are flying out of Southampton Airport as we live 20 min walk from the terminal sadly there's no flights to US from there just Europe!

For September we don't fly until 15:40 but have still booked a hotel, we figured we could travel up late the day before (after work) and try and have a lay in on the day and get a head start on the jet lag we only paid £28 for the hotel (Travelodge T5) so it was a no brainer really.

[Squidgyness]

Last year the motorway was closed so what is normally a 2.5-3 hour journey turned into a 4+ hr marathon through places I'd never seen before.

If we hadn't gone down the day before who knows what would have happened, could have been a disaster.

Always a hotel for us now, thinking of premier inn this time as radisson blu at manchester is getting pricey.

[scojos]

So after reading this thread and panicking slightly have booked a travel lodge for 38£ room only.
Thanks guys (we re 3.5hrs away!)

[Thorpy]

Originally Posted by Andybear

What happens if the road is closed for some reason? Accident, spillage from a truck etc. You'll miss your flight.

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It's always a risk and always a balancing act. It's why we used to get there dead early...it would take an absolutely extraordinary traffic jam to have caused us issues. I always think how many bored hours I'd trade to be on time if I were late and sat in traffic... and then it's not so bad being that early.

[Gemini157]

Originally Posted by Kraken

We always do a hotel the night before at Manchester unless on the late Virgin flight (VS73) that can depart as late as 1pm - but we're normally on the earlier VS75.

Have done the Radisson Blu a couple of times - can't be beaten on location, but it is pricey. We normally do Premier Inns now - 3 of them close to the airport. Heald Green & Runger Lane North / South.

A word of warning to the OP, as it appears they will be staying a Saturday night. Avoid the Premier Inn Heald Green at all costs if you plan to eat / try to enjoy a drink in the attached Beefeater. The bar area in particular seems to attract a certain type of local clientele, if you catch the drift. TripAdvisor reviews back this up - reports of near fights in the carpark & rowdy behaviour in the bar seem commonplace.

I should also add that only a few rooms at Heald Green have air-con, whereas all do at Runger Lane North / South.

Go to the Runger Lane North / South Premier Inns and you are well away from any local residential areas, so the only people you'll be eating & drinking amongst are people who are probably also there for a night-stop before a flight.

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Kraken, thanks for that info. I will bring that to the planning meeting!
How do you get to the airport from the Premier Inn? Is there a shuttle or do you have to book taxis?