We’ve done both, and for only a 30 minute drive, I’d vote staying at home for all the reasons others have stated. The only situation that would change my mind is if your trip is in winter, and you are likely to have snow. Already being at the airport instead of having to navigate snowy/icy/unplowed roads at 0-Dark Hundred might be worth it.

Definitely not.

30 minutes? Christ. Just pack up the house the night before. Why do you have to wake up at 3am? Get it done by 11pm, shower, go to bed, roll out of bed, throw on clothes, and go. Spend the money on parking closer to the terminal.

An airport hotel the night before is way too much opportunity to lose things or forget them, and not worth the expense to save 30 minutes.

I love airport hotels. Love love love, and I know that seems strange to others. I love sitting in the hotel restaurant and people watching. But I don’t think I’d do it the night before our departure. The night before the flight home - absolutely.

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, it’s never worth it. You get to the hotel, which is not nice, and then you spend the whole night in an uncomfortable bed listening to hallway noise and waking up every hour to see if it’s time to go to the airport. It’s still an early start with the added stress of being in an unfamiliar place.

+1 I totally agree with this. I wouldn’t be able to sleep in a hotel the night before a flight. I don’t like early mornings so try to avoid those flights if at all possible. I even am willing to pay more for later flights.

A 30 min drive!

Not from home, but I've stayed at the hotel in the Stockholm airport before a morning flight (not particularly early) and also at the new Grand Hyatt at SFO (air train to the terminal). Both were super convenient, and that new, super nice Grand Hyatt is a game changer.

For that money, I’d get a car service both ways instead, so you can be dropped off at the door and not have to worry about parking your car.

No, I would not.

Anonymous wrote:No way for a 30 minute drive. It if were 1.5-2 hours then I think it's worth it

+1 or a maybe situation with weird traffic, like NYC.

Anonymous wrote:Is this for a flight home - rental car return, not 100% sure of route to airport, other various things that could go wrong in unfamiliar area -OR is this a flight TO the destination - Uber/parking NBD, leaving from leisure of own home, etc.

I've done this for a return flight. I realized after the fact that our rental car would be parked several blocks away, so my family would be walking with our suitcases in the dark. We ended up staying at the hotel airport the night before. I think it was worth it because of the safety concern, but we all slept horribly and it was harder to leave with us sharing one bathroom. I wouldn't do it for a flight out.

Is this Minneapolis? I’ve stayed at that hotel attached to the airport and it was super easy. If you can afford it, why not? If it means your car is already parked, all you have to do when you wake up is roll out of bed and walk to the TSA.

If you are up that early anyway, I'd say don't bother.

I often do it when I'm in another country and traveling home and have an extremely early flight, but if you are in your own house and usually get up early anyway ... don't bother with the hotel.

Which airport is it?

Thinking about Uber pickup, possible traffic delays and blocked lanes, I would pay the $350. I wouldn't sleep any better at home thinking about the above.

No.

But I would wake up at the same time a few days ahead and see if there are Ubers available so I can be sure to call for one at the right time. Or pre-arrange a ride otherwise.