What do you do when you've traveled for 16 hours and you can't check in to your room for 6 hours after the plane lands? Later flights don't seem like an option. Should I wait to travel until the next day? I'll feel like I'm missing a day of my vacation.

There's always a chance that a room will be ready when you arrive, so just ask. I have arrived early many times and it's usually not a problem. If there's not a room which is ready early, just leave your bags with the bell captain, go out and about, then come back at check-in time. I would not miss a day of vacation for this reason.

Hi red,

Go to your hotel. Leave your baggage. Go for a walk.

OK - I'll bite. Wouldn't you have the same problem the next day? And just lose another day??

What you do is go to the hotel, leave your bags and then get out and about and start seeing things.

Then go back and check in. . . . . .

I know that seems like such an obvious answer, but I'm travelling with my parents who are 70 and my 8 year old. I'm not sure any of us will be up for a walk or a drive.

This won't be a problem the next day because it's a vacation rental and we have it for two weeks.

You can always arrange with the hotel to pay for the previous night if you want an early-morning check-in. Just make sure they understand what you want. But as pointed out, you often get an early check-in anyway, if the hotel has rooms available.

Go to a cafe, sit, people watch. Sip wine, beer, coffee, whatever.

If money is not a big issue, then rent the room for the night prior and it will be open for you. Tell the hotel you will be arriving in the morning. I did this once as I was arriving at 6AM and the hotel didn't charge me for that night since rooms were unfilled.

Out and about might mean dropping your bags off and going to a local cafe for a leisurely lunch and then sitting on a park bench.

I, too, am sure your hotel will accommodate you in some way, have you asked them? What city or country are you going to?

I don't remember where I got this (probably Rick Steves) but the best way to get over jet lag is to tough out the first day. If you immediately go to the hotel and sack out you will still be on the old time zone. If you can find some non-taxing things (like sitting in a cafe and people watching or maybe a hop-on hop-off bus tour) for the first day you can get over jet lag and ease into your vacation. Stay up till about nine pm then get a good night's sleep and you'll be ready to go at it. It sure has worked for us the last few times over the pond. Of course if you can get a polar flight that cuts your traveling time to 9 hours it helps a lot.

Hello!!!! The bottom line is: if the room is ready you can check in

if it isn't you can't

if you want to be CERTAIN it will be ready then rent it for the previous night

Knowing where you are going to be, what town, what country, etc., or anything else for that matter will NOT guarantee that it will be ready unless YOU make it happen.

Some hotels charge a full 24 hour rate to use a room for only part of a day. Although it cannot be guaranteed you'll receive that treatment, it has been pointed out that some hotel staff are kind enough to give you early access to your room without charging you. I also have heard of a specific instance, in Italy, in which a hotel charged 50% of the daily rate for the extra hours.

Since you'll be travelling with your parents and your child, I assume your group will have two rooms. How about asking for early access to just one room and not both? Then, if you are charged extra, at least you'll be charged extra for only one room. While this might not be an ideal arrangement, it still would give all of you a chance to freshen up before setting out for your walk.

Further to what Intrepid said, I would recommend communicating with the hotel about this in advance.

OK - a flat can be different than a hotel. if it is a one-off apartment or cottage there sometimes no place to leave your bags.

I often rent flats/cottages and if I know there is no place to leave my bags I just start the booking the night I'm flying - that way I can get into the place even at 7 a.m.

Or you could leave your bags at a nearby rail or bus station.

But if it is a block of holiday flats w/ a front desk - just leave your bags.

(Why can't I post!???)

Having a two week rental may not offer you the option of dropping off your luggage first. I'd suggest contacting the rental agency/hotel and ASK if you can drop off your luggage.

I don't get why waiting until the next day changes anything - what am I missing?

As mentioned, you can pay for the hotel for the night before and use the room to your heart's content. But I'd actually recommend getting out and about - sunlight is instrumental in helping you fight jet lag, and in my experience staying indoors and sleeping upon arrival will make it harder for you to adjust to a new time zone.

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Otherwise, this is what we have done when we have several hours to kill in-between and everyone is too tired to do anything:

We find the best hotel/one of the best hotels and just sack out in their lounge. Of course, we do order tea/coffee/snacks. We keep our luggage close by to where we are sitting and one person is always watching the luggage while the others may be off on bathroom break, buying magazine, etc.

Enjoy your trip, wherever you are going!

Apparently some folks haven't read where you said it is a vacation rental -- it is not 1 or 2 hotel rooms you are simply waiting for them to clean. Contact the landlord - if there is a place you can leave your bags there is no problem -- otherwise rent from the night before.....