Early flight from Nuremberg: well planned through the early hours

If you fly from Nuremberg to Mallorca, Crete or Antalya in summer, you often take off while the city is still asleep. Because restrictions apply at the airport during the night, the first departures are concentrated in a narrow window early in the morning. For you that means: getting up at three or four, driving in the dark, and the desks and security are already busy shortly after opening. To stop this start to your holiday ending in a rush, preparation and the right parking option are what count.

Why the early morning fills up

Aircraft that spend the night in Nuremberg take off for their destinations in the first hours of the day. Many passengers are then in the terminal at the same time. It gets especially busy at the start of the Bavarian Whitsun and summer holidays. The compact airport helps, but queues can still form at security here too. Stick to your airline's lead time and factor in parking before it.

The evening before

Do the online check-in and save the boarding passes on your phone. Put ID, wallet and the parking confirmation in a fixed place by the front door. If the car is in the garage, the suitcases and child seats can go in now. Check the fuel gauge or charge level and save the destination address in the satnav. The roadworks reports show whether sections of the A3, A9 or A73 will be closed during the night. Also write down the parking service's phone number on a piece of paper.

Working out the departure time

Take a family from Regensburg with a departure at 06:15. The airline wants to see them in the terminal two hours beforehand, i.e. around 04:15. For the handover to the driving service they allow a quarter of an hour and head for the meeting point for 04:00. Via the A3 they reach Nuremberg at night in just over an hour; because night-time roadworks are often set up between Parsberg and Neumarkt, they add 20 minutes' buffer. So they set off at 02:40. If you live closer or book a different company, you will calculate with different values.

Valet in the early morning

Early in the morning, the driving service is usually the most relaxed solution: the employee waits at the meeting point near the terminal, you hand over the key and go straight to the desk. The prerequisite is that the company works at your time. A short message before arrival makes sure nobody is kept waiting. More: Valet parking at Nuremberg Airport.

Shuttle in the early morning

With the bus model, what counts is the first departure of the day. Some companies run at fixed intervals from a set time, others on request. Because the early departures are concentrated, several families often board at the same time. If you are at the site a few minutes earlier, you are sure of a seat. More: Shuttle parking at Nuremberg Airport.

U2 before sunrise?

The U2 connects the main station and the airport directly. Whether the first train of the day – and the connection from where you live to the main station – suits your departure is shown in the timetable. For travellers from the surrounding area, the car is often the only practical option at this time. Weighing it up: Underground or car to Nuremberg Airport.

With children at night

To make the start bearable for the little ones, they sleep in comfortable clothes and are carried straight to the car. A blanket, cuddly toy and breakfast for later are ready. At the meeting point, one adult looks after the children, the other the car and suitcases. More tips: With the family to Nuremberg Airport.

Franconian winter

Between November and March, the thermometer in Franconia often shows sub-zero temperatures before sunrise. If your car is in a garage, you save yourself scraping; everyone else should allow ten minutes for it. Bridges and minor roads in the Steigerwald, the Franconian Jura or Franconian Switzerland are particularly treacherous, while the major motorways have usually already been cleared. If you are flying south, leave your winter jacket in the boot and take it out again on your return.

Breakfast at the gate

Not all cafés are open in the first hours of operation. A thermos for the journey and filled rolls for the children bridge the time. After security, an empty water bottle can be refilled.

Thinking about the return

If you fly early, you often return in the evening. When booking, also check the return times: Late arrival at Nuremberg Airport.

Getting through security faster

Before sunrise, passengers from several holiday flights are often queuing at security at the same time. If your liquids bag is already in an outer pocket, your laptop is on top and you don't wait until you are at the belt to take off your jacket and belt, you will get through noticeably faster. With a digital boarding pass and hand luggage only, you also save yourself the desk. If you are checking in suitcases, stick strictly to the recommended lead time.

Staying overnight before the flight?

If you are travelling a long way, for example from Hof, Weiden or Rothenburg, consider staying near the airport for a six o'clock departure. In that case, check whether your parking service allows a handover the evening before or whether you drive from the hotel to the meeting point in the morning. Some hotels have their own parking offers; compare them with those of the parking services.

Overslept?

Oversleeping is annoying, but no reason to speed along the A73. Call the parking service via the hands-free system, say when you will realistically arrive and ask whether the handover can be brought forward. If minutes count at the airport, speak directly to the staff at your airline's desk. For the next trip: charge your phone overnight and set a second, traditional alarm clock.

On the first day of the holidays

On the first day of the Bavarian summer holidays, an especially large number of families set off in the morning. Then plan more reserve both on the road and at the terminal. If you are flexible, fly a few days later – it is often quieter then.

Preparing children

Children cope better with the night-time departure if they know what is happening. Announce in the evening that you will set off in the dark and that they can carry on sleeping in the car. With their favourite blanket and cuddly toy on the back seat, the early start becomes almost an adventure.

From the city to an early flight

If you live in Nuremberg, you can be at the airport in a quarter of an hour at night. From the Südstadt you take the ring road; from Mögeldorf or Laufamholz, the Bayreuther Straße. Still, a small reserve is worthwhile, because roadworks traffic lights and closed sections cost minutes even at night. If you live near a U2 station, check whether the first train suits you.

In brief

With preparation the evening before, a suitable parking option and a little reserve on the road, even a departure at dawn goes smoothly.

Online check-in and luggage in advance

If you check in online and reserve seats the evening before, you save time in the morning. Some airlines offer bag-drop machines where you check in your suitcase yourself. Find out beforehand whether this is possible for your flight.

Who drives?

After a short night, not everyone is fit to drive. Decide the evening before who will drive and make sure that person goes to bed early. The same applies to the return journey in the evening.

Weigh your luggage the evening before

A luggage scale at home prevents nasty surprises at the desk. If you only notice excess baggage in the morning, you lose time repacking – exactly when time is shortest.

Have a good trip – and plenty of sunshine at your destination!

If you follow these tips, you will board the plane relaxed even after a short night.

Checklist

• Provider's operating hours checked against the handover time
• Online check-in done
• Luggage loaded the evening before
• Night-time roadworks checked
• Second alarm set

Which providers at Nuremberg Airport can be booked via Friend-Park is shown on Parking at Nuremberg Airport.