How we calculate your best option

Every recommendation comes from fixed rules applied to a dataset we maintain by hand. There is no AI guessing: the same inputs always give the same answer.

1. When you'll be outside arrivals

Landing time plus any delay, plus 25 minutes with hand luggage only, 40 minutes with checked bags, or 45 minutes with ski or snowboard bags.

2. What's still available

We check each rental supplier's published desk hours for that weekday, whether out-of-hours pick-up is offered and for what fee, and which buses realistically run at that time.

3. Comparing options

For each option we estimate the extra cost (out-of-hours fees, hotel rooms, transfer or bus fares), your arrival time and a risk level. Night driving on mountain roads after a flight counts as a risk, and arriving after 01:00 or driving 2½+ hours at night counts as high risk. Mountain drive times are increased by 15% at night and 10% in winter.

Options that don't fit your situation are penalised: for example, a transfer when you've already booked a car at the airport. Sleeping near the airport carries a small cost for the lost morning. The option with the lowest overall cost is recommended, and the others are shown so you can choose differently.

4. Estimates and freshness

Hotel and transfer prices are estimates for comparison, not quotes. Desk hours and timetables change by season and supplier. Each fact shows when we last checked it, and you should always confirm with the operator before you travel.

5. Delay compensation

If you tell us your flight is delayed 3 hours or more and departed from the UK or the EU, we show that you may be eligible under UK261 or EU261. This is not a legal assessment: weather and other extraordinary circumstances usually rule compensation out, and you can always claim directly from your airline for free.

6. How we make money

Some buttons are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never change the recommendation: the rules above decide it, including when the best answer is a bus or taxi we earn nothing from.