 Poster: A snowHead
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Does anyone make use of hotel parking facilities when they go away?
You know the kind of thing where one gets overnight hotel accommodation near their departure airport plus the weeks parking for around 80 quid. OK, so one then has to buy dinner and probably breakfast so it isn't just £80 for the privilege.
On a personal level, it always gets the holiday off on a cheerful note and you feel as though you're getting an extra night on your jollies. There is also the distinct advantage of being able to beer it up late into the night without the worry of driving the next morning 
I only live 45 minutes from my usual departure airport but still tend to do this.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No, we like the drive to the airport in the middle of the night. Each to their own I guess.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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My Dad does it a lot when he goes away. Seems to work okay. This year I'm leaving my car at the airport, local garage picks it up valets it, stores it and returns it ready for my flight coming back. Cost is £49.00. No parking charges.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sort of - we always take 2 days to drive and stop at a hotel we like near Lyon. Means the Saturday is short day in car and we are in resort by lunchtime. Have also been known to take 3 days and stay in Ashford or Calais on the Thursday night
Coming back it is a 14-16 hour day in car - back in one slog
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Boris, ditto, on those occasions when we've driven and taken a mid-afternoon Friday crossing. Dijon was the usual stopover in our case - about 4.5 hours from Calais IIRC.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We're doing it this year.
We've an early(ish) morning flight of 8am, but a 1.5hr to get there, so would've needed a very early start for us and an even earlier one for my brother who has a three hour drive to the airport.
So we'll be at the hotel on the afternoon before for a few drinks and a meal.
The next morning we can take the luggage and check in (100 yard walk - no bus)- walk back to the hotel to get the included free breakfast and then check out of the hotel and toddle back into the airport building - Sorted!
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Having run large Hotels at Heathrow and Gatwick in the past, a hotel car park is the last place on this planet I would leave my car for a week.
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The other half and I are off this weekend and elected to do this for the first time. I'm a little nervous about whether my car will be all right, you know, safe. Has anyone here had any bad experiences using off airport hotel parking for a week or so?
Last edited by After all it is free  on Wed 12-01-11 18:34; edited 2 times in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The Holiday Inn Express at Glasgow uses one of the off airport car parks (you get a voucher)
We normally just drive and leave the car in the (Airparks?) car park anyway and never have had any problems with it.
Without a lot of messing around on public transport we are too far away from the airport to have any other option but to take the car and leave it.
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Vlad Putin, Welcome to snowHeads. Off airport is OK but take some precautions, take a photo of where you left it. Try to have as little petrol in it as possible write the mileage down and leave it on a piece of paper on the dashboard and write it down on another piece of paper and take with you. Plus all the obvious stuff about not leaving anything inside the car and check the tax disc is still on the windscreen when you return also check the number plates haven't been tampered with whilst you were away. (Also check the spare wheel is still in the car!)
Be particularly aware of all the above if they insist on you leaving the ignition keys with them!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I did it last season from Birmingham. I wouldn't as a rule since Birmingham is only a 45 minute drive but it transpired that the hotel room plus parking was £38.50 and a week's car parking alone was £44 so bit of a no-brainer. I would only ever choose airports that are within an hour's drive.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Boredsurfing, you are kidding, right? You must be 
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| Vlad Putin wrote: |
| Boredsurfing, you are kidding, right? You must be |
Nope, just common sense crime prevention.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Yep if it is me and the kids and one of the far away airports like Heathrow and a morning flight, often cheaper than just parking, usually go with Holidayextras secret deal where you aren't supposed to know the hotel till you have booked (but is normally easy to figure out from the description and feedback). Loads less stressful than 3 hrs drive followed by flight with the kids trying to kill each other because I'd made them get up so early! We'll tend to leave after tea the night before and take some stuff like cereal bars and fruit for brekkie, particularly if we are on a full service airline and will be fed soon after take off. Closer airports like Birmingham and Manchester only if it is cheaper than parking.
On my own I tend to get the train to the airport unless it is a stupid early flight that I can't get to in time. Did lead to one 'interesting' journey when the first train of the day to London got as far as Wellingborough and stopped. Taxi that cost Midland Mainline £100 on top of refunding my ticket pulled up outside the terminal at Gatwick 8 minutes before the flight closed but thanks to the Virgin customer services lady I nearly flattened as I sprinted into the terminal I made it and by the time she'd got me checked in by jumping all the queues and then escorted me to the front of the security line I made it to the gate just as the last of the people who'd been there 3 hours before headed through the ticket check to board.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Even though we have a base an hour from Gatwick we always stay at the Premier Inn before one of those 6am flights as the potential for breakdown/delay/traffic jam on the M25 is too much of a risk even if we left home at 3am ish and I wouldnt sleep anyway for the worry of not getting there in time. We pay for parking too and have never had problems leaving car at hotel. Stayed there on 19th Dec when snow lay all around but it all went smoothly - was £100 for family room and parking. You are not obliged to have dinner or breakfast - we didnt - and it is worth it for peace of mind to know we are there within walking distance if necessary of airport ( there is a bus). We didnt have to leave our keys with hotel so felt safe enough.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've never stayed at a hotel, I usually prefer to leave home about 2-3AM, in order to reach the airport for 6.
But last year, I was worried enough about the weather that I drove down early, then slept(ish) in my car in the car park at Gatwick for 4 hours.
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FAQ
. I believe he may also have a scanner that captures the elctronic plip of their car keys.