Travelling overseas on holiday - what do you do with the car
If you're jetting off to sunnier climes this year, the problem is always the same: what
do you do with the car? We had just such a dilema this year on a week to Gran Canaria,
leaving from Gatwick Airport. The flight was quite early, with a departure time of 8am. Meaning we had
to be at the airport by 6am. We live a good 3 hours from the airport - so a silly-o-clock in the morning alarm was on the cards.
Stay in a hotel - it's cheaper than you think
Now, getting up at about 2:30am isn't a good way to start the holiday. So, after puttering about the cost, we decided to book a hotel for the night
before departure.
I thought that booking a night in a hotel would be just another expense. But I was pleasantly surprised; a night for our family of four at
the Gatwick Holiday Inn cost £79 for the night; and it didn't end there. Included in this price is car parking for 8 nights. Wow,
I thought, that's the business. I'd been looking to pay between £50 - £60 for parking alone - so £79 for bed and parking was
a bargain.
Ah, but how close to Gatwick Airport is the Holiday Inn
I'd heard stories of hotels which are supposed to be near the airport being miles away, but a quick check in Google maps
confirmed the Holiday Inn is very close indeed. In fact, it's so close, we walked from the hotel to the airport the day before the flight, so
we could have a little explore: and we didn't need to walk along any main roads either.
Anything else to know about?
There is one more thing to think about before booking - and that's the transfer between the hotel and the airport. The transfer runs
every 15 minutes, although there is a additional charge for the transfer. The is £3 per adult and £1.50 per child - each way.
Should we stay overnight
We found staying overnight worked out really well, and wasn't much more money than booking the car into a airport car park. Unless
you and your children are already world weary travellers, exploring the airport the day prior to departure also added to
the adventure.
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