Dingdongler

I'm flying from Gatwick soon and last year for the first time we stayed at an airport hotel the night before. The hotel was 10 mins from the airport and was excellent, it made life much easier with two small kids and an early flight.
Parking was on site for this hotel and this was very reassuring.

Anyway, rang to book the same hotel today and they say that they no longer do on site parking. An insured driver takes the car to a 'secure' offsite car park.
On return he meets you at the airport.

I feel a little uncomfortable about this as I've heard some bad things about these so called secure car parks and the cars coming back with dents and scratches. Also not sure I want somebody driving my M5, insured or not.

What do you think?

The Zohan

Not used Park and fly before

Have used Pink Elephant many times, no problems with them


Make a note of your mileage and do not leave anything on show or valuable in the car - i'm sure you won't but does not hurt to remind you as i am sure you will have a lot on your mind.

Go round your car when you leave it and do inspect it when you get back, ususal stuff, corners and parking dings.

Have a nice flight and holiday

http://www.pinkelephantparking.com/gatwick-airport.aspx

spanner monkey

iTrader: (3)

http://www.ifieldcourt.com/ Stopped here a few times, nice rooms & as far as i can remember vehicles do not leave site.

hodgy0_2

I have used this type of deal when flying out of luton

and it was very very good, the car was waiting in the drop off zone, really really easy - and not that much more expensive than parking in the airport parking

remove one of the spark plugs so it runs like a "bag a sh1te"

Jaybird-UK

I'd rather pay the extra and park in an airport carpark, book it online and save ££££

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Put a sticker on your steering wheel, simply write mileage = (whatever it is), job done.

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

Agreed, booked online for a week and it cost £45. Turn up without booking and it was £9.50 per day!!

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

I also used this hotel recently, very good, fairly decent rooms, decent brekky, evening meals are pricey though, cars parked n secure on site. They also have facility to charge your battery if it goes flat and general servicing garage for any other issues. Location is in the countryside and away from possible *******. The bus service to n from the airport was excellent.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I have heard some shocking stories regarding this kind of service. Of course, most are going to be fine. But some Watchdog did a report on some that just dumped cars in industrial estates for the time you were away. Some got drive a lot etc etc.

If you get a good company then you are going to be fine. But if you get a shocker then its going to be a pain. Yes, you can take pictures of the mileage of the car etc etc, but if they are a fly by night organisation that is basically a Phoenix company then they won't even care

I'd be quite wary of taking an M5...can you not borrow a sh1tbox, or get a lift?

Dingdongler

Thanks.

Some people have mentioned using the airport car parks. This may sound like a stupid question but how do you get from the car park to the terminal with 2 small kids and loads of luggage?

Thanks

Moley

iTrader: (9)

A friend of mine used to drive the cars from the hotel to the field where they are kept.

I certainly wouldn't use them!!!

They were dumped in a field, and used to get seriously abused by the drivers.

Moley

iTrader: (9)

They have a bus/coach service

Dingdongler

That sounds like a pain in the **** with 2 small kids and loads of luggage

Dingdongler

Here are reviews of the company that the hotel uses to collect the car. I don't think I'll be using them.....

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews105535.html

FlightMan

Park in short term car park.
Go and check in with wife/kids and luggage.
Leave wife and kids in MacDonalds.
Take care to Long Term car park, PRE BOOKED.
Take free shuttle bus back to Terminal.
Go on holiday.
Reverse process when you return.

Simples!

Account deleted by request

At gatwick I always use the on site long term car park. It is a 2 minute bus ride from terminal and if you use the plus service they park the car for you.

It is a very good and proffesional setup.

Chop

what would scooby do

Drop your family off at the terminal and drive to long term car park..?

To be honest it's not hard to get everyone and luggage from long term car park via the bus.

Jaybird-UK

On airport parking at Gatwick is provided by NCP, I did a quick quote for 7 days at Gatwick North and it only cost £44 online, details of the parking here

Book online here

After reading some nightmare stories about offsite parking and collection services I'd only park the car myself and take the keys with me, no other way.

Leslie

I remember stories about the car park attendants having an arrangement where the crooks would take the car away, do an engine change to a rubbish one, and park the car where you left it!

That would worry me.

Les

Dingdongler

Thanks.

I know it seems like I'm making a fuss over nothing and millions of people park in the airport car park but this is the problem...

I wanted to stay the night in a nearby hotel so I could wake up later in the morning and not have the stress that I might get caught up in some kind of traffic jam on the way there.
If I did that and then dropped the wife/kids at the terminal and went to park the car my wife would be left with two small children(one in a pram) and a trolley piled up with 3-4 suitcases and 2-3 bits of hand luggage.

It would be impossible for my wife to push a pram and big trolley and hold the hand of the elder child.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill but I like to start my holiday off with the least amount of stress possible. The hotel I stayed in last year was just fantastic and we vowed to always stay there in future. They had secure underground parking at the time and you never had to hand the keys over.

Chip

DD,

The Sofitel is really nice hotel and actually part of the teminal so all you need to do is walk from your room with bags to the check in.

http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-6204...ck/index.shtml

Chip

Leslie

No one can blame you for that. Hope it all works out well for you anyway.

Les

Reffro

In March I parked for 15 days in the Short stay parking at the South Terminal at Gatwick for only £15 more than the Long stay. Drive up to the terminal and walk in, dead easy. Booked it through the airport website.

Hanley

I'm totally with you mate, I'm exactly the same.

I have 2 boys aged 3 and 5 and we're flying from Manchester in 8 days, (assuming that pain in the *** of an ash cloud behaves itself), I think we'd be able to manage now with one of us holding hands of both boys and the other pushing the trolley but not so long ago when youngest was in a pushchair - forget it!!!

My wife already thinks I'm paranoid anyway as I never let go of my childs hands when out, always make sure I'm on the side by the road etc etc

Can you not get a lift from anyone?

We're going to be driven to the airport by the father-in-law and he'll be picking us up and it makes the whole process so much easier.

Have a nice holiday!!

Dingdongler

Chip, thanks I will look into the Sofitel. From what I can tell you park your own car and it isn't moved by anyone. Its a mile away from the hotel and you take a shuttle back but thats not the end of the world as I'll be doing that the evening before the flight so can do it on my own with family settled at the hotel.

Reffro, that sounds like a simple but effective solution! Stay at the hotel I like the night before (which is now cheaper than before because it no longer gives on site parking) drive to the short term car park and then just walk to the terminal! Bingo!
I shall look into that as well.