Horse Riding Holidays

When the summer starts we try to find new adventures and one of the most exciting adventures is horse riding in the sun.

Enjoy Fabulous Riding Holidays in Andalucia, Spain.  Ride the ancient mule tracks among the olive groves in the Sierras, explore the natural parks or take the trails overlooking the sparkling blue seas while riding well trained Spanish horses.

Horse riding holidays in France vary enormously, but all will show you the real essence of France. The country is the largest in Western Europe and has a huge diversity of landscapes, cultures and climates waiting to be discovered.

All agents will work closely with you to check both your ability and aspirations in order to match your groups riding abilities as well as selecting your perfect mount for your riding holiday.  Personal attention all week, with dedicated airport transfers, welcome meeting and evening meal with drinks and much more.

All our accommodation choices are within a very short walk of the beaches & old town. No driving needed!

Below is an example of a recent hotel stay in Spain. There are other options on offer including Villas to rent and Farmhouse Rooms. All prices are excluding flights.

Hotel Arrayanes Playa.

A well situated three star hotel just along the paseo heading towards Cotobro - right on the front with superb views overlooking the sea and just a 15 min stroll into the heart of the old town either along the promenade or beach.
Lovely swimming pool & sun terraces, with fantastic views across the bay to the Peñon and the Castillo de San Miguel.  In the evenings the pool side ambiance gets more intimate, ideal for drinks with friends or just chilling out in the warm evenings, watching the fishing boats working under the stars.
Friendly 24 hour reception with 33 spacious comfortable double rooms plus triple and family (4px) rooms.  Air conditioning is standard, as well as satellite TV, phones and fully fitted on suite bathrooms with hairdryers.
Restaurant with a great selection of Mediterranean dishes with international touches and also paellas and other local rice dishes as well as fresh fish.  In addition the restaurant offers a bar, an outdoor barbecue and a terrace with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean where you can enjoy cocktails or a wonderful meal.
Optional full laundry & ironing service, nice cafeteria and TV lounge.  Some rooms adapted for physically impaired guests.
Prices starts from £700 -£1125
Available at: riding-holidays-in-spain.com
Casa Delfin –fantastic casa for 2-6px with super view.
Prices from £700-£1145
Available at : riding-holiday-in-spain.com
Los Laureles Rooms -2-3px, breakfast included.
Prices starts from £700-£1185
Available at : riding-holidays-in-spain.com

French Riding Holidays

If you are travelling from elsewhere in Europe then France will be almost on your doorstep and you will be spoilt for choice with many airlines, including the low cost budget carriers, competing for your custom.

Ride along the trails of past Kings. Starting at Blois we visit its superb castle before discovering the castles of Chaumont sur Loire, the residence of Catherine of Medici, of Chenonceau, called the castle of the Ladies, of Cheverny at the start of the Sologne region, and of Chambord, the most immense of them all. You will overnight one night in the castle of Chemery. This castle, dating from the 12th century, has a medieval atmosphere, and there you will enjoy a candlelit dinner washed down with wines from the Loire Valley. Along with faster than average riding on fit Anglos Arab horses, this is a journey of discovery not to be missed.

Prices starts from £1295 pp -8days/6days riding excluding flights.
Available at:unicorntrails.com

If you are travelling with lots of kit and you are flying from Gatwick Airport, why not try Valet Parking. Have your car picked up right outside the airport terminal and delivered to you on your return.

If you want to guarantee catching your flight then an overnight stay before you fly is a great idea. Park, sleep and fly packages are available at all Gatwick Hotels and all at reasonable prices.

Airport Valet Parking

Meeting and Greeting your airport parking provider.

There are many articles written on the advantages of Airport Valet Parking or Airport Meet and Greet Parking which are the same only different in name.

There is no doubt that the companies offering a meet and greet parking service at the UK's major airports carry a distinct advantage over their park and ride competitors. Any service that offers the modern traveller a reduction in their travelling time will undoubtedly secure their custom. Meet and Greet parking can reduce your travelling time from door to destination by as much as an hour and in many cases by over 2 hours.

Booking Meet and Greet Parking is easy. There are many web sites that represent these companies at all the major UK airports. The major search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo will all give you results if you type in key words like Gatwick Valet Parking or Gatwick Meet and Greet Parking.

However, finding the right company to suit your needs and pocket is more difficult. Since the introduction of Valet Parking in the 80's and 90's, its popularity has grown, not only with the increase of airport passenger numbers but also taking a significant slice of the park & ride sector. This increase in demand has introduced a plethora of Valet Parking companies to the market place most of which use the search engines to advertise their wares. 

Most of these companies have been established for a number of years and have invested heavily in parking compounds which meet the criteria of local planning officers. Liveried vehicles, uniforms, police vetted staff and proper insurance cover are just some of the essential items that bona fide companies invest in every year. This costs money and is reflected in the charges made by these good companies. A good and reliable meet and greet company will charge anything between £50 and £80 for a weeks parking and £80 to £110 for 2 weeks including VAT at summer rates. These rates are pretty much set in stone if you consider all the overall costs of running a bona fide Meet and Greet Parking Company. If you were to find a company advertising rates at lower that the above guide then you will probably find they are somewhat lacking in those essential requirements of running a fit and secure operation.

These are some points you should look out for when selecting your Airport Valet Parking Company.

Make sure you know the exact location of the place your car will be stored BEFORE you make that booking. It is not enough for the web site to state 'your car will be stored in a secure compound close to the airport'. Your own insurance company will need to know this information in the event something happened. 

Make sure you have the full registered address of the company you use (not just the storage location), the company number and the VAT number which should all be displayed on the web site.

Make sure you have a landline telephone number NOT a mobile number.

Make sure your vehicle is parked reasonably close to the airport just in case you have to retrieve that teddy bear left in the car. Do not allow your vehicle to be taken miles from the airport as this will increase the road risk and reduce your petrol tank. Always ensure the mileage is recorded when passing your vehicle over.

A reliable indicator for a good company will be the length of time is has been in operation. Most companies will advertise the number of years they have been established.

Fully comprehensive road insurance is imperative. Most companies will state on their web site the Insurance Company they use for road risks.

All good companies will have uniformed staff with appropriate ID's and all of a mature age. After all, you would not expect to pass your vehicle to a boy racer!

This article has been written to throw a bit of caution your way when choosing a Valet Parking Company at a UK Airport. All too often we hear of bad press regarding airport meet and greet companies. These antics are connected directly to poorly run, newly formed companies and should not be associated with long established companies that invest strongly in their enterprises year on year.

 Written by Trevor Bryan a director and owner of an Airport Valet Parking Company established over 20 years.

Red Sea Diving Holidays

We see so many people going abroad and coming back telling tales of their experiences abroad, we though we would compile some of these tales into a blog for everybody to enjoy.  We have taken the important information and condensed it below into information that Customers could use if they are thinking of taking holidays at the destinations discussed.

If you are thinking of going away and exploring marine life there is a variety of destinations

The most popular place for UK divers all year round is The Red Sea offering a range of diving experiences including reefs, wrecks and varied fish life.

Diving at the Red Sea offers a variety of underwater experiences and is only 5 hours away from the UK. Prices start from around £350 but with some late deals you can get offers under £300.

Each region offers a unique set of diving opportunities as well as a discovery of some of the worlds best Ancient Monuments. The Red Sea is one of the world’s best diving destinations with over 1000 species of fish and 200 types of coral. Above the water the Pyramids, temples of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, where the tomb of Tutankhamen is located enables a fun packed holiday full of culture and diving adventures.

Here are few destination and Hotels package deals that may interested you:

Sharm El Sheikh – Cleopatra Tsokkos Hotel/Prices from £238 including flights and transfers/Diving from £30pd/10 days diving.

Great value resort                                              Suitable for all types of diver

132 standard rooms                                          Shuttle bus to Naama Bay

Pool/Bar/Room Service/Massage                       Special rates with Elite Diving

Available at UltimateDiving.co.uk

Red Sea – Dahab – Inmo Divers Home/Prices starts £264 including flights and transfers/Diving from £25pd/10days diving.

Great value divers resort                                    48 rooms with a choice of room types

House reef diving                                              Pool/WIFI/Billiards/Inmo divers on-site

A favourite with our customers                           Great place to learn to dive

Available at Ultimate Diving.

Red Sea – Sharm El Sheikh-Bay View Hotel/Prices starts from £282 including flights and transfers/Diving from £32pd/5days diving.

Located in the centre of Naama bay                   Emperor Divers on-site

78 standard and 12 superior rooms                    BB or HB board basis

Pool/Jacuzzi/Pool Table/Bar                              Great value resort for all

Available at Ultimate Diving.

Red Sea – Dahab – Nesima Resorts/Prices starts £390 including flights and transfers/Diving from £25pd/10days diving.

High quality boutique hotel                                51 standard and 5 superior rooms

Great restaurant on-site                                      5 minutes walk to Dahab Town

Pool/Pool Bar/Choice of diving centres              Bed and breakfast board basis

Available at Ultimate Diving

Dahab-Bedouin Moon. Situated just 2km north of Dahab Bay, near to the Blue Hole, the Bedouin Moon is nestled at the foot of a mountain range, and enjoys spectacular views of the Red Sea and mountains.  BB Hotel/Prices from £589 per person(7 nights flights from Gatwick) with 5 days shore diving.

Available at LongwoodHolidays.co.uk

Hurghada-Marriott Beach BB/Prices starts from £545 per person(7 nights flights from Gatwick) with 5 days boat diving.

Available at Longwood Holidays.

Sharm El Sheikh-Bay View Hotel BB/ Prices starts from £629 per person(7 nights flights from Gatwick) with 5 days boat diving.

Available at Longwood Holidays.

All flights are from Gatwick so if you need to park your car why not use Valet Parking at Gatwick. Ideal for people with lots of luggage or equipment.

We would also like to introduce our overnight park and fly packages at competitive prices. If you have that early flight be assured of being at the airport on time by sleeping over the night before. Hookwood Lodge Hotel is only minutes from both Gatwick North and South Terminal. We offer excellent accommodation with free fast transfers to Gatwick Airport.

Comfortable and spotlessly clean bedrooms en suite with coffee/tea and free internet connection.

GATWICK AIRPORT PARKING

In this day and age most of us will find ourselves at an airport at some time or another. Whether we are going on holiday or a business trip, international travel is a way of life and at the very least, a means by which we can reach out and arrive at some exotic destination.

We do of course, have to get to an airport in order to get away although it would be great if we could fly from our back garden. That is not likely to happen for a couple of hundred years so we are stuck with the grind of getting all the family to the nearest airport that will fly us to our chosen destination at the most affordable price.

This means that the travelling distance may be considerable as although we may live only a few miles from an airport, we could end up travelling to one that is much further away.

Public transport is an option of course. However, the downside to this is that you have a considerable amount of luggage and you don't want to lug this on and off trains. You still have to find your way to the train station and the same on the return so scheduling your journey with train time tables is also a bit of a hassle. Compare this to jumping in your car and driving direct to the airport and its a bit of a no-brainer.

Naturally, when you get to the airport you will have to leave your car somewhere. There are a number of options for this, the most popular being the on-airport car parks. You park your car, take your keys, go to a bus or shuttle pick-up point and take the short (or long) trip to the terminal. This sounds pretty straight forward but lets look at the negatives. You have lots of luggage, its raining cats and dogs, its very cold and you wait 20 minutes for the bus that then takes 20 minutes to get to your terminal after doing the rounds. After waiting for all the passenger luggage to be off-loaded the transfer time is nearly an hour. The same happens on return so your journey time actually ends up adding around 2 hours to your overall journey time.

Having finally returned to your vehicle you note with horror that the front bumper has been damaged. You look around in expectation of seeing something like a note but there is nothing.  The bumper damage costs you £275 as your insurance excess is £500.

There are alternatives. Gatwick Airport is the biggest airport in the UK behind Heathrow and serves some 35 million passengers a year. Some parking companies at Gatwick has been in the Airport Parking business for over 20 years. They have recognised the need for an easier and more effective way of parking your car at Gatwick Airport and created a service that meets the demands of the modern traveller. Just drive direct to their car park at Gatwick located only minutes from Gatwick North and Gatwick South Terminal.

Once you arrive your vehicle is checked in, photographs are taken of each side of your vehicle, your mileage recorded and away you go to your chosen Gatwick Terminal. On your return you ring the company from the arrivals hall and your car is brought to you right outside the terminal building. You then check the state of your vehicle and mileage . Very straight forward, no hassle and peace of mind with the knowledge that your precious car is being looked after properly and who take responsibility for your vehicle.

Written by Tred who is an author and writer on travel.