If you are a wheelchair user and you want to leave your car at the airport while you travel you need to verify that the facilities available at your chosen car park meet your requirements.

Not all car parks are made the same. Some are close to the airport terminal and some are quite remote. Each car park operator has their own provision for blue badge holders.

For example, a quick survey of the car parks that service Gatwick Airport indicates that many of these specifically mention their facilities for the disabled traveller. Some, like the excellent Megalex Gatwick Airport Parking facility, state that their service is ‘particularly suitable for the disabled traveller’.

If you are a disabled traveller you are well-advised to check the parking facilities available to you when you pre-book your airport parking space and verify that they are suitable for your needs.

DFW CEO Jeff Fegan touts the airport’s recent development.

The rest is here:
Holidaychatter – DFW Reviews Aerotropolis Concept

2008-04-22 16:32:44

One of the few times that my car has been damaged is while it was left in a supermarket car park. I returned to find a significant dent in the bonnet and subsequently found that I could not make a claim from the car park operators. Instead I had to pay for repairs from my own pocket.

Car parks are notoriously dangerous places to park. Vehicles can be bumped, scraped and broken into without anybody noticing. Airport car parks can be a particularly dangerous place to leave your car as many are remote from the airport terminals and unmanned, potentially giving criminals the chance to break in and damage to occur unmonitored.

Luckily most airport car park operators have recognised the need for reassuring levels of security. Many have the ‘Park Mark’ award which means that the security systems have been inspected and verified by the police.

Some airport car parks, such as Park and Fly at Edinburgh, actually provide comprehensive insurance cover against vehicle damage, which is reassuring. Some, like Edinburgh Secure Airparks, have advanced and sophisticated security systems. In this case they have a barbed wire perimeter fence, floodlights, 24 hour security surveillance and CCTV. Not surprisingly they also hold the Park Mark award.

When you leave your valuable car in a car park for any period of time it is worth checking both the security facilities and the insurance cover provided by the car park operators.

Grizzly bear fishing for salmon in the rivers flowing down from the Rocky Mountains, a polar bear tending its young and a Bald Eagle soaring proudly, high above the mountains. These sights are all possible on a wildlife holiday in Canada.

Polar Bears in Churchill
Wildlife lovers have the chance to spot the polar bear on Canadian Sky’s Polar Bear Adventure tour. Travel to Seal River Lodge where you can spot the magnificent animals in their natural habitat.
Polar Bear Adventure tour from Canadian Sky

Bears and Eagles in British Columbia
A trip to the Bella Coola Valley affords the opportunity to spot grizzly bears and eagles in their natural environments.
A simply awe inspiring experience, for wildlife photographers and nature lovers, the area offers magnificent views of British Columbia.
Grizzlies and Wildlife of British Columbia tour with Canadian Sky

Canada’s wild and rugged national parks are places abundant in wildlife. There are some fantastic lodges, tours and wildlife holidays available which provide the opportunity to see some of its great animals, in the wild, free and away from cities.

Canada is such a wonderfully diverse country – cosmopolitan cities, rocky vistas and beautiful forests and mirror lakes. Discovering all of the real Canada on a single holiday is no easy feat, but by no means impossible.

Escorted tours in Canada are a fantastic way to cover large areas, taking in the very best sites along the way. Guides will lead you on your journey, helping you to make the most of each destination, with intimate knowledge of the country and its history, passing this information on to you as you journey on.

So what exactly is there in Canada, it’s just a huge country above the United States right? Wrong! Canada has so much to offer, from mooching around the historic French-Canadian city of Quebec to driving through mesmerising mountain ranges in the Rocky Mountain region.

Rockies and Alaska Escorted Tour
Canadian Sky offers some fantastic escorted tours which are perfect for seeing the best of Canada. The Rockies and Alaskan Vistas by Rail Cruise takes you through the heart of the Canadian Rockies.
Beginning your journey in Calgary, you will make your way through the Rocky Mountains, enjoying the spectacular sights before arriving in the coastal city of Vancouver.

You are then free to explore beautiful Vancouver before boarding the Norweigan where you will embark on a cruise along the Inside Passage towards Alaska, a fantastic opportunity to spot wildlife and enjoy the stunning views along the coast.

Explore Canada’s Wilderness
Explore Yukon on Canadian Sky’s Great River Journey. Starting from Yukon’s capital, Whitehorse, you will journey through the region, staying in lodges and outposts with the chance to spot wild bears and bison to name a few.

Above are just two of many fantastic escorted tours in Canada available through Canadian Sky. To see the full list of tours, visit them online at www.canadiansky.co.uk.

TLH Leisure resort are offering ‘All-Inclusive’ holiday breaks at their leisure resort in Torquay.

The English Rivieria as it is dubbed certainly has lots to offer visitors with there being so many things to see and do.

The current all-inclusive offers at TLH include a ‘Best of British’ break and a ‘Euro Cruise’ break.

Have a look at the blog posted by TLH today in connection with the all-inclusive breaks.

Renting a holiday cottage in Wales provides so much flexibility on a holiday. If you are travelling with a large family, you can have a beautiful property to yourselves in many different stunning regions, allowing you to cater for yourselves.

Travelling with a large group of friends and a holiday cottage gives you a place whereby you can all mingle and socialise, late into the night in relaxed surroundings.

A holiday cottage doesn’t tie you in to set meals, and you are free to experience some of the great restaurants in Wales, or you can attempt some of the Welsh classics yourselves such as Welsh rarebit and bara brith.

Below are three fantastic regions in Wales for renting a holliday cottage:

Pembrokeshire
Rugged coastline providing great coastal walks
Great for surfers, wildlife lovers and photographers, lovers of the great outdoors, beach bums

Snowdonia
A national park, home to the highest mountain in Wales at 1085 metres, Snowdonia is great for hikers, explorers and climbers

Wye Valley
Beautiful Wye Valley with picturesque rolling hills and more heritage than you can shake a stick at!
Great for castle lovers and history buffs, hikers, walkers, explorers

Wherever you go, renting a holiday cottage provides the versatility which far exceeds hotel accommodation.

Car parking facilities at UK aiports vary considerably. On-airport, off-airport, short-stay, long-stay and medium-stay. You already know that booking your car-parking space in advance can give your some significant savings. But exactly which car park should you choose?

On-Airport Car Parks

The term ‘on-airport’ simply means that the car park is within the airport boundaries. This will generally mean that the car park is close to the airport terminals so transfer times will normaly be short. For example, Edinburgh Airport’s Secure Airparks facility is an award winning on-airport car park with a transfer time of only 1 minute to the airport terminal.

Off-Airport Car Parks

Not surprisingly the term ‘off-airport’ means that the car park is located outside the airport perimeter. This can mean longer transfer times to and from the airport terminal, but this depends upon the airport and the specific car park. For example, NCP Scotpark at Edinburgh airport is an off-airport car park that provides a free bus transfer to the airport terminal which takes only 1 minute. The buses run every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day.

Short Stay Car Parking

In general short stay car parking facilities are most suitable for short trips (one day) or for dropping off and picking up passengers. Short stay car parks tend to be located closer to the airport terminals and may be a little more expensive than their medium and long-stay neighbours. For example, Prestwick airport short stay parking facilities are located within walking distance of the airport terminal.

When pre-booking your parking space be sure to check that you are selecting the car park that is most suitable. Short stay car parking charges are often applied by the hour up to 12 to 24 hours and then you will pay a daily rate for any subsequent 24 hour period, or part thereof. For example, at Aberdeen airport you can pay for as little as 30 minutes (for £1) and a full day will cost £10.50, as will every subsequent day in the short stay car park.

Medium or Mid Stay Car Parking

Medium or mid stay airport car parks tend to be a little further away from the terminals than the short stay car parks. E.g. Prestwick mid stay parking facilities are 5 minutes away. These car parks are often the best choice for travellers who will be away for more than one night but still want the convenience of a car park that is readily accessible from the airport terminal.

Long Stay Car Parking

Long stay or long term airport car parks will tend to be the furthest from the airport terminal. These are often the best choice for those who will be away for more than a few days, maybe on a two-week vacation. Transfer times to and from the airport terminals can be that little bit longer but this is not always the case. For example, Edinburgh airport’s long term parking facility with NCP is an on-airport car park that offers a transfer time of only 5 minutes using a free courtesy coach that runs every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The car parking facilities provided at each of the UKs airports vary considerably but one thing is certain. If you pre-book your parking space with Simply Parking you can save up to 60%.

Couples looking to get away together in the sun for a fortnight are often dismayed when their tropical resort is crowded with noisy youngsters.

For those looking to experience two weeks of bliss in tropical climes, there are resorts which cater specifically to adult couples only.

Jamaica is home to a fantastic adults only holiday chain of resorts called Couples Resorts.

Couples Ocho Rios
A beautiful resort set on the north coast of Jamaica, the adults only, all-inclusive Couples Ocho Rios caters fantastically for couples looking to spend a romantic holiday together.

He resort is set on a beautiful sandy beach with clear waters lapping the shores. Guests to the resort can sip cocktails under the hot sun, and enjoy fine dining at its best in the resort’s restaurants, each offering a variety of great cuisine from around the world.

Couples Negril
The Couples Negril resort is another spectacular resort for couples, offering the chance to unwind and be pampered in sheer bliss. Those looking to spoil themselves might like to upgrade their room to a suite, which feature their very own private Jacuzzis.

Couples Swept Away
Set in Negril on the west coast of Jamaicam, the all-inclusive Couples Swept Away offers you the chance to enjoy acres of tropical beach and lush tropical gardenes.

The resort is the most private of all of the Couples chain, with the chance to enjoy a variety of activities from yoga to some of the finest spa treatments.

Couples Sans Souci
Couples San Souci resort, situated in Ocho Rios, was added to the Gold List of Conde Nast Traveller Magazine’s best places to stay in 2005.

Set among two private coves, the Sans Souci is a superb option for couples looking for a private and intimate resort.

An increasing number of people are discovering that if you want breathtaking scenery, fresh air, top quality customer service and exceptionally friendly people, the best place to go is…. Scotland!

No need to traipse half way around the world to find that your hotel is still being constructed. You and your family can hop on a plane at Gatwick and be in Edinburgh in no time at all. Leave your car at one of the Gatwick airport car parks and your return journey will be a breeze. Pick up a hire car when you arrive at Edinburgh Airport and don’t worry about having to drive on the right hand side cos the Scots drive on the left!

Scotland has so much to offer as a holiday destination. History, mystery and surprises galore. From the buzzing cities, full of life, culture, food and top quality accommodation to the valleys and highlands with their awe-inspiring scenery and challenging walking country.

Why not visit Gretna Green and get hitched, or play a little pitch and putt at one of the many prestigious golf clubs. And of course don’t forget the world famous Edinburgh festival where you can get to see many rising comedy stars. And, of course, don’t forget to visit Loch Ness. You never know, you may be the one who spots the world famous Loch Ness Monster.