Travellers across globe dream of visiting city of London, gazing at mighty Thames, and watching Big Ben. If you want to spend a few days in London absorbing its glories, you have many affordable options for comfortable accommodation.
Whenever you fly to London for holidays or business work, getting accommodation in hotels near Heathrow airport is no problem. Heathrow hotelsare available to suit all types of budgets and location needs.
If you are looking for sophisticated yet budget accommodation you can get hotels near Heathrow airport at just half a kilometre distance. Location of these hotels is ideal from major attractions like Chessington World of adventures, Legoland Windsor and Madam Tussauds. You can avail all the luxury and comfort in these hotels near Heathrow airport with spacious rooms furnished with modern amenities.
There are some Heathrow hotels which have very easy access to terminal 5 via covered walkway. Facilities at hotels near Heathrow airport include Sauna, Spa and Wellness Centre, Jacuzzi and more. All the Heathrow hotels and those hotels near Heathrow airport serve continental breakfast and evening meals. Rooms are provided with tea and coffee making facilities. Informal style bar lounge are one of many attractions of all hotels.
You will find that London hotels are available in both cheap and luxury category to suit your budget. There are more than 6,000 London hotels providing best accommodation and service to travellers from all over the world. For those staying in London hotels, London transport provides 20,000 licensed taxis, underground metro trains and other public transport. Hotels with parking facilities are common thing. London being one of world’s best tourist centres is famous for world class luxury as well as budget accommodations.
It is less known fact that some amazingly cheap accommodations are also available in central London. While you are visiting London for a day or more than 2 or 3 weeks, it is important to get accommodation at right cost so that you enjoy your stay and also save money. Cheap hotels in London provide equally comfortable accommodation and good service and hospitality. Although rooms are not as spacious as 5 star hotels, they don’t make your stay less comfortable.
If you want budget accommodation at lower end, you can stay in youth hostels or dormitories which charge very economical rates. You can also get discounts on week days. Many hotel chains operate budget accommodation and cheap hotels in central London. If you browse on the Internet you can easily find addresses of these accommodations and information regarding facilities and tariff.
Instead of waiting for and crowding onto public transport, hiring a car will let you get to your final destination at your own pace, while also allowing you to enjoy independent transport during your stay. When you return, just drop the car off at the airport and get straight onto the plane.
Arriving at London Stansted International Airport, the car hire desks are easy to find between the Departures and Arrivals areas. Major companies represented include Hertz, Budget, Avis, Europcar, National and Alamo. While it is possible to rent a vehicle on arrival, making an advance booking in order to ensure you get the type of car you want is highly recommended.
Often the most popular cars at the most competitive prices are already booked far in advance and you will be left with an unsuitable model at a rate you don’t really want to pay.
The easiest way to book is online, with dedicated websites such as uk-car-hire.net providing easy step-by-step booking forms. Stansted airport car hire deals Here you can see pictures of the vehicles available and get an instant quote. You can choose what brand and type of car you want, whether mini/economy or luxury, manual or automatic. Any accessories you may require, such as baby seats or ski racks, can also be booked.
All drivers must be aged 21 years or over, have a valid driving licence and a credit card. An amount will be reserved as a safety deposit, which is fully returnable when you return the vehicle. Young drivers are not always permitted to rent specialty or larger sized vehicles. Once you’ve made your choice and have confirmed your credit card details, you’ll be sent a confirmation voucher which is to be presented to the rental desk on arrival at the airport.
After contacting the rental company at the airport and confirming your details, you’ll be given the car keys and detailed instructions on how to get to the car. The rental vehicle will be parked in one of the parking lots reserved for car rental companies, either a short walk or shuttle ride from the terminal. Stansted Airport is located at Junction 8 of the M11, which connects to London via the M25 (Junction 27). The journey to central London takes around 60 to 80 minutes.
At the end of your rental period, drop the car off at the rental returns office, located in the short stay car park, next to Zone G, just a short walk away from the main terminal building at Stansted Airport. A friendly representative will receive the keys and check the vehicle’s condition before unblocking the safety deposit from your credit card.
It is also possible to drop the car off at a different airport or even at a city location, but this may incur extra charges. You will be advised of any applicable surcharges before your booking is confirmed. Likewise car hire, it is also the best way to pre-book book Stansted Airport parking online. By using one of the reputed online Stansted parking companies you will benefit from attractively priced parking rates. Another very convenient online service gives you the option to book Stansted airport lounges in advance. Best price UK airport lounges The website is specialised in finding cheaply priced airport lounges across the UK.
Does a getaway to Doncaster, England sound like your cup of tea? Consider hiring a car to bring a bit of peace to your trip. Doncaster, England (affectionately called Donnie) is a large borough in South Yorkshire. It boasts a new international airport, making Doncaster a pivotal focus point in European travel. Car hires are available at the Doncaster Airport, making the luxury of your own vehicle while on holiday very simple.
Doncaster is home to many attractions and events. One of the most popular is the Doncaster Cup. It is the oldest horserace still in existence today. Many of today?s celebrated horseraces began in Doncaster.
Doncaster is considered a very wealthy area, beautifully maintained properties and large, rolling estates. Some of the more beautiful mansions are the Mansion House, the Hickleton Hall, and Cantley Manor.
Doncaster is also home to a woman?s football team. The Doncaster Rover?s Belles are one of greatest teams to have played women?s football. Doncaster also is home to professional men?s football, American style football, and rugby teams.
Doncaster?s motorways provide easy, quick access to London, Liverpool, and Manchester. Just outside of Doncaster, you find Conisbrough Castle. This beautifully unique castle was redone in the early 1990?s, keeping with the initial structural design. Take your time and explore. Have a beautiful picnic lunch on the castle grounds. All possible without a hurried pace with your own hired car.
Once your have had your fill of Conisbrough Castle, London is only an hour and a half away by motorway. London, England is one of the most visited cities in England. About two hours drive from London is the mystical Stonehenge. Worth every minute of the trip to see, this ancient ruin is believed to have been built around 2500 B.C. It has always been considered a sacred burial site and most who visit will swear it is haunted. However, the burial sites unearthed around Stonehenge led credibility to its use as a pilgrimage site. Many bones uncovered were deformed or had some sort of trauma. This is one site you will not want to miss.
Once again inside London, music lovers will not want to miss Abbey Road. This legendary street shown on the cover of a Beatles album is often full of foot traffic as fans walk in the same places as the Beatles years ago. Abbey Road Studios recorded many of the Beatles? hits and other well known acts. Beatle fans must see this wonderful area of London!
Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and the London Bridge are all within easy driving distance from anywhere within the city.
No matter if your time is spent in Doncaster or London, or in between, you are sure to enjoy your holiday with a hired car. No one else?s schedule to follow and you are your own tour guide!
London, the UK’s buzzing capital of culture, fashion and commerce is one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations and it’s easy to see why. You may think you know the ins and outs of London but car hire will change your mind. Hiring a car in London not only allows you to escape crowded Tube stations and packed double-deckers, it also gives you the option of exploring a number of other lively and historic cities on day-trip excursions. Whether you choose to discover the charms of Shakespeare’s Stratford Upon Avon or Jane Austen’s Bath, you’ll find car hire allows you to enjoy London and its beautiful surrounding cities at a pace that suits you. The following is a guide to the best sights of London and beyond.
London City Airport Mini Guide:
London City Airport is situated 16km from the city’s West End district. The airport is an important base for a number of international airlines including British Airways, Air France, VLM Airlines and budget carrier CityJet.
Things To See/Do in London:
With so many of its attractions famous the world-over it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what you want to see and do first in London, especially if you haven’t got much time. Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Cathedral and Big Ben are all guaranteed to top the list of camera toting tourists. Meanwhile, excellent museums like The Tate and British Museum vie for your undivided attention too. A hire car allows you to explore every option open to you- glitzy West End Musicals, ancient World Heritage sites, country manors and trendy shopping streets-the choice is yours!
Eating Out in London:
London is a truly multicultural city, where it’s possible to sample food from just about anywhere in the world. Whether you’re craving spicy fare from the far flung reaches of Southeast Asia, authentic Italian pizza and pasta, elegant French cuisine or good old-fashioned pub grub, you’ll always find something to silence hunger pangs in London. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, it’s worth sampling local London specialities such as pie and mash, jellied eels and meat pies. Meanwhile, the full English breakfast (Fried bacon, sausages, fried bread, fried egg, baked beans, black pudding and fried tomato) is the perfect fuel for a day of sightseeing around London.
Day Trips/Events in London:
London is an excellent base from which to explore some of England’s most scenic locations. Worthy day trips include the Georgian city of Bath, the setting for countless period dramas. Brighton, the cheeky Victorian seaside town is another easy excursion, while the world-famous university cities of Oxford and Cambridge are also within a short driving distance from London city centre.
The locals of London love to have a good time. Fortunately, with an events calendar teeming with sporting events and colourful festivals they have an events calendar that provides plenty of excuses. Calendar highlights include June/July’s Wimbledon Championships, March’s London/Cambridge Boat Race, May’s Chelsea Flower Show, August’s Notting Hill Carnival and September’s Thames Festival.
Stansted airport is currently the fourth busiest in the country, although if the proposed development plans go ahead it is likely that this position will be improved. Any development is likely to include an expansion of accompanying services such as shops, car hire desks, and eateries as these are all an efficient method for Stansted Airport to earn extra revenue.
The expansion of the site however is not without its critics, as Stansted Airport sits in one of the most beautiful rural settings anywhere within the UK, local residents are understandably up in arms over these development plans. Currently the site handles around twenty million passengers annually, making it one of the major airports in Britain, but what is the history of the site, what has been involved in the development Stansted?
Stansted Airport takes its name from the nearby town of Stansted Mountfitchet, a sleepy Essex town that sits on the border with Hertfordshire. The site was earmarked for development at the outset of the Second World War although instead of a major RAF presence, the USAAF were the predominant force in building the site up. The engineers of the USAAF laid the runways and put in place a number of hangars. The purpose of the airfield was to house bombers of the 344th bombardment group.
As the home of the 344th, a squadron that utilised the massive B26 bomber a number of sorties were flown to sites on the continent including France, Germany and the Netherlands. Stansted played a particularly important role during the Normandy landings, bombing bridges and strategic positions behind the German lines to hold up their withdrawal. An action worthy of note was the role played by the 344th in restricting the German retreat through the Falaise Gap, a pivotal moment during the war.
Stansted airport especially benefited from the growth in budget air travel during the eighties and nineties due to the fact that the rates it offered airlines were cheaper than those at Heathrow or Gatwick. It is not however purely budget travel that is catered for at the site, in recent years the prestigious department store Harrods has started operating flights from Stansted; allowing passengers to charter a private jet to almost anywhere in the world.
This service is accompanied by the opportunity to utilise helicopter transfers from London as well as chauffeur driven car hire services. The Harrods operations however are only a small part of the operations of the site, with so many passengers passing through daily, a number of services offering coach travel, rail and car hire provisions have been built up to accommodate the needs of passengers heading out on an onward journey.
The road links that service Stansted Airport are fantastic, in the past few years a major link has been constructed to the M11 Motorway providing fast and efficient travel not only to London but to destinations all around the country. For those utilising car hire services however there is another option before jumping onto the motorway, this is to tour the wondrous countryside that surrounds the site. With a wealth of quant and picturesque villages and towns literally five minutes drive away; those who want to experience the real England will find an attractive travel proposition.
While the arguments over the expansion of the site may be continuing it is likely that Stansted will receive a second runway and will subsequently increase its passenger numbers. This can only be good for the auxiliary services such as car hire desks, restaurants and shops as revenues will subsequently increase. The history of the site is rich, in the coming years it is likely that this development will only continue.
How can you get in and out of one of the most exciting cities on Earth easily? Heathrow is a sprawling and unpleasant airport. Immigration from outside the EU can be a chore. The London transport system can be expensive. Here are a few tips to make the going easier:
Let’s start on the way in. You’ve collected your bags from the carousel, got through immigration and made it into arrivals.
There are various transport options to central London; tube, black cab, mini cab, bus and train.
1. The London Underground, ‘the tube’, is the cheapest, but it can take an hour and a half if your destination at the other side of London. The tube has to stop at every station on its route. It can be crowded. It’s great for short trips, or for commuting to work. For beginning or ending a holiday, it’s wearisome.
2. Black cabs: Black cabs are also very good for short journeys; they are spacious, clean, and the drivers are professionals. They pay a lot of money for their licence, and are tested on their knowledge of London. They can be very expensive. A fee of $120 to get into central London would not be unusual, if the traffic is bad. The meter is running even when you’re stopped.
3. Mini cabs: These guys charge flat-fee fares, so it’s worth finding a few mini cab companies near Heathrow on the internet, and see if you can get someone to meet you in arrivals. They have to be booked in advance. You can’t book them from the airport on the day, as getting into Heathrow and finding you can be a nightmare. Sometimes the customer may not show up, so it’s not worth their time.
4. Bus: I’m not sure I’d use these at all. Being stuck in a traffic jam, in a bus, on a long journey, with the clock ticking is my definition of Purgatory. They’re good for short hops or before the rush hour or late at night. Cheap as chips, but you pay for it in other ways.
5. The train: This is my favourite. There are two train services from Heathrow; Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect. The first takes fifteen minutes to Paddington, the second about half an hour. Both go to and from Paddington, which is a major terminus in the centre of London. Both are clean, and much faster than the tube. Spend a little more money, and be sure of getting where you want to go on time.
On the way back home, when you board the Heathrow Express in Paddington, you are fifteen minutes from Heathrow. The tube by contrast could take an hour or more. No contest, when you’re fretting about getting checked-in on time!
It’s worth considering whether you can fit all your luggage into one small case, which you can take on board as hand luggage. This means you can leave it until relatively late to check in. (Due to the new security measures, however, you can’t cut it too fine; the queues at departure can be quite long.) Coupled with taking a train to the airport, this can make your journey a lot more pleasant. Plus you don’t have to worry about your luggage going missing!
Niccolo Svengali is the webmaster of travel, hotel and education web sites in Palermo, Sicily.
Either you arrive or depart form airport. You need any transport to reach airport or to reach your destination from airport. You may find it difficult to reach in time because of traffic and also because you do not have any vehicle. Additionally, some other problems are involved like the difficulties you face in that vehicle, you will have to adjust because of more people, you will have to take care of your luggage etc. In a nut shell, it is full of hassles. But, you can get rid of these hassles by availing airport shuttle services.
Airport shuttle services provide you a luxurious travel to and from airport. Airport shuttle between London and Gatwick gets you hassle free and comfortable transport. You have to book shuttle in advance according to the number of people you are as well as according to the kind of shuttle you can afford. You can find number of websites offering airport shuttle services. As soon as you apply for availing this service you are asked to give some details like how many people you are? From where to where you need this service? How you will pay the money? What time you want the driver to be there? After knowing all these things they provide you letter that you have booked a shuttle and the same letter you have to show when you find driver.
Driver comes at the place where you ask him to come and on airport driver waits for you with a sign holding in his hand (sign on which your name is written) so, that you can easily find the driver. These shuttles are drove on bus where they find less traffic and take you there within less time. You can enjoy reaching there as you are in your personal car. Talking and enjoying in the shuttle you do not come to know how the time passed and you have reached your destination. You do not have to take care of your luggage especially because in private transport you may find some pick pockets. If you are planning to visit Gatwick or London, book Airport shuttle between London and Gatwick.
London is a wonderful destination that is well worth exploring with car hire. Renting a car in London allows you to break out of the city and experience all that is unique. Whether you’re visiting London on a flying visit or you’re in for a longer stay, let car hire take you to your destination. Whatever way you plan to spend your time in London, you can be guaranteed a memorable travel adventure. Once you’ve picked up your car from Luton Airport, you’re free to discover the charms of the city and the surrounding countryside. The following is a handy guide to how best to spend your time in London.
Luton Mini Guide:
London’s Luton Airport is located 51 km outside of Central London. Luton Airport offers a number of services and facilities including: banks, ATMs, cafés, bars and restaurants. The airport is signposted on major routes including the M1, M25 and A1.
Things To See/Do in Luton-London
Luton is a large town located in the south of England. Aside from the airport, Luton is perhaps most famous today for being the home of Luton Town Football Club, who play in the Coca-Cola Football League Championship. The club’s biggest success to date was winning the League Cup in 1988. The team’s nickname, “the hatters” comes from Luton’s flourishing millinery industry in the nineteenth century.
The town is also famous for Luton Carnival, which is held in May each year. The multicultural event has become the largest one-day carnival in Europe, with crowds of over 150, 000 on each occasion.
Luton’s surrounding countryside has plenty on offer for those craving fresh air and wide-open spaces. Why not leave Luton behind and make a car hire journey to the nearby Whipsnade Wildlife Park and Zoo? The Wildlife Park and Zoo is home to over 2,500 animals and is one of the biggest conservation parks in Europe.
Active thrill-seekers may like to stop off at Dunstable Downs, (which forms part of the Chiltern Hills) for a spot of hang gliding or paragliding.
If that’s not exciting enough, don’t forget London city is never far away, offering superb shopping on Bond Street and Oxford Street, world-class theatre shows in the West End and of course museums, galleries and iconic features like Big Ben, London Bridge and Buckingham Palace.
Eating Out/Nightlife/Accommodation in Luton-London:
Eating out in Luton is cheap, given the town’s growing population of budget conscious students. The town offers a range of eateries to suit all palates and budgets, including cosy gastro-pubs, sleek international restaurants and cheap cafés. The Bury Park area caters especially to Asian tastes. For a special night out it’s well worth heading into London to its vast selection of trendy clubs and nightspots.
It’s easy to find accommodation in Luton to fit every budget and requirement. Thrifty travellers can rest easy at The Red Lion Lodge Hotel, situated on Castle Street. The hotel deals in cheap room rates starting at £45 for a double room. Leaside Hotel & Restaurant is another budget option-special offers include family room rates priced at £80 a night.
