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VIP Treatment at Manchester Airport

 Air Travel  No Responses »
Oct 012010
 

VIP Treatment at Manchester AirportBefore Flying Out of Manchester Airport

Because I travel through airports quite a lot, I sometimes try to vary things a little. For example, I try to experience new things at some airports, and this is exactly what I did at Manchester airport a few months ago.

I wanted to stay at an airport hotel the night before I flew out, I’d seen plenty of hotels in and around Manchester airport but I had one in mind especially. The Radisson Blu Hotel at Manchester airport is located in the actual terminal building and was a short walk to my check in desk.

On arrival at the hotel I checked in late afternoon and was promptly taken to my room. the room was quite spacious and had a great view overlooking the airport itself. I was a bit concerned about airport noise but was assured that the hotel was well insulated for sound. I took a very quick walk around parts of the airport (very quick because I’d seen it loads of times before), I was really looking for anything new such as shops or bars etc..

The food served at dinner time was fantastic, and I really enjoyed my meal knowing that I had no need to rush at all, it really left me feeling very relaxed. I spent the next few hours in the bar enjoying a few drinks and chatting to fellow travelers.

I would give a big recommendation to anybody wanting to stay at this hotel, it really is great and definitely puts you in the right mood for relaxing before flying out. It cost me less than £100 for the room, including dinner, which I though was good value given the standard of the hotel itself.

Another thing I tried whilst at Manchester airport was a VIP airport lounge , not on the same trip though. I used a company called Servisair through the usual website I use to book my flight extras. It cost me £17.50, and I have to say it would have been cheap at twice the price. On entering the lounge I was greeted with an array of snacks and drinks (alcoholic and soft) as well as comfortable seating arrangement which made you not want to get out of your seat.

I was able to connect to the internet through WiFi and read all the days newspapers in total peace and quiet. I spent about 2 1/2 hours in the lounge which again made me feel totally relaxed.

Again I would say to anybody you need to try a VIP lounge at any airport, I think I’ll use them a lot more myself now.

Skiing in Courchevel 1850

 Europe  No Responses »
Oct 012010
 

Courchevel 1850

Following my recent post about the affluence in Monaco, I though I’d write a quick article about Courchevel 1850, which is the wintersport equivalent of Monaco.

My wife and I went to Courchevel in 2008, and it was an experience we will never forget. When we arrived at the Geneva airport, it was snowing, and the taxi up to 1850 was absolutely terrifying because of the mass of falling snow. Sitting in a taxi with no snow chains and goingvery high up a narrow steep road was not one of my favorite moments.

Needless to say, we arrived at our hotel, Hotel Des Trois Vallees, an absolutely immaculate hotel which catered to all of our needs and more. I really can’t praise this hotel enough; the staff were perfection itself and the food was to die for! It was a ski-in ski-out hotel situated right in the heart of 1850.

Courchevel 1850 is part of the 3 Vallees, which has unrivaled skiing opportunities for all skill levels. We had a 3 Vallees pass and during the week that we used to its full potential, skiing as far as Val Thorens. Whilst we were there the weather was great: it seemed to snow slightly at night and was sunny every day. I actually skied in my t-shirt one afternoon.

The amount of skiing available can be a bit daunting, but I would suggest that you plan to get to one resort per day and just take your time to enjoy the cafes and restaurants on the mountain. We also took a picnic up one day and just stopped off piste, which was brilliant.

Courchevel 1850 has a reputation for being expensive, and it’s a reputation well earned. Everything is expensive and caters to the richer among us, from the  stupidly priced restaurants right down to a bottle of coke.

If you like to do a bit of celebrity spotting whilst you ski then definitely go to Courchevel. We ended up chatting to Lee Dixon (ex Arsenal player) in Le Bar Jump one day, and apparently the Beckhams were in town, but we never saw them.

Courchevel 1850 is a definite ‘must see’ which rivals Monaco for sheer opulence and rich people. If you would like to ski Courchevel 1850 then you can do it on a budget by not actually staying in 1850, and just visiting it, as long as you have a 3 Vallees ski pass. A good place to do this from is Le Praz, a small village further down the mountain that is much cheaper.

We flew from Leeds Bradford Airport with Jet2 and got our Leeds Bradford airport parking and ski insurance from UK Airport Car Parks, the usual place we get these things from.

Airport Lounges at Heathrow Airport

 Air Travel  No Responses »
Oct 012010
 

Airport Lounges at Heathrow AirportVIP Lounges at Heathrow Airport

I’d heard lots about VIP airport lounges from friends and family but never had the chance to use one myself, Recently when flying I decided to use one called Servisair Lounge Heathrow airport.

So what can I say about airport lounges at Heathrow airport? Well I just wish I’d used them before because they are just fantastic. When I entered the lounge I was greeted with the sight of a beautiful private lounge area which was very quiet and had a view over the airport, almost immediately I felt totally relaxed. It’s quite amazing to think that two minutes in a lounge can make you feel relaxed, but it’s true it was away from the noise of the airport and I truly felt like I was in a totally different place.

I made my way over to a comfortable lounge chair overlooking the airport, it was like a private secluded part of the lounge set up just for me. After getting settled down I went over to the bar to get myself a drink. I chose to get a beer but you could choose from many kind of drinks, all types of alcoholic drinks (except champagne) to all types of juices and fizzy drinks. I then chose a couple of newspapers to read and plenty of snacks such as crisps and nuts and made my way back to my own private area.

I spent a very relaxing hour reading my newspapers and having a drink and something to eat. I still had a couple of hours left, in fact I felt so relaxed I could have had a quick sleep! Instead I got myself another drink and spent a bit of time just sitting down watching planes taking off and landing. The time passed really quickly and before I knew it my flight was being announced.

Spending time in an airport lounge is time very well spent, I can safely say that I will always use an airport lounge when flying in future because for around £17 it really is worth every penny.

There are many reasons for this but by far the main one is the feeling of real relaxation, it really does get you ready for flying.

I used a Servisair lounge at Heathrow airport but there a plenty of other lounges to choose from, I would suggest trying them all!

I booked online with UK Airport Car Parks, the usual place I use. Go to airport lounges and try an airport lounge out for yourself.

Hong Kong – Wow!

 Asia  No Responses »
Oct 012010
 

Hong Kong – A Great Place to Live or Visit.

My wife and I were fortunate to visit Hong Kong last year. It’s a place we always wanted to visit because we had heard so much about it, and let me tell you, it did not let us down.

First, when you arrive at Hong Kong airport you are instantly impressed by the size of the place, and to think it was built on reclaimed land from the sea. If you get a chance, you need to see the koi pond at the airport, which is reputed to hold a very large koi carp.

We stayed at the Harbour Grand hotel, which is out of this world for service, accommodation and grandeur. We decided to take the MTR to get around for a few days; if you think London underground is chaotic and busy, try this at rush hour!

We first visited “The Peak” on Hong Kong island, taking the Peak tram, which gives you great views of the island. You’re never very far away from a shop in Hong Kong, and the Peak is no different; you can shop, eat at some great restaurants or just be amazed by the spectacular views. If you go to Hong Kong, you definitely need to see the views from the Peak.

We spent a few days in the Central and Wan Chai areas just shopping and taking in the number of skyscrapers. The pavements in Hong Kong just didn’t seem to be big enough to me because of the volume of people using them. The Wan Chai area of Hong Kong is apparently known as a bit of a red light area. (I can’t comment on this because we only really saw it at daytime.) The Central area is known as the business area of the island. There are so many different kinds of shops to look in, from high end designer shops to shops selling snake skin and various other types of Chinese medicines.

Hong Kong is definitely a shopping mecca, but there are also some nice beaches and coves (although you do have to travel a bit to get to them). There are also some very nice islands. We visited Lantau island, which was a nice change to the hectic atmosphere of the main island.

One more thing before I finish: you definitely need to take a walk around Hong Kong at night – it seems to change totally. There are still loads and loads of people walking around, and the massive amount of neon lights almost make it seem like daytime. You’ll also find some of the great night markets which sell anything from traditional Chinese goods to cds and food. Speaking of food, there are some really interesting street side vendors selling traditional Chinese food. I think you need to be a bit careful when eating from some of these, because they may be very spicy, and some can cause you to stay in your hotel room for a good few hours, if you know what I mean!

We booked a flight with British Airways, which was a bit expensive; apparently Lufthansa’s are quite cheap, but I’m not sure if they fly to Hong Kong through a UK airport.

Booked Heathrow airport parking with UK Airport Car Parking.