Real life sucks. Just when one thing seems sorted another knocks you sideways instead. Gah. Slowly g...
Real life sucks. Just when one thing seems sorted another knocks you sideways instead. Gah. Slowly getting back to grips on here but can they please stop changing things?
Member since:25.06.2003
Reviews:257
Members who trust:60
So as previously mentioned I recently flew to Scotland from Gatwick airport, living where I do I didn't want to be trying to get a train as getting to a train station is tricky and I don't want to be using taxis given how much it can cost to travel 80 miles even when one is prebooked.
So knowing I was flying from Gatwick I used the Gatwick airport website to compare the prices of the nearby carparks, it came up with Park Plus as the cheapest by quite a considerable amount for the time period I was looking at. With a 4am drop off on Friday morning and 4pm latest pick up time on Sunday it cost me £18.60.
Arriving
at Gatwick airport you need to follow the directions to the South Terminal and the Long Term Parking, from here you enter the car parks, there are several but Park Plus was one of the first on the left and is clearly signposted. To enter the initial courtyard you are stopped at a barrier, they have number plate recognition so as long as it was correctly input on the booking page you will be let through, then directed to a lane. Make sure you take your luggage with you as once you leave your car you wont be returning to it. So head to the front of the lane area to the glass fronted boxlike building which is the office. Here you give the person behind the counter your booking reference and car keys, in return ou get a yellow slip with another reference number and instructions for collecting your car.
This is a simple enough process but can be time consuming if as I was you arrive at the same time as alot of other people (I was queuing for almost 20minutes), once this is done there are bus' running every 10 minutes or more between the car park and the Terminals, make sure you get on the bus to the right terminal, they will drop you off between the two doors of the South Terminal, there is a person on the bus who will let you know which is the best one to use for your flight carrier.
The other thing to note is that the website gives you an address and postcode, don't put these in to a sat nav as they won't get you to the car park!
On ariving back at the airport after your trip you have to find your way back to the bus drop off point, this is also simple, follow the exit, bus and taxi signs, then look for the pillars painted with the Park Plus livery, a bus will pull up shortly (still running at least one every 10 minutes). Board and it will take you back to the glassfronted boxlike office.
Going in again queue, and over the slip they gave you at departure and they will find you our car keys, with directions to the bay in which it is parked waiting for you to collect it (eg mine was Bay 135 so I was directed to go out turn right, cross the road and it would be in the area behind bus stop 11), and another yellow slip, this one you hand to the man at the exit gate to prove that you have paid and are in the right car.
But some people didn't get instructions just there's your key's and away you go, so make sure to ask the person you're dealing with. Obviously this time the queue could be long or not depends how many people were on flights arriving about the same time and how many people are dropping off as there is no separation of the two queues.
My experience was that there was very little queue and my keys were found quickly, but obviously this could take longer on busy occasions.
The other thing to note is that you should check the car for any damage as once you have left the compound it will be almost impossible to prove it was done in their care, also don't leave any valuables in the car as you are handing over the keys to what are essentially strangers so your insurance won't cover it if anything goes missing.
As for getting out of the airport complex, this is where I struggled, there are reasonably clear signs but it seemed slightly odd that the route takes you down the one way street outside the Hilton Hotel, but that could just have been me being stupid (it was a long weekend for my poor brain). Once back on the main roads it is easy to follow the signs back on to the motorways.
And its car parking for the confused because I was the fool who followed the address from the website not the directions (found those while I was writing this) and then couldn't follow the signs out of the airport!
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NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Record Rent a Car is present in the main spanish airports and has a very wide fleet. We offer: exceptional discounts, free additional drivers,
unlimited mileage... subscribe to our Club Record and take advantage of special offers.
Advantages: Good value for money if they had bothered to provide a decent service Disadvantages: Poor service, late, abnoxious, damaged mechanics of car, used a lot of mileage
Apr 9th, 2007
very helpful by (100%):
