Must Be Getting Close

[Pompeyalbie]

Had the email from the owners of the apartment to say the balance was due. We're not staying in town this time but are over the bay in Kisla. Just trying to tie up the directions on how to find the apartment withnGoogle Earth & I think I know where I'm heading this time. Car hire this time is with Rent a Car Dalaman Airport, not tried them before but seem very competitive & reviews seem ok. Next stop is getting the visas sorted out. We usually get a taxi to Gatwick but someone recommended Purple Hotel & Parking which works out quite favourable even if I have to drive myself.Get up at 02:30 a be driven up or drive up the day before & get up at 04:00 then drive to APH & drive home when we get back. Decisions, decisions.
Roll on 8th May, even if the harbour is a building site as long as Fener are open as we rarely eat down in the harbour at night.

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=12621.0

[Blue Lizard]

Have you thought about meet and greet parking?? it's cheaper no buses to catch and you drop your car outside the airport terminal!!(North terminal is outside Sofitel hotel 100 yards away) they phone you/you phone them when you are 20 mins away from airport and they meet you at airport..check your car over and take it away ..on return you phone them while you are in luggage reclaim and they are outside with your car when you arrive..we have used this for several years now
www.looking4parking.com        enter airport/dates/click onto meet and greet   look for one with barriers/24 hour manned/floodlighting (icons at bottom) we have used ABC and currently use JVP..both excellent...I have no other connection with these just a happy customer

[Pompeyalbie]

I used to drive up and park at APH but it meant leaving at silly o'clock for a 07:25 flight,Janet likes to be there for an early check in.Unfortunately by the time we get to Kalkan it's been at 14 hour day travelling. We then tried using a taxi to get from home to Gatwick & back but the price has been climbing over the last few years so it's a case of deciding whether to drive or not is worth the difference in prices. Now someone has suggested driving up the night before & staying in a hotel but that just gains me a couple of hours sleep.

[Chris_S]

Personally, I prefer the previous night in the on-site hotel the night before an early flight.  Gain a couple of hours sleep, but the upside is the stress-reducing arrival at LGW (no worrying about traffic jams/accidents) because of the in-built time buffer.  PLUS, the holiday really starts the night before - few drinks, no breathalyser, etc, etc.

As for the meet and greet aspects, this year we'll be using the Valet parking at Gatwick (http://www.gatwickairport.com/parking/valet/).  Recommended by friends, no waiting, no phone calls and so on.  And your car's not parked 15 miles away in a field.

[BarbH]

We have been using the valet parking at Gatwick South terminal for the past 3 years. Have been very pleased with the service. Drop the car off, hand in  the keys and walk 2 mins into check in area. On return car is waiting for you so you can be away within minutes.

[The Engineer]

We have tried drive & park (expensive) and stay overnight at the airport but have now come up with a really good solution. We get the train! we are in Southampton on the south coast and it takes just over 2 hours. With our "old git's card" it only costs around£20 return and it means we can both partake in a little alcohol. Obviously we choose a flight that fits in with train times usually around lunch time. This would be a good solution from Portsmouth Pompeyalbie as it is on the way.

M

[Blue Lizard]

 We stayed a couple of times at airport hotels including parking but found we were excited about "being on holiday already" and spent longer In the bar than we perhaps should have when we had to be up at silly o'clock
Looking at the delays on the news this morning caused by signal failure at Fratton(p/mouth) I would rather pin my hopes on arriving by donkey

[kalkan4eva]

We've always used an airport transfer company for getting to Manchester but last year decided to get the meet and greet service as our usual company had no availability. We booked with Purple Parking and we were met at the airport no problem going out but coming back at 2am there was a wait of 40 mins and the car was filthy when it arrived. Mr Chatty was giving us stories about Sahara winds whilst BH tried to check it over through its dust covering. He signed, mostly so we could get away because we were tired, but wrote on the form that it was impossible to see if there was any damage because the car was so dirty (we did not leave it with them in that state). I know you are all collectively taking a sharp intake of breath...yes you guessed it the next day when the car was clean (plus it was daylight..) there were some serious deep scratches on the bodywork. Because we had driven the car away we lost our right to challenge them  If your car comes back dirty, you can insist that it is washed so you can check it over...apparently....yeah who's going to do that at 3am when you are tired and already been waiting a while for your car? We tend to think they knew about the damage, hence the layer of thick dust all over the car and Mr Chatty trying to distract us - or perhaps it was just coincidence? We know loads of people who swear by the meet and greet service, but can I just say please thoroughly check your car over on return - and DO ask for it to be cleaned if necessary and check for damage before you drive it away....no matter how tired you are. It would have saved us £500 if we had...

[Babs]

We've used meet and greet at Gatwick and it's been fine......cheaper than Gatwick valet parking and no damage to our car.......so far! 

[Chris_S]

We've used various Meet and Greets at Gatwick, sometimes with a deal and a hotel stay - no real problems.

It's the phoning up when you're 20 minutes from Gatwick (anyone like to guess where that is, exactly?) to have it collected, and then hanging about at god knows when waiting expectantly for your car to turn up in a maelstrom of taxis, pickups, buses and so on.  When it does arrive, you can be badgered by some official because you've been there more than 25 seconds...

As for the train - fine if it's direct, a nightmare if you have to go across London with cases at ridiculous-o'clock, assuming there's even a train at that hour and it's not a bus service.  All made worse by Turkey flights forcing you into travelling at hours when sensible people should be doing something else (gotta keep the Torremolinos people happy, haven't we?)

Whatever happened to service and keeping it simple?

[marazul]

This might be too late for you but we use the Valet Parking at Gatwick. You just drop you car at the Valeting service and collect the car at the same place on our return. Plus you get priority security meaning that you don't have to cue! Prices are very reasonable.

[BarbH]

Prices have soared this year for the valet parking at Gatwick south terinal.  Booked ours this week and paid £146 compared to just under £100 last year..last week it was even higher £158. This is for  15 days in June.

I know there are cheaper options but like chris says  there is all the waiting. This one you walk from the terminal 2 minutes and pick the keys up from the office and car is  nearby waiting..