We drive an old car. Why does that matter?, I hear you all ask.
Normally speaking, it doesn’t to most. But when there are no regional airport options for your flights, then London Heathrow is often the solution. That in itself is fine. But… and this is quite an expensive ‘but’. In all his wisdom, the Mayor of London designated the busiest international airport in Europe a clean-air, Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ). This means that just for the privilege of driving to the airport we have to pay a premium of £12.50 per day. Seems odd when it’s an ocean of aviation fuel fumes, but what do we know?
Nowadays, we actively look for solutions that fall outside the ULEZ zone. This is so that we don’t have to pay the additional fees in excess of the cost of airport parking and hotels. This is often easier said than done! Very few of the options are outside of the ULEZ zone. It also pretty much rules out any ‘Meet and Greet’ options too.
Park and Ride
However, the last time we went, we were lucky to find a park and ride option through Airport Parking and Hotels (APH). It involved driving to the Holiday Inn Express T5, just off junction 5 of the M4 and using Maple Parking on Bath Road. Both of these are OUTSIDE the ULEZ zone. That’s at least £25 saved from the outset.
The hotel was actually very good, with comfortable, clean rooms. There was a lively bar and a couple of eating choices on site. The staff were excellent, and it is probably one of the most convenient hotels for getting to that car park without venturing into the London money-sponge.
Convenience and Efficiency
Maple Park and Ride parking is situated just a stone’s throw away from Terminal 5. The frequent shuttle buses made it an absolute breeze for getting to and from the terminal. When you arrive at the car park, photos are automatically taken of your car and then you leave the vehicle in the drop-off area. You then hand your keys in at reception. When we arrived back, the car was ready and waiting for us to drive away. It was really well organised, the information and communication was second-to-none and it saved us a significant amount of money. We used that to buy a couple of extra drinks while away.
For all of you who still drive your old non-compliant cars, there is still a way to park while you’re on holiday without having to fork out for the extra charges. And it’s a very good value, excellent arrangement. We’d thoroughly recommend whether or not ULEZ is an issue for you.
For more information and to see what options are on offer, go to Airport Parking and Hotels (APH).
