Horse Riding Holidays

When the summer starts we try to find new adventures and one of the most exciting adventures is horse riding in the sun.

Enjoy Fabulous Riding Holidays in Andalucia, Spain.  Ride the ancient mule tracks among the olive groves in the Sierras, explore the natural parks or take the trails overlooking the sparkling blue seas while riding well trained Spanish horses.

Horse riding holidays in France vary enormously, but all will show you the real essence of France. The country is the largest in Western Europe and has a huge diversity of landscapes, cultures and climates waiting to be discovered.

All agents will work closely with you to check both your ability and aspirations in order to match your groups riding abilities as well as selecting your perfect mount for your riding holiday.  Personal attention all week, with dedicated airport transfers, welcome meeting and evening meal with drinks and much more.

All our accommodation choices are within a very short walk of the beaches & old town. No driving needed!

Below is an example of a recent hotel stay in Spain. There are other options on offer including Villas to rent and Farmhouse Rooms. All prices are excluding flights.

Hotel Arrayanes Playa.

A well situated three star hotel just along the paseo heading towards Cotobro - right on the front with superb views overlooking the sea and just a 15 min stroll into the heart of the old town either along the promenade or beach.
Lovely swimming pool & sun terraces, with fantastic views across the bay to the Peñon and the Castillo de San Miguel.  In the evenings the pool side ambiance gets more intimate, ideal for drinks with friends or just chilling out in the warm evenings, watching the fishing boats working under the stars.
Friendly 24 hour reception with 33 spacious comfortable double rooms plus triple and family (4px) rooms.  Air conditioning is standard, as well as satellite TV, phones and fully fitted on suite bathrooms with hairdryers.
Restaurant with a great selection of Mediterranean dishes with international touches and also paellas and other local rice dishes as well as fresh fish.  In addition the restaurant offers a bar, an outdoor barbecue and a terrace with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean where you can enjoy cocktails or a wonderful meal.
Optional full laundry & ironing service, nice cafeteria and TV lounge.  Some rooms adapted for physically impaired guests.
Prices starts from £700 -£1125
Available at: riding-holidays-in-spain.com
Casa Delfin –fantastic casa for 2-6px with super view.
Prices from £700-£1145
Available at : riding-holiday-in-spain.com
Los Laureles Rooms -2-3px, breakfast included.
Prices starts from £700-£1185
Available at : riding-holidays-in-spain.com

French Riding Holidays

If you are travelling from elsewhere in Europe then France will be almost on your doorstep and you will be spoilt for choice with many airlines, including the low cost budget carriers, competing for your custom.

Ride along the trails of past Kings. Starting at Blois we visit its superb castle before discovering the castles of Chaumont sur Loire, the residence of Catherine of Medici, of Chenonceau, called the castle of the Ladies, of Cheverny at the start of the Sologne region, and of Chambord, the most immense of them all. You will overnight one night in the castle of Chemery. This castle, dating from the 12th century, has a medieval atmosphere, and there you will enjoy a candlelit dinner washed down with wines from the Loire Valley. Along with faster than average riding on fit Anglos Arab horses, this is a journey of discovery not to be missed.

Prices starts from £1295 pp -8days/6days riding excluding flights.
Available at:unicorntrails.com

If you are travelling with lots of kit and you are flying from Gatwick Airport, why not try Valet Parking. Have your car picked up right outside the airport terminal and delivered to you on your return.

If you want to guarantee catching your flight then an overnight stay before you fly is a great idea. Park, sleep and fly packages are available at all Gatwick Hotels and all at reasonable prices.

Airport Valet Parking

Meeting and Greeting your airport parking provider.

There are many articles written on the advantages of Airport Valet Parking or Airport Meet and Greet Parking which are the same only different in name.

There is no doubt that the companies offering a meet and greet parking service at the UK's major airports carry a distinct advantage over their park and ride competitors. Any service that offers the modern traveller a reduction in their travelling time will undoubtedly secure their custom. Meet and Greet parking can reduce your travelling time from door to destination by as much as an hour and in many cases by over 2 hours.

Booking Meet and Greet Parking is easy. There are many web sites that represent these companies at all the major UK airports. The major search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo will all give you results if you type in key words like Gatwick Valet Parking or Gatwick Meet and Greet Parking.

However, finding the right company to suit your needs and pocket is more difficult. Since the introduction of Valet Parking in the 80's and 90's, its popularity has grown, not only with the increase of airport passenger numbers but also taking a significant slice of the park & ride sector. This increase in demand has introduced a plethora of Valet Parking companies to the market place most of which use the search engines to advertise their wares. 

Most of these companies have been established for a number of years and have invested heavily in parking compounds which meet the criteria of local planning officers. Liveried vehicles, uniforms, police vetted staff and proper insurance cover are just some of the essential items that bona fide companies invest in every year. This costs money and is reflected in the charges made by these good companies. A good and reliable meet and greet company will charge anything between £50 and £80 for a weeks parking and £80 to £110 for 2 weeks including VAT at summer rates. These rates are pretty much set in stone if you consider all the overall costs of running a bona fide Meet and Greet Parking Company. If you were to find a company advertising rates at lower that the above guide then you will probably find they are somewhat lacking in those essential requirements of running a fit and secure operation.

These are some points you should look out for when selecting your Airport Valet Parking Company.

Make sure you know the exact location of the place your car will be stored BEFORE you make that booking. It is not enough for the web site to state 'your car will be stored in a secure compound close to the airport'. Your own insurance company will need to know this information in the event something happened. 

Make sure you have the full registered address of the company you use (not just the storage location), the company number and the VAT number which should all be displayed on the web site.

Make sure you have a landline telephone number NOT a mobile number.

Make sure your vehicle is parked reasonably close to the airport just in case you have to retrieve that teddy bear left in the car. Do not allow your vehicle to be taken miles from the airport as this will increase the road risk and reduce your petrol tank. Always ensure the mileage is recorded when passing your vehicle over.

A reliable indicator for a good company will be the length of time is has been in operation. Most companies will advertise the number of years they have been established.

Fully comprehensive road insurance is imperative. Most companies will state on their web site the Insurance Company they use for road risks.

All good companies will have uniformed staff with appropriate ID's and all of a mature age. After all, you would not expect to pass your vehicle to a boy racer!

This article has been written to throw a bit of caution your way when choosing a Valet Parking Company at a UK Airport. All too often we hear of bad press regarding airport meet and greet companies. These antics are connected directly to poorly run, newly formed companies and should not be associated with long established companies that invest strongly in their enterprises year on year.

 Written by Trevor Bryan a director and owner of an Airport Valet Parking Company established over 20 years.