I can't believe that I've put off making reservations for our vacation for so long! Normally when we're planning a trip, I'm "johnny on the spot" - picking out places to stay, lining up the car rental, etc. For this trip however, it took us literally months to come to a final conclusion about where we would go. So.......... much had been left undone until recent days. This past week we found a great deal on our car "hire" (as they say in Britain). If you are ever planning on renting a car in the UK, check out Holidayautos.co.uk. It's a division of Travelocity, sort of like "Hotwire"- in that, we picked out the car we wanted (compact, manual transmission, WITH air conditioning); we chose where we'd pick up and drop off (Heathrow Airport); and then booked it. After confirming, we found out who we'd booked with (Alamo UK). I can't begin to say how happy we were with the price - we saved between $60-100 by going with them. Of course, we'll find out the final verdict once we arrive. At any rate, the car hire looks good on paper and on the pocketbook.
For the past couple of weeks I have spent literally hours researching lodging in the general areas we want to stay. The first part of our trip will be spent "buzzing around Britain" - 13 days. The last part will be in London with David and Damian - 5 days. Thankfully, I'm not worrying about London lodging.... but the rest, well, it's honestly been a challenge. I think the biggest part of the challenge has been finding a "nice" place at this late-ish date, at a "reasonable" price. John and I both agree that we much prefer Bed and Breakfast Inns versus Hotels. I'm happy to report that B & B's are without a doubt cheaper by far than hotels in the UK - and of course they include food!! So far I have successfully lined up all but 3 nights of our first 13. John suggests that for part of the way we just "wing it" - which I would agree is a lot of fun and adventure, but on a Saturday night it MAY be hard to find just the right place to lay our heads! So, with that said, I'm thinking I'll be happy to secure lodging for that one stray Saturday night that's left, and leave those other two nights to chance.
In our previous post I mentioned the trials of packing just one suitcase per person for an international trip. We haven't actually started packing yet, but I'm already worried about the suitcase weight limit .... and how I can actually leave stuff at home so I can make room for what I might buy! This will really be a test! Some may find it strange, but when we go on holiday, I am not one who finds "shopping" as my favorite event. Yet, I really do like to bring home a few choice items - and hopefully some things for family and friends.... how EVER will I find room for it all in ONE suitcase -- with a weight limit??? Oh well, one hurdle at a time. This week's hurdle is car hire and lodging - and it's nearly complete.
For the past couple of weeks I have spent literally hours researching lodging in the general areas we want to stay. The first part of our trip will be spent "buzzing around Britain" - 13 days. The last part will be in London with David and Damian - 5 days. Thankfully, I'm not worrying about London lodging.... but the rest, well, it's honestly been a challenge. I think the biggest part of the challenge has been finding a "nice" place at this late-ish date, at a "reasonable" price. John and I both agree that we much prefer Bed and Breakfast Inns versus Hotels. I'm happy to report that B & B's are without a doubt cheaper by far than hotels in the UK - and of course they include food!! So far I have successfully lined up all but 3 nights of our first 13. John suggests that for part of the way we just "wing it" - which I would agree is a lot of fun and adventure, but on a Saturday night it MAY be hard to find just the right place to lay our heads! So, with that said, I'm thinking I'll be happy to secure lodging for that one stray Saturday night that's left, and leave those other two nights to chance.
In our previous post I mentioned the trials of packing just one suitcase per person for an international trip. We haven't actually started packing yet, but I'm already worried about the suitcase weight limit .... and how I can actually leave stuff at home so I can make room for what I might buy! This will really be a test! Some may find it strange, but when we go on holiday, I am not one who finds "shopping" as my favorite event. Yet, I really do like to bring home a few choice items - and hopefully some things for family and friends.... how EVER will I find room for it all in ONE suitcase -- with a weight limit??? Oh well, one hurdle at a time. This week's hurdle is car hire and lodging - and it's nearly complete.
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