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Hint, tips, & advice for planing a UK & Ireland holiday?

Hint, tips, & advice for planing a UK & Ireland holiday?

Old Aug 8th, 2010, 11:26 PM
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Hint, tips, & advice for planing a UK & Ireland holiday?

Slowly planning an overseas trip with 2 girlfriends for 2011 - around the July/August/September period as we want to include the Edinburgh Tattoo.

Has anyone flown Air Asia? I've heard good things, but wondered if it was too cheap and nasty??

Does anyone have any good website for travelling tips? I already use Trip Advisor to check out hotel reviews

Whats the cheapest and easiest way to contact family whilst over there? Also, what's the best way to hook up to an internet connection to check emails etc?

I'm looking at getting a little notebook (laptop) closer to the time of travel to take over there (know I need to take it on the plane and remove battery for going through check in/security etc). Any recommendations for a good notebook?? Also tips for travelling with it?

Can anyone recommend accommodation they know of that do Triple Rooms or have 3 single beds? Not fussed how cheap it is - happy to economise here!

Can't seem to find a search-able accommodation site where I can search by the number of beds per room - if you know of one that would be great!!

Have looked at Travelodge which have great prices starting at 19 pounds per night but they don't seem to have triple rooms/sleep 3 separately, so we'd need to book 2 rooms. Not sure that it makes it a cheap option necessarily!

Does anyone know any other cheap hotels/chains? I know there's a lot located in service centre places just off the highways - eg has accommodation, food, petrol stations

Money saving ideas, and tips for travelling in the UK etc would also be very much appreciated. Last time we shopped at Tesco and made packed lunches so that saved a little.

General international travel tips welcome too!!!

thanks!!!!
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Old Aug 9th, 2010, 12:57 AM
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Travelodge have Family Rooms which are the same price as the Double Rooms.

In the Family Rooms there is a large double bed, and a sofa long enough for one adult to sleep on. Under this sofa is a pull-out mattress for a smallish adult or child to sleep on. My son is 5'7" and doesn't find sleeping on this a problem.

Travelodge do not allow you to book more than 3 adults per room, but you'd get the 3 separate beds you want. You'll probably have to ask for extra bedlinen for the truckle bed as they assume 2 adults will sleep in the big bed. Only the big bed is made up but they provide extra linens and pillows for the sofa. In the bathroom they provide towels but take your own soap etc.

I've stayed at many Travelodges with my teenage children and they suit us just fine. My younger son often puts the truckle bed under the desk/dresser so that his brother doesn't roll off the sofa or tread on him if he gets up in the night! There's enough floorspace to do this.

Travelodges have Wifi as well, you ask for the log-in code at the desk and they do say there is a charge, although my daughter hasn't been charged at two Travelodges we've stayed at.

To get the cheap rates you have to book the Saver rooms which are non-refundable. Also at certain peak times - of which the Edinburgh Tattoo is one - then the rates will be higher.

They are a good budget chain. Don't expect too much and you'll be satisfied.
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Old Aug 9th, 2010, 01:52 AM
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You could Google around to locate internet cafés for the areas where you'll be going: you'd be trading the lack of worry for yet another piece of equipment against possibly lack of access to a computer in some places (and/or computers not set up the way you like).

If you do want a netbook, I'm very happy with my Samsung NC10. I've only used it on free wifi access points away from home, which may likewise be few and far between in the places you want to go, but again you will need to Google those. I believe there have been other threads about getting a plug-in dognle to connect a netbook to a mobile phone service - they all looked pricey to a cheapskate like me, but for a short one-off period they might be better value (though bear in mind even mobile access might be awkward in some rural parts).
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Old Aug 9th, 2010, 03:39 AM
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Even if you have to book 2 rooms at Travelodge, that's only £12.66 a night each. That's incredibly cheap. If you think otherwise then you might have a problem with your budget.
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Old Aug 9th, 2010, 03:45 AM
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Premier Inn is the other major budget chain - http://www.premierinn.com/en/. But please note that the headline grabbing rooms for £25 or £29 etc are special promotions with restrictions on location, date etc.

One booking website I can think of which allows you to specify more than 2 people per room is www.laterooms.com, but there's no way of knowing in advance from this if the beds will be single or double - you need to check each property individually based on the search results it returns.

Don't forget local public libraries for inexpensive (in some counties, free) internet access.
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Old Aug 9th, 2010, 03:36 PM
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We use the Travelodges in the UK a few times a year (I've been in about 10 different ones) and have had 3 adults in the family rooms with no problems. On a few occasions we had 4 adult size people (technically teens but the teens are taller than the adults). We have used the pull out bed under the sofa bed with no problems. I didn't sleep on it myself but the 15 year old 6 footer didn't complain so it must have been OK. I have slept on the sofa bed on occasion and it's been fine. Never any problem in getting extra bedding. The ones I have stayed in were in Doncaster, Ashford (Kent),somewhere near Bath, near New Forest, Oxford, can't remember the others. If you are going near London the Southwark one regularly gets good reviews although I haven't managed a stay there yet. I have looked at the Premier Inns but they don't allow 3 adults so have stuck to Travelodges so far.

I live in Ireland but haven't tried out the Travelodges here (there aren't many). You can usually pick up a cheap chain hotel somewhere on the edges of bigger towns (like a Days Inn or something) for around €50 per room - usually 2 doubles though but look for family rooms and you might get a sofa too. Bewleys allow 3 adults.

Regarding netbooks, I have a Samsung N130 (similar to the NC10 mentioned above) and it's great. I've brought it on 2 breaks and used it in Travelodge Doncaste and in Portugal without incident. Fantastic little resource and so neat to carry as it's only just over 10". Library internet access is great as I found out recently when I went to Dublin to a show without bringing my tickets - after the initial panic I was able to go into a public library - access my email and print out the tickets for the princely sum of 1 euro - thank God for modern technology
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Old Oct 2nd, 2010, 03:34 AM
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There are a few Ibis -es around in the UK, these days. Worth looking for. And have you thought of an iPad?
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