Getting to the Airport

Over the years I've tried all means of getting to airports for holidays. When I was travelling a lot, first teaching overseas with the Open University and then doing the same for what was the University of Glamorgan I would always fly from Cardiff, via Amsterdam, as it was so easy to get to Cardiff Airport and from their via Amsterdam to the world. This did have its drawbacks, there were times when I would get across Schiphol Airport to my connecting flight, but my luggage would still be in Amsterdam. This was so bad when I was travelling to teach on the MBA in Bahrain that I used to pack two changes of clothes in my hand luggage, as the main bag never arrived with me. Still KLM used to pay compensation for the failure to deliver the bags, so I was ‘quids in’.

I did a few USA trips via Amsterdam, in those days I was travelling so much that I had KLM Platinum status so free access to airport lounges. When Drew and I first travelled to the USA we flew with KLM. Once I moved from my role in the Business School to the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching my travelling dropped off, so I had to make new plans. First we used an Airport Travel company and came up to London on a mini-bus with others, then we booked a private hire car, an expensive option, but very convenient. Then my brother, who has a large car (for his large family), offered to bring us up to Heathrow and we did this for three holidays. This worked well for us, but my brother looked very, very tired from the process. So this year, for the first time, we went up the day before and stopped in a hotel overnight. In cost terms this was the cheapest option with the train being £38 each (advanced booked) and the hotel £49 a real deal.

So for the journey, while I had taken a day’s leave Drew had opted to go into work  and meet me at the train station. Here are my bags ready to go, the Samsonite, which has been a faithful companion for many years, was bought by my sister for my birthday one year after I had travelled with them around the US. The generosity of my sister’s gift being influenced by her embarrassment with my old case which was 20 years old and a bit tatty at the time – what year was it you bought it Janet, it has been going strong ever since.

So having spent a gentle morning washing some clothes, so that there are no dirty ones to come home to, and clearing some final e-mails; I went out at 12.15 to catch the 132 to the train station. 

Two stops on one of my friends, and blog followers, Cheryl, and her husband John, got on the bus. So we discussed the holiday plans on our way into town. Cheryl’s first question when she had seen my luggage was ‘Where’s Drew?’ so I explained he was in work. By coincidence as the bus pulled up outside the Temple of Peace and Cheryl and John got up to get off the bus; who was at the bus stop with his luggage but Drew, clearly a very timely journey. After a coffee while waiting an hour at Cardiff Central we caught the 13.55 to Paddington, which was on time and travelled up to Reading. 

One of the downsides of travelling by train to Heathrow from South Wales, is that the best route is to get off the train in Reading and convert to the Railair Bus. Unlike going to Gatwick, where you simply have to change trains at Reading, the process of the Railair bus is a bit messy. You have to leave Reading Station go down into a basement to have your ticket validated and then climb up to the bus. The journey from Reading to Heathrow (remember it was Friday afternoon) took 110 minutes, rather than the planned hour and was full of radical braking by the driver as he negotiated the M4 and roads around Heathrow. Our luggage almost got off at Terminal 5, when we were going to the Central Bus Station at Heathrow, but thankfully the driver noticed his mistake before driving off!!

From the airport to the hotel was a much easier journey. The H6 of the Heathrow Hoppa service leaves the airport every 30 minutes for the hotel, so we got a return ticket for the Hoppa and got to the Premier Inn at 6.30 pm.

The hotel is lovely and new, an interesting layout, being this close to the airport it needs to be low enough not to be in the way of the planes – so it is only two stories, but is very wide.

Having checked in, we went into the room, took some photos and then went down to the restaurant in the hotel for dinner.




Drew began with battered garlic and herb mushrooms with barbeque sauce, while I opted for Mackerel fillet with rocket with a lemon drizzle. The strong lemony taste was very much to my liking, the horseradish sauce might have been a bit strong for the fish, but its oily texture actually set the sauce off well.



For mains Drew had a Hot Dog, I think the picture speaks for itself, he enjoyed every minute of it and kept saying things like: “This is so meaty good, it’s a pity you’re a Catholic and can’t have meat on Friday”, makes the abstinence even more virtuous I’m sure having someone mock you for it :-)  I had a vegetarian dish: Arrabiata Linguine with Buffalo Mozzarella. The pasta sauce was tomato and chilli sweet and the mozzarella gave it a tart flavour which went well with the pasta. I even managed to eat all the linguine with only one tiny pit dripping on my pen, unusually for this type of pasta I was wearing none on my clothes at the end!  


<< co-pilots note: readers of previous blogs will of course know that Mr. B has a ‘penchant’ for ‘discovering’ shortcuts. He felt the need to inform myself midway through my hotdog that he may have discovered one back to the airport. It was quickly pointed out (politely but firmly, I may add) that we were not, under any, and I mean ANNNNYYYYY circumstances scurrying across Heathrow’s runway 2 and that was that!. :-) Co-pilots note ends >>

After dinner we went to the Costa Coffee area in the hotel and had a coffee each, with an early start tomorrow we were in bed by 9 pm.