Tag Archives: travel

June 2024 – As electric and hybrid car sales hit a new global record in 2024*­­, the need for increased electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure has become paramount. Whatever your reason to be driving in the Gatwick area, convenient access to charging stations is a top priority and it appears UK airports are stepping up to meet this demand with Gatwick Airport opening a new Gridserve Electric Forecourt in January.

To help drivers plan ahead and travel with peace of mind, award-winning airport parking specialist Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com) has released a guide comparing the EV charging ports at Gatwick Airport and surrounding area.

Available at www.aph.com/evcharging, the guide features 20 different charging stations and their facilities including distance from Gatwick Airport, range of devices, charging power, valet availability, number of connectors, and costs.

For those crunched for time, the newly opened Gridserve Electric Forecourt at Gatwick Airport offers 32 connectors with power options ranging from 22kW to an impressive 350kW, priced at 79p/kWh. With the ability to accommodate various types of connectors including CCS Combo, it ensures rapid charging and minimal waiting times, making it a top choice for travellers in a hurry.

Looking for low-cost EV charging options? The guide highlights several affordable charge points including Gatwick South Terminal Orange Car Park, featuring 4 connectors, 22kW power, and accessible via the Pod Point app, providing the most cost-effective on-airport charging at 25p/kWh. Whereas the Holiday Inn London Gatwick, located 1.5 miles from the airport, provides a mix of fast and rapid chargers with power up to 50kW, accessible through the BP Pulse app.

Tesla owners, although capable of using any of the 20 charging stations in the area, should take advantage of the London Gatwick Supercharger, conveniently located on airport premises. This Supercharger offers high-speed charging with power up to 250kW, priced at 37p to 47p/kWh depending on the time of day.

The guide also covers off-airport options such as Tesco Extra Gatwick, which provides affordable charging at 44p/kWh – 49p/kWh and up to 69p/kWh for rapid charging.

Or for travellers looking to return from holiday to a fully charged car, the most convenient option is pre-booking airport parking with a reputable service provider such as APH. In addition to offering EV charging, APH provides safe and secure valet parking to ensure a hassle-free experience.

Finally, for EV owners looking for no-cost options, Motorline Gatwick Hyundai Dealership offers free charging at its premises, though drivers must report to reception upon arrival.

Nick Caunter, Managing Director of Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com), said, “We hope the APH guide provides a one-stop solution so drivers can plan ahead and find reliable EV charging when on the go, making their journey to and from Gatwick airport as easy and stress-free as possible.”

For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) visit www.aph.com or call 01342 859515.

ENDS

Notes to Editors
* Electric and hybrid car sales to rise to new global record in 2024 published in The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/23/electric-and-hybrid-car-sales-to-rise-to-new-global-record-in-2024#:~:text=The%20Paris%2Dbased%20forecaster%20said,by%202030%20as%20prices%20drop, 2024.

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About Airport Parking and Hotels (APH)
Established in 1980, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is an award-winning airport parking operator and retailer, winning the ‘Best Airport Parking Company’ award at the British Travel Awards 2023 for the thirteenth year running. In addition to APH’s own car parks serving Gatwick and Manchester Airports, APH also offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels, airport lounges and via trusted partners other extras such as car hire and travel insurance. APH has worked closely with the World Land Trust since 2005 to help support rainforest conservation by protecting threatened forest habitats.

Media Enquiries
GEC PR
Sarah Salord, Company Director
[email protected]
020 3907 6824

04 June 2024 – When it comes to Wedding and Honeymoons, Sri Lanka is a standout destination in the Indian Ocean thanks to its wide appeal for all sizes of wedding parties, and the exceptional value the Indian Ocean island offers British travellers. 

Getting Married in Sri Lanka: Key Information

  • Sri Lankan law requires foreigners to spend at least four days (three nights) in Sri Lanka prior to notifying a marriage registrar of intended marriage.
    A marriage abroad will be legally recognised in the UK providing it was contracted according to the law of the country in which it took place. There is no requirement, or facility, to register the marriage in England afterwards.
  • The legal requirements for Registration of Marriages of Foreign Nationals in Sri Lanka are very straightforward. You are required to produce the documents including passports, birth certificates and tourist visas to the Divisional/District Registrar of the area where your marriage would take place. When booking your tour operator or the wedding resort can ensure you have all required information before you travel.

Aitken Spence Hotels has unique award-winning resorts across Sri Lanka that can cater to a wedding party’s every need, and with over 25 years curating wedding events, would-be brides and grooms can be reassured that their journey from engaged in the UK to married in Sri Lanka will be handled seamlessly by the resort team.

Best for Sri Lanka Beach Weddings – Heritance Negombo

Located only 20 minutes from the International Airport and ten seconds from the Indian Ocean, Heritance Negombo is ‘the’ destination to celebrate love overlooking the beach.

With the options of the lvo ballroom, banquet garden and beach lawn,  the resort can cater to wedding parties of up to 450 guests. Couples can therefore choose from a monsoon wedding on the beach lawn for 20 nearest and dearest, to a banquet for 300-plus friends and family.

Special Wedding Touches: Exquisite wedding cakes by six-time culinary Olympic Champion Chef Dimuthu Kumorosinghe are available upon request. For wedding parties that would like a touch of Sri Lankan tradition there is an opportunity to incorporate the lighting of an oil lamp as part of a Sinhala blessing within the wedding, and have Sri Lankan dancers and drummers as part of the wedding service.

For more information about Sentido Heritance Negombo, visit www.heritancehotels.com/negombo.

Best for Nature Lovers – Heritance Kandalama

Envisioned and created by Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa, Heritance Kandalama is located in the area known as Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle, and is an architectural wonder set amidst a lush conservation forest spanning 224 acres, almost invisible amidst the greenery that surrounds it. Promising panoramic views from wherever you stand, the hotel itself is a unique Sri Lankan tourist destination which doesn’t just sit on the landscape but is naturally a part of it, making it the ideal destination for an enchanting fairytale wedding.

Three sites within the hotel can cater to weddings for 150 – 260 attendee weddings.

Special Wedding Touches: A package of custom wedding cake, Champagne and/ or Sparkling Cider toast, and a four-hour beer or wine bar, is available on request. Weddings menus start from USD 50 net per person.

For more information about Heritance Kandalama, visit www.heritancehotels.com/kandalama/

Best for A Stunning Architectural Backdrop – Heritance Ahungalla

The first-five star beach resort in Sri Lanka, Heritance Ahungalla, was designed by legendary architect Geoffrey Bawa, and is known for its vivid blues reflecting the Indian Ocean, which forms an elegant backdrop that is perfect for the exchange of vows. The inherent amalgamation of comfort and spirit of hospitality that is second to none makes Heritance Ahungalla uniquely suited for wedding celebrations that marry simplicity and charm.

From designing an elegant ceremony under a beautifully decorated altar on the beach where guests can enjoy the breathtaking sunset, to a waterfront wedding in the verdant lawn with a stylish and contemporary setting – the versatile event spaces make the ideal canvas to paint your dream wedding.

The hotel takes pride in providing attentive, personalised service and the extra touch of class, as you celebrate your most important milestone.

Special Wedding Touches: Couples can pick their choice from carefully crafted local and global menu offerings to suit their palate. Resort chefs create the finest cuisine that can cater to various culinary tastes coupled with impeccable service, to offer guests an unforgettable dining experience. Make the most of our eclectic cuisine and unwind after the ceremony with a romantic candle-lit dinner by the shore under the starlit sky.

For more information about Heritance Ahungalla, visit www.heritancehotels.com/ahungalla/

ENDS

For further information, trade partner rates, or press trip requests, contact [email protected]

Notes To Editors:
Image Captions:
Image 1: Heritance Negombo is ‘the’ destination to celebrate love overlooking the beach.
Image 2: The View from the Royal Suite at Heritance Kandalama.
Image 3: Best for A Stunning Architectural Backdrop, Heritance Ahungalla.

For these and other high-resolution resort images, click here.

About Aitken Spence Hotels
Aitken Spence Hotels is part of the Sri Lankan blue-chip conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC. Aitken Spence Hotels owns and operates 17 hotels and resorts across Sri Lanka, Maldives, Oman and India. The Company’s owned hotels are reflected under the Heritance, Adaaran and Turyaa brands, popular around the world for its exceptional service and undisputed product and curated lifestyle experiences. The Company’s Sri Lankan portfolio includes eight hotels and resorts spread across the island of which five are Heritance properties, whilst the Maldives resorts totals to five (with one Heritance resort), three in Oman and one in India.

Media Enquiries: Fiona Anderson, GEC PR | [email protected]

APH.COM REVEALS THE AIRLINES SAYING ‘BAH-HUMBUG’ TO FLYING WITH CHRISTMAS CRACKERS THIS YEAR

APH.COM REVEALS THE AIRLINES SAYING ‘BAH-HUMBUG’ TO FLYING WITH
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS THIS YEAR

November 2023 – The beloved Christmas cracker is as much an essential festive tradition as tinsel, mulled wine, stockings and presents. However, travellers flying abroad this Christmas and planning on packing a festive box (or two!) in their luggage, are advised to check airline and departure airport rules before travelling with some airlines ‘cracking down’ and banning them altogether.
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Driving To Heathrow Airport? What Savvy Motorists Need To Know Following ULEZ Expansion

September 2023 – With London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion across all Greater London from 29th August, award-winning airport parking company Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com) has put together some helpful advice for motorists driving into Heathrow Airport. Continue reading →

UK Traveller Survey Reveals The Demise of Mates Breaks: Family Holidays ‘In’ With Gen Z, Yet Adventurous Retirees Prefer Solo Jaunts

A survey of UK holidaymakers by travel brand El Camino Bracelets, has revealed that the tide has turned on breaks with mates, as younger generations prefer to holiday with family, in stark contrast with midlifers and retirees, who prefer to forget the friends and family, and travel with a partner or solo.

El Camino surveyed more than 1500 Brits*, asking who they prefer to travel with and where they would like to go, and the surprising results show that just 14% preferred to holiday with friends. Far from the young being intrepid roamers, only 15% of Gen Z travellers (under 24 years of age) were keen to travel solo, with 41% of Gen Z-ers favouring family travel. Just 22% of Generation Z travellers preferred to holiday with mates. The survey also found that it was actually those recently retired or nearing retirement (65+) who preferred to travel solo, a significant 19%, or just to travel with a partner – 52%. Fewer than 1 in 5 of the oldest travellers polled preferred to holiday with their wider family.

The survey revealed contrasts in destinations favoured by different generations too. Despite not wanting to travel independently, Australia was top of the travel wishlist for Gen Z (22%), whereas Canada (11%) and New Zealand (8%) topped the wish list for 45-54 year old travellers. Japan was also very popular, featured in the top 3 destinations on the bucket list of all age groups of travellers. Australia and New Zealand and Iceland also topped the list as the favourite three countries already visited by the travellers surveyed.

Commenting on the results, El Camino Bracelets Founder, Candace Kellough, said; “Our survey did throw up some surprising results. Older travellers are sharing that their yearning to travel and see new things doesn’t just disappear, and I’m pleased to see the desire for solo and partner travel is so strong amongst recent retirees. Perhaps younger travellers prefer to travel with their family as that means their parents or grandparents are more likely to pay? Totally understandable with the cost of living crisis. This could also be why older travellers prefer to leave the family at home as they roam, so they can then afford to spoil themselves a bit more.”

“Our El Camino community of travellers spans a wide age range, and all are very passionate about travel, where they’ve been to and where they plan to visit next. The popularity of Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan and New Zealand in the survey also mirrors the destinations ordered by our customers to feature as Steps on their El Camino Bracelets. It’s great to see that so many firm favourites of the El Camino team made the travel lists too.”

El Camino Bracelets prices start from £26.99 for bracelets, £34.99 for necklaces, and Steps from £10.49. To find out more, visit www.elcaminobracelets.com.


ENDS


Notes to editors:
*  – Survey of 1,587 UK Travellers who are El Camino customers, carried out by El Camino Bracelets in July 2023.

Photos:
1) The end of mates holidays? Gen Z prefers to holiday with their family over friends.
2) Every El Camino bracelet and necklace is bespoke, so can feature destinations already explored or on travel wish lists.
3) El Camino Bracelets Founder, Candace Kellough (pictured with Co-Founder Tom Lane) said; “Our survey did throw up some surprising results. I’m pleased to see the desire for solo and partner travel is so strong amongst recent retirees.”

For high resolution version of the images and lifestyle images, please click here.

For further editorial information, or to discuss promotions, interviews or collaborations, please email [email protected]


About El Camino Bracelets:
Founded in 2013 by Candace Kellough and Tom Lane, El Camino Bracelets is based in Newquay, Cornwall.

Candace and Tom first had the idea for a bracelet that could record their travels, adventures and experiences whilst hiking the coastline between Barcelona and Monaco in 2013.

On returning to Tom’s parents’ home in Oxfordshire they began to handmake a few of the bracelets that they’d talked about, with beads engraved by a local craftsman to show the destinations and dates of adventures that the wearer had been on. The original batch of bracelets were given to close friends and family and they chose the name, El Camino, to pay homage to the Spanish roots of the project.

Much time has passed since the first drawings of an El Camino bracelet were created in a tent near Sa Tuna. Today the beads, or ‘Steps’, are still engraved by the same man in Oxfordshire, but the company headquarters is on the north coast of Cornwall. Wearers can now choose from several different colours of bracelet or necklace, adding Steps from over 200 different countries, countless destinations, regions, seas, adventures and the five world oceans.

To find out more, visit https://elcaminobracelets.com/pages/our-story.

Media contact:
Fiona Anderson, GEC PR – [email protected]

AIRPORT PARKING AND HOTELS (APH.COM) LAUNCHES NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART FLEET OF VW CAMPERVAN RENTALS FOR STYLISH STAYCATIONS THIS SUMMER

 

 

 

AIRPORT PARKING AND HOTELS (APH.COM) LAUNCHES NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART FLEET OF VW CAMPERVAN RENTALS FOR STYLISH STAYCATIONS THIS SUMMER


August 2023 – Looking to enjoy a self-drive staycation in style this summer? With UK holidays and mini-breaks remaining a popular choice this year, award-winning airport parking specialist Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com) has launched a brand-new fleet of the iconic Volkswagencampervans available to book from its APH Manchester site – the VW Transporter California Ocean.
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The Perfect Gift for Avid Travellers

It can be tricky finding a gift for someone who loves to travel, that they will treasure and take with them as they roam. However, the clever team at El Camino have created the perfect gift for those more drawn to wanderlust than window shopping. An El Camino bracelet is ideal for travel lovers as each bracelet is bespoke, so can feature all the destinations they’ve explored as well as those still to visit – making an El Camino the most thoughtful and unique gift you can give to someone always planning their next journey. Continue reading →

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR GAP YEAR AND CAREER BREAK TRAVELLERS

24 May 2023 – Not sure what to buy your wanderlust friend who’s taking time out from studying or working to travel the world? A bespoke El Camino bracelet that features all the destinations they’ve explored and are about to visit may be the most thoughtful and unique gift you can give them to take on their journey Continue reading →

SONAS COLLECTION UNVEILS IMPRESSIVE TRANSFORMATION FOLLOWING £750,000 INVESTMENT ACROSS ALL THREE BOUTIQUE PROPERTIES ON SKYE

2 May 2023 – Leading boutique hotel brand Sonas Collection has unveiled an impressive refurbishment across all three of its properties on the Isle of Skye, setting new standards for luxury accommodation on the West coast of Scotland.

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APH.com Expands Partnership With World Land Trust To Support Landmark ‘Buy An Acre’ Programme

Multi-award-winning airport parking specialists Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com), has expanded its partnership with conservation charity World Land Trust to raise funds for its landmark ‘Buy an Acre’ programme and to help permanently protect threatened habitats.

For every airport parking booking made through www.aph.com/worldlandtrust from 1 August 2022, APH will donate up to 20% of the booking value to World Land Trust to put towards purchasing acres of habitat through its overseas partners.

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