General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips

General Holiday Enquiries? Got General Hints & Tips? Post Them Here.
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I personally dont think your weird ;) We dont go into the airport - wont pay the car parking at Bristol, its a total rip off - but we do drive around the back and park up to watch the planes landing and taking off. Dont stay for long but its great fun to watch all the different planes and guess where they might be going :sun2 . Its a bit of aeroplane spotters haunt too and very often there are lots of people with huge cameras taking pictures.
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I wished I lived nearer an airport, I love the whole airport experience and I love to watch planes land and take off. Our nearest airport is Gatwick which is about an hour away!
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We used to go to Manchester airport (about an hour drive) quite often but they did a lot or reorganisation a while ago and now there is absolutely nothing to see from landside. T1 used to be good because you could sit upstairs and have a coffee and plane spot.
There is a viewing park but I always liked the shops etc in T1. There is also a pub at one end of the runway with a garden at the back. That used to be another fav place, especially on a sunny day. Not been for ages, must go again this year, if it is still there!
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Before moving to the South West I lived near to Manchester Airport and like you sunaddict would go to the pub at the back of the airport ;)

Last time we were at Manchester Airport was in 2008 when we flew to Florida from there, as at the time they were not flying out of Bristol!
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Sounds great guys so I'm not the only one!

@srhjnmgn - we didn't stay in the airport very long, we were there for about 30 minutes if that and parking was £5, terrible!

@Sunaddict - yes same here, at Bristol we used to be able to have a coffee watch the run way and look down into departures but everything has changed now, all you can see is check in. :que

HappyHolidays! :cheers
CourtneeLouise x
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don't need to visit the airport as the planes fly over our house, plus the airport is only 5mins drive away, we have our own airshow on tap, yes you do get used to them lol xphx ;)
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I can remember doing it as a child and it was great fun. I'm sure if we lived close enough I would take my girls too but it is a 40 minute drive and I could only afford to stay there for ½ hour with the cost of parking at Gatwick!
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I am not near any airports really, but it's nice to see planes take off and land isn't it?
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Me and my mum used to go to Glasow airport, on a sat evening, and grab some dinner at the pub, which was on an upper level, np where near any of the departure lounges

after dinner we would watch the planes, and wheh I was alot younger there was a outside area you could go to and watch planes taking of

Does anyone here remember the chairs that had your own tv, which you could watch, by putting coins into the tv
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When My eldest son was about two we lived in the west country, We spent many Saturday afternoons parked round the back of Bristol Airport watching the planes , Armed with sausage rolls and a video camera we had a great time. Shame now that our local airport has no really close up viewing spots as I would love to take son number two along, Will have to settle with watching the planes on approach from the garden.
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Over 30 years ago when my daughter was in the Brownies we went on a coach trip to Windsor Castle then on to Heathrow to view the planes. Until then I had no intention of flying but she said she'd love to go so when we got home we suggested it to my husband who said he wasn't interested. My son wanted to go so I booked a two week half board holiday in Costa Brava for £50 each. When I told my husband he said he didn't want to go but enjoyed it so much we went abroad every summer.
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We went to Cardiff airport a couple of times when our sons were young although it's just over an hour's drive away. We loved watching the planes but the cafe was rather expensive.

Does anyone here remember the chairs that had your own tv, which you could watch, by putting coins into the tv

Yes I remember those although we never used them. What was that all about? :D
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I remember going on a school trip when I was in the last year of primary school, to London airport - to this day, I don't know which one it was. I'm presuming it was Heathrow. I never thought back then, when I was watching those planes, that I'd be travelling on them regularly in a few years time :que
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We sometimes go to the nature reserve right next to Newcastle airport with the kids and park up and have a Mcflurry and watch the planes :oops: , my hubby says its not the kids who want to go its you meaning me :)
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My BF got married and moved close to Dublin Airport (a couple of fields away!!) about 20 years ago. When we visit, even yet my hubby and I hear and see planes all the time much to my friends amusement! No matter how often I fly or visit an airport I always get the butterflies when I go in and I love the whole atmosphere. A few years ago we were delayed at Toronto and were put up in a hotel on site..it was fab as we were free to roam around and spent most of the night looking out the window instead of in the hugh bed!!
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Sunaddict

I know where you mean, that old T1 food court before security - which was also the rather odd walking route to T3. Now sadly given over to after security shopping. But level 13 of the T1 car park (the car hire company bays) still has views of the runways from the middle to the west end and most of the T2 apron. Used to take kids there on the train (courtesy of delay compo vouchers, a long story....), would go up to level 13 for an hour then down to the food court for a drink.
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We used to do that every year a few weeks before our holidays but Newcastle Airport intorduced charges which go up every other month ( well it seems that way).
They also closed off the viewing roof so myou can't watch the planes coming in to land any more so really dont see the point. All that is landside is Greggs, Costa, WH Smith. Not worth it any more.
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I couldn't think of anything worse then visiting an airport, but then I work at one so I have an excuse!
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This year for my birthday my OH got me tickets to a show in London and an overnight stay. On the return home (via M4) I made him take me to the planespotters bit at Heathrow just so I could see the planes taking off.....I love it!
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