2 Friends, 1 aircraft and a map

[cessna24]

Dear PPruNers,

My friend and I are going to have a 3 day outing in a Cherokee 140. We plan to fly
Southend
Zeeland
Ostend
Caen
Alderney
Swansea
Southend

I have flown to most of these places but either never stayed or the company has booked all of my hotels for me!
What I wondered is, if any of you reading this thread, have ever stayed at these locations which you have booked yourself and if so, have you any recommendations as to where to stay at a good price? I have googled every location and seen what's available but choosing would be nicer if I had a good report on the place from my fellow aviators!
I'm not sure as to yet how we are going to book the hotels ie we have not had a meeting to discuss nightstop location preferences but would be nice to have a heads up.
Also if any of you have done a similar routing, is there anything you would say was of interest to go and see or fly over?


Thanks guys
c24

[Jan Olieslagers]

In Ostend: frequent and inexpensive bus service from the airport to the city, plenty of accommodation, at rates VERY dependent on season. I.e. avoiding july, august and the local equivalent of bank holiday weekends, you'll be fine, and any bus or cab driver should have good advice.
June should be a good time, there. So should April, barring Easter holidays.

But no, none of this is written from personal experience, only from reputation, deserved or not. I just live too close.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

In Alderney, the Braye Beach Hotel. But eat at the First and Last.

Neither is exactly cheap, but then the planned trip isn't either.

[BackPacker]

Midden-Zeeland is quite a ways from the nearest town and there's no public transport. You need to get a taxi (which will be hard to get anyway - better arrange them through the airport managers beforehand) or be dropped off. Or walk - it's a nice 5km or so.

And even then I don't know what sort of hotels you would find there.

If you would go to Rotterdam instead you'd have much more choice. And only a 30 minute bus ride into the center of the town. And if you arrange handling through the flying club your landing fees at Rotterdam will not be all that much more expensive than Midden-Zeeland.

[mrmum]

I'm guessing you'll not be getting many recommends for an exciting overnighter in Swansea.
I've overnighted a few times in Ostend on GA trips and really like the place. Of the hotels I've used, I think the best compromise of location, quality and price was the Ramada. Really good central location, reasonable price including breakfast and very helpful staff who all spoke English.

[HelipadR22]

Swansea is a gorgeoous place! Cheeky Bugger. What sort of thing do you want to do in the evening? Quiet Pub?

Kings Head Hotel - Bed and Breakfast accommodation in Llangennith, Gower 10 miles from the airport, good food, lovely beach.

The cafe in Swansea does a great breakfast too. If you do fly in, let me know, I'll meet you there for a cuppa.

Check out Cambrian Flying Club, very friendly and the nicest way off the airfield.

[Zulu Alpha]

use Booking.com: 195,808 hotels worldwide. Book your hotel now! many of their hotels have a no fee cancellation so you can cancel without charge if you get stuck because of weather.

I think Midden Zeeland will rent you a bike to get into town.

Alderney has very cheap hire cars so you will find they are cheaper than a few taxi trips and you can tour the whole Island

I'd consider Compton Abbas and also Dieppe.

Compton has a great restaurant and some nice places to stay nearby

Dieppe is a very friendly airfield and the centre of Dieppe has great seafood restaurants all around the harbour.

Trouville/Deauville/Honfleur all share the same airport and are well worth a visit. Honfleur is a pretty harbour . Deaville/Trouville are seaside resorts.

[BackPacker]

I think Midden Zeeland will rent you a bike to get into town.

That may well be true and would be a good option.

I once had to get *to* EHMZ by public transport, to ferry an aircraft back to home base. In the end it didn't work out (aircraft wasn't ready in time) but I did find out that it was quite an ordeal to get to by public transport.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Alderney has very cheap hire cars so you will find they are cheaper than a few taxi trips and you can tour the whole Island

C'mon, it's not that big, you can easily tour the whole island on foot - no car needed for heaven's sake!

[cessna24]

Thanks for all of your help. It's great that fellow aviators are helpful in passing there knowledge and experience over to another.
I should have mentioned earlier but we will be hopefully flying this trip on Friday 16th March until Sunday 18th March.
Thankyou Gertrude the wombat, backpacker, Zulu Alpha, helipadR22, mrmum, Jan olieslagers for your comments. I plan to meet with my friend in the next week or so and we will go through these posts and get ourselves sorted.
And HelipadR22, I will message you when we are certain of our arrival in Swansea and would be cool to meet for a coffee.
The last time I was in Swansea was 2006 with a Beech200 and we brought in the Southend United Boss for the cup game against Cardiff. Whilst waiting for them to return we were surprised with an air race taking part at the airfield. It was the first time I had seen a handicap race. And thought it was brilliant. Tower asked us to do a flyby once we had taken off which I would love to have seen the photos if any were taken!
Thanks guys. You have been a real help.
I'll message you HelipadR22.

Kind regards
Kev

[HelipadR22]

An air race at Swansea! I'll ask about that at the club, you never know they may have photos.

[cessna24]

Yeah cool cheers helipadR22.
Would be good if they did

[Cricket23]

Hi I flew to Caen a couple of years ago.

It's a great place to explore from. We flew up and down the 'D' Day coastline, over Pegasus bridge, near'ish to the US cemetary over the town where the paratrooper hung from the clock tower etc.

The following day we took a minibus 'D' Day tour. It was organised by the museum in Caen and was quite cheap.

Can't remember where we stayed, but as per one of the previous posters, it was one that allowed you to cancel late on.

Also, don't forget to book somewhere with wif.

Have a good trip.

C23

[AnglianAV8R]

I did an overnightstop at Midden Zeeland last May. The chaps in the control tower sorted a cheap guest house arrangement for eight of us on the spot. The owner of the establishment and his wife came to collect us in their people carriers and also returned us in the morning.

We had asked if they could sort an inexpensive guest house type set up and we got just that, plus a bar downstairs with food.

If memory serves well, the cost was around $40 Euro for B&B with an excellent evening meal and a drink !

Very hospitable bunch over there

[BWBI]

Cessna24,

Remember the day well. It is highly probable photographs were taken as Roger Winser who is the resident amateur photographer ( very good to! ) would most probably have been there to record the day. PM some details and I will ask him.

With regard to overnight in Swansea if you fancy more action than Beaches and quiet hotels and it's Friday or Saturday night book into The Premier Travel Inn in Wind St ( pronounced Wine St, don't ask why it's a Welsh thing! ) It is in the heart of the best Night life Wales has to offer ( Trust me better than Cardiff! ) and you will see female sights which will last with you forever, perhaps literally so!!! ( book early to avoid disappointment! ) The sparsely clad ladies arrive from The valleys and the whole of West Wales and you will not be disappointed!

[cessna24]

Thank you Cricket23, AnglianAV8R, BWBI for your posts. Defo want a place with wifi so I can use my iphone/ipad for planning etc.
The D-Day tour sounds good. I am really interested in WW2 and always watching Yesterday when I get home from work and watching all the war programs and funnily this morning was an episode on Normandy!

I will keep that in mind about Zeeland thankyou AnglianAV8R.

BWBI, it was a great day at Swansea. Like I say we had no idea when we arrived on the Friday. We we went into town and went to 'Larva' club/bar [I think thats what it was called}. We had a great night in there and surfaced the next day for a bacon sandwich! haha. Luckly we had no flight that day so we explored the area and had a quiet one that night as we flew home the sunday.
The date we left was 30th April 2006. Must of been about 1600 I think. The aircraft reg was G-ORJA. Would be great if there were some photos.
Im looking into The Premier Travel Inn right now to aviod dissappointment! Haha
The only photo I ever found was this photo which i think was taken by your man;


We were just putting her to bed!

c24

[140KIAS]

Stayed at the Harbour Lights on Alderney in June 2010. Decent rates and excellent cancellation policy.

[cessna24]

Thank you 140KIAS.
Alderney I think maybe one of our stopover points so I will have a look at their website.

Wow, really pleased with the replies. Thanks Guys

c24

[BWBI]

Cessna 24,

Spoke to Roger today and he is going to check his Photographs also a friends! If we find anything we will get back to you.

[cessna24]

Fantastic. That would be great

Kind regards

c24