One of the worst parts of air travel for me was always the transfer to the airport. Especially now the time from check in to boarding seems to be shorter than ever to accommodate those tight turnarounds the thought of trying to find the right car park adds a whole layer of stress even before I've hit the security queues.
Add to that the risk of being delayed, having to find your vehicle then drive home exhausted with the people in the back balancing luggage on their laps and you wonder if it was even worth the hassle. Plus once we fell victim to a dodgy driver at a meet and greet who brought back our vehicle so damaged we had to call the AA. Many hours in a freezing cold car park with tired hungry children. Literally ruined the holiday.
With the cost of fuel and drop off rates ever increasing friends and family are rather less keen to do an airport run and since for us anyway, the most affordable flight options are in the early hours, asking someone to drop off or pick up seems like too much.
I'd like to suggest public transport but after a truly horrendous train trip on the Gatwick Express where we sat stationary for over an hour just outside the airport station I will never risk it again. Even starting out super super early as I always do "for fear" it was cutting it so fine I briefly debated getting off the train and walking up the track. (OBVS DON'T EVER DO THAT!) It actually took us longer to go from home to the airport that it took for the flight.
A taxi is the obvious answer and we have had some great experiences. It feels quite VIP especially if like us local options include a luxury car for not much more than a basic model. Which is all very well for when we are off for a romantic break for two and for small families but as the blog name implies I have a much bigger family than average so when we travel together or with friends we need a minibus.
We have had really good experiences enjoying Executive Travels in lovely minibuses. We've always had assistance with luggage and a comfortable ride arriving in plenty of time to check in in a relaxed fashion. I think to that maybe those drivers who head to and from the airport probably know the best detours to take if there's roadworks or an accident slowing traffic.
Executive minibuses are not just for airports though - when a gang of us want to go out for the evening we like to book them so we can all travel together. The minibuses never seem to mind a multi-drop scenario and it works out cheaper than several taxis. Some companies can fit as many as 16 people in an executive minibus so it's worth considering even if you have quite a large group.
Even if you don't plan to drink it takes the pressure off you feeling obliged to drive and leaves you free to have a glass or two if you change your mind during the evening. Because of our family size we've usually got a big vehicle but I did get a bit resentful of people assuming I would drive because we had a big car.
Hiring an executive minibus can make every event feel like a VIP experience and leaves everyone relaxed and ready to enjoy that holiday or night out.