Intro and a Question

My first VS flight is scheduled for Mid-September. It will be a grueling two-week business jaunt from EWR to LHR then Marlow, Cardiff, Dublin, back to LHR and home.

I discovered v-flyer while researching the options and issues with VS. There is a wealth of information here for us first timers! I appreciate the sharing of information and experiences.

All first time posters are, I believe, required to ask at least one foolish question. I will, therefore, address my obligation straight away:

The return schedule has me arriving in LHR from DUB at 10:00 with a 16:25 departure on VS001. Six hours is a long time to wait, even in the CH (flying UC).

What do experienced LHR travelers and/or locals recommend as a good way to pass the time?

Welcome to V-Flyer, DAEDALUSNJ

As for your question, I'm sure you can find plenty to keep yourself amused in the Clubhouse. Book a treatment as soon as you arrive, have a few cocktails, go to the roof garden for some plane spotting, have a late breakfast then some lunch, go for a dunk in the spa pool, have another cocktail, people watch, wander round t3...

Enjoy your flight too! y)

[Neil]

Welcome from me also.

I also with locutus. 6 hours in the CH might seem like a long time, but I don't think there are that many real alternatives. There isn't much around LHR and it would take too long to get in the central London.

With the CH you have all the options locutus mentioned, plus you can always venture in to the main terminal to help pass a bit of time, and have a browse around the shops there.

I can think of a lot worse ways to spend 6 hours!

Neil

[honey lamb]

Hi Daedalus and welcome to V-Flyer.

I can beat your 10a.m. arrival as I my flight from Cork had me in the Clubhouse at 9a.m. There really is plenty to do there between breakfast (I don't eat until I get there apart from maybe a cup of coffee on the flight over), getting a treatment (the long layover maximises your chances of getting one as there is plenty of time before your flight), surfing the net, having a stroll through T3, having a spot of lunch and generally chilling out.

I didn't find the time dragged but having said that I think another hour would have done so!

Welcome to the site.
Like my erstwhile v-flyers have already said, 6 hours will be no real hardship in the CH . I'd also recommend booking a treatment as soon as you arrive . If you want any hints about Cardiff drop me a PM (I live 30 mins away).
DL

there's some pretty good shopping to be had in T3 if you're that way inclined - check the LHR website for a list of shops. I'd maybe spend an hour or so swanning in & out of the CH from the terminal corridor, just so everyone realises how improtant & lucky you are

6 hours should give you chance to spend an hour in each section of the CH & get in some celeb-spotting

[Bazz]

Hi DAEDALUSNJ and welcome to v-flyer,

Like so many posters above 6 hours in the CH will not be a drag, there is so much to do with plenty of choice when it comes down to food and drink as well. The Duty Free section of T3 offers plenty of choice if you fancy a bit of shopping.

Definitely do what DL suggests if you plan a treatment, book it on your arrival at the CH that way you are almost certain to be fitted in.

There is free WiFi and plenty of newspapers and mags if you fancy a read, you can also watch some of the nearby aircraft arriving and departing their gates through the large picture windows or from the roof garden.

Most of all enjoy the experience!

Hi DAEDALUSNJ

6 hours will be fine. The Cowshed treatment is a must and you can graze on the food as there is no limit to how many dishes you try.

It's also obligatory to go online from time to time just to make us all jealous - tell what you are doing and which drink you are doing it with!

Enjoy y)

You folks certainly make a new member feel welcome! Thanks I much appreciate the warms greetings.

My mind is put to rest; the CH and T3 it shall be for the layover. It sounds as if there is plenty there to occupy.

Dragon Lady: I will likely be in touch to take advantage of your kind offer. I will be spending the weekend in Cardiff as well as the next two work days of the following week. I just made reservations today at the Parc Hotel at Park Place based solely on Internet research. I hope it was a decent decision!

Thanks again to all

[honey lamb]

You folks certainly make a new member feel welcome! Thanks I much appreciate the warms greetings.

My mind is put to rest; the CH and T3 it shall be for the layover. It sounds as if there is plenty there to occupy.

Dragon Lady: I will likely be in touch to take advantage of your kind offer. I will be spending the weekend in Cardiff as well as the next two work days of the following week. I just made reservations today at the Parc Hotel at Park Place based solely on Internet research. I hope it was a decent decision!

Thanks again to all

Dragon Lady will be able to confirm whether it is the same hotel or not but we stayed at a Park hotel in Cardiff last year for the results of the Entente Florale competition in Cardiff and it was great.

I don't know how long you are going to be in Cardiff but we all loved it and swore to go back there again.

You folks certainly make a new member feel welcome! Thanks I much appreciate the warms greetings.

My mind is put to rest; the CH and T3 it shall be for the layover. It sounds as if there is plenty there to occupy.

Dragon Lady: I will likely be in touch to take advantage of your kind offer. I will be spending the weekend in Cardiff as well as the next two work days of the following week. I just made reservations today at the Parc Hotel at Park Place based solely on Internet research. I hope it was a decent decision!

Thanks again to all

Dragon Lady will be able to confirm whether it is the same hotel or not but we stayed at a Park hotel in Cardiff last year for the results of the Entente Florale competition in Cardiff and it was great.

I don't know how long you are going to be in Cardiff but we all loved it and swore to go back there again.

As HL says Cardiff is a great city . HL, you stayed in the Park Plaza Hotel (which is in Greyfriars Road).DAEDALUSNJ The Parc Hotel is in Park Place (and slap bang on Queen St too) just around the corner from where HL stayed. The Parc Hotel used to be a Thistle property but I don't know if it still is.
Location wise you're slap bang in the city centre which these days is pretty much all pedestrianised as HL will confirm.
PM me with all your other queries .
DL

The company I work for has it's HQ in Cardiff and I have spent quite some time there. I have also stayed in the hotel you mention, as of last month it was still a Thistle branded hotel. It's right on the main pedestrianised shopping street and as such can suffer from a little passing street noise so ask for a room on a high floor. They have recently (circa one year) refitted the whole hotel and it has a really nice bar downstairs, if a little pricey compared to the two 'Wetherspoons' (sp?) within one minute walking distance. Just behind the hotel there is a street littered with bars, clubs and places to get messy on most nights of the week if that takes your fancy. One word of warning is that the hotel has a tiny car park compared to the amount of rooms, so if you don't get three early you might not get one, parking elsewhere can be quite pricey for outside of London!

Cardiff's newest main draw is it's shopping mall 'St Davids' which is a about 30m opposite your hotel. It's got some good shops for a small city - Hollister, Guess, John Lewis, All Saints were some that I recognised.

There is also a nice set of restaurants in the mall, TGI Fridays, a Mexican one which the name escapes me and Nandos. Oh and a Ruby Tuesday which are fantastic and according to the guy the first one in the UK. If you like American food it's well worth a look.

[honey lamb]

You must go down to the Bay area where there are some nice bars and restaurants also

Cardiff's newest main draw is it's shopping mall 'St Davids' which is a about 30m opposite your hotel. It's got some good shops for a small city - Hollister, Guess, John Lewis, All Saints were some that I recognised.

There is also a nice set of restaurants in the mall, TGI Fridays, a Mexican one which the name escapes me and Nandos. Oh and a Ruby Tuesday which are fantastic and according to the guy the first one in the UK. If you like American food it's well worth a look.

The Mexican is called Chimichanga.
There are also a lot of nice non- chain restaurants in the city and a few proper pubs (not the homogonised chains that are everywhere) that pull a decent pint of Brains (the local brew).
Like HL says the Bay is nice for eating and drinking too and has a great theatre/ arts comlex The Millenium Centre .
DL

This is getting better and better. It now looks (fingers firmly crossed) that I may get a three day weekend in Cardiff!

The information provided here is priceless - I thank you all very much.

The street behind the hotel (it is still a Thistle property) sounds ideal. My hope is to be able to visit some of the local pubs and eateries. One of my favorite pastimes is to eat local, drink local and anything else local to get a better understanding of the 'real' life. Nothing wrong with American chains, mind you, but I can do that at home

The Bay has been added to my agenda, as has Brains!

I've not been to the U.K. since the late 60's, so this will be a long overdue and much anticipated re-acquaintance with the Midlands (two months in Cricklade). It will also be my first visit to Wales and Ireland so I am really looking forward to the trip. Dublin is on the itinerary for a few days following Cardiff so I imagine there will be a lot to do and discover there as well. It's too bad work will interrupt my pleasure but it is booked as a business trip ii)

Perhaps some on the forum would like to get together some evening. Feel free to PM me if you would like to do so.

DL - I will certainly contact you directly as we get closer to the journey.

Best to all -

Jack

I stayed in the Thistle before it was done up (in fact the fire that closed it happened a week after my visit!). Not been inside since they have refurbed it but it is nice and central.

Don't forget the numerous smaller arcades with some unusual shops in them. Bute Parc and Cathays Parc are nice to wander round too and there is a river walk down the Taff past the Millenium Stadium (I think they do tours)

And if you are a Dr Who / Torchwood fan you can do lots of location spotting.

The whole plaza outside the Millenium Centre with the big Steel obelisk is the 'roof' of the Torchwood hub and there is a non descript door on the boardwalk that acted as the entrance !

[honey lamb]

I note that you are also going to be in Dublin. I failed to spot the NJ bit of your username and wrongly, (I believe) assumed you were from there and that you had got your name from James Joyce's Stephen Daedalus rather than Icarus's dad.

Dublin is another great city with loads to do. Go to the Guinness Storehouse for a tour ending with a free pint of the black stuff and fantastic views over the city. There is also the Jameson Distillery in Smithfield on the other side of the river. Stroll through Gafton Street - a busy, buzzy place and enjoy St Stephen's Green at the far end. Temple Bar has loads of bars and restaurants. Take the DART out to Dun Laoghaire and enjoy the stunning views of Dublin Bay on the way there. And that lot's just for starters!

[Bazz]

HL you should be our Travel Ambassador for The Emerald Isle!