As an aside just a quick TR of the trip out.. couple pointers included for people who may be a bit naive when it comes to visiting the states..
Flew BA, bizarely for the first time ever out of gatwick..used the tube and gatwick shuttle for the 2nd time this year and must say its a very efficent service ..door to door from hertfordshire in 90 mins...
I always book economy and upgrade at the airport..its a much cheaper way of doing it and ive never not upgraded even on a packed summer flight to Vegas..
BA seem to operate a 4 class system on the new 777-300 ..econ..prem econ..business and first... business has lay down beds and everything... so i thought i fancy that as it was nearly 10 hours to Tampa..
Weirdly i could not upgrade 2 classes.... perhaps because i was resplendant in shorts and an Under Armour training top on a rainy London December day... maybe they thought i was insane and business class was no place for me.
So had to settle for Prem Economy..which was fine..seats had deece room and comfy.
For a day flight didnt feel there was too much attending by the BA staff.. and our dinner things were left uncleared for quite some time..tut tut BA.
Landed in Tampa about 7pm.. had pre-booked a little run around for while im here.. ok now some tips on renting cars in america and prob in general..
First off..they will try to sell you a shit load of stuff you dont need.. do not buy as follows:
pre-paid toll ... this is a rip off.. you would have to do some serious touring around to even come close to 10 dollars a day toll charges and they will come out with guff about some dont take cash and they will charge you 15 dollars for a 70 cent toll if you just go through a camera toll.. dont pay for it its nonsense
dont be coherced into a rental upgrade.. i booked a little ford focus..guy behind the desk looked at my big boy samsonite i brought on this trip and claimed i wouldnt get it in the car..he said my actual car was a KIA.. first run bad of trip.. i said id be ok and shove it in the back seat..
Got to my little KIA and the boot swallowed the case whole with room to spare... As to the car..just ugh..little red KIA..tears...
8pm in Tampa ..traffic is horrendous.. im booked into the Sheraton and manage to negotiate both the heavy traffic and the multitude of drivers freshly released from the Stig Insane Asylum ..
Room is pretty nice..had worse..had better..bed is fantastic though.. think my suitcase is big enough to get it home.
Im ..ahem..not the tallest in the world but my room does seem to be fitted out for the jolly green giant.. i kid you not i have to stand on tip toe to see out of the spy hole and the safe is on the top shelf of the wardrobe ..ffs im gonna need a chair to see inside it
Well Jeff picking me up soon for the pilcrimage to see the King..hopefully couple pics and tales how me and Le Bron James are now email buddies.. or restraining order buddies..could go either way
Hey Dean
Just wanted to post that toll advice was much appreciated.
I just came back from Florida (never been before and Son now the right age) and only saw 2 tolls on my way from airport. One was $1.50 and the other was 75cents. (not sure you can avoid the tolls when leaving the airport) Never saw another toll in the 10 days I was there.
Guy at airport was coming up with all sorts of rubbish, just told him I had driven in States loads of times before
Same for car. I ended with a Nissan Sentra and got 4 large suitcases in the boot easily
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