A helpful and efficient Goblin family at Bristol Airport! (Goblin Combe Farm Bristol Airport Parking)

Member Name: dmandrew

Product:	Goblin Combe Farm Bristol Airport Parking
Date:	26/10/09 (71 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well run and friendly

Disadvantages: No refunds for online booking

I don't travel a great deal by air, but I love flying on the few occasions that I do it. I also love the ease with which flights can be booked these days, and the way on some flights that you can choose your seat.

Bit I deeply resent the fact that most places you go it costs almost as much to park your car as it does to travel. It's not unusual to pay over £10 a day at some places.

I had recently to fly from Bristol, which I hadn't done before, and discovered Goblin Combe Farm.

Goblin Combe Farm has been offering cheap offsite parking for Bristol Airport since 1982. The parking is 5 minutes away from Bristol International Airport and easy to find, as the site gives excellent directions with quite a few maps.

Booking is very easy online. You can get quotations very easily, and as soon as you know your flight details, then it is very straightforward. In common with many flight arrangements, you download and print your own documents.

There are options to park in the open air and under cover, and to pay in advance online, or on arrival. Parking outside and paying online bring in the cheapest rates, but if you might cancel or change your flight plans then it's perhaps best to go for payment on arrival as online payments won't be refunded once the space has been booked.

You arrive at the farm and call at reception, parking the car yourself very close by. Once you have checked in - which is very quick, you hand over your car keys and wait to be taken to the airport in either a people carrier or a minibus. This felt slightly unnerving, being used to looking after my own keys, but I soon realised that it's so nice not to worry about losing them when you are abroad! The journey to the airport is quick, and they drop you off right in front of it. The vehicles have plenty of room for loads of luggage, although we were flying with EasyJet so economised down to one bag!

On arrival back at the airport, once you have got your luggage, you telephone Goblin Combe to let them know you've landed. They do themselves keep a check on all flights, so they would know of any delays. The shuttle vehicle arrives soon - they are going back and to throughout the day and night - and Goblin Combe staff have your car keys ready. They have parked your car for you while you flew, so they take you directly to where it is, and even stay with you until your engine fires, just in case you need assistance.

The website mentions that they have a number of optional extras. "Meet and Greet" costs an extra "£25. With this, you only go the airport, and they sort out everything from there, taking your car themselves to Goblin Combe and bringing it back for you when you arrive back. I suppose that's good if you are in a hurry, but it was so easy anyway to go to the farm, that I don't think I would feel a need to do this.

Parking is secure. Staff are on site 24 hours a day, and the parking areas are safe behind electric gates.

Now to the nitty-gritty of costs.

If you are there for just one day, it costs quite a bit at £15.50 minimum, going up to £21 for payment on arrival and parking under cover. The reasoning behind this must be that for any parking booking there are significant fixed costs, which are all quite labour intensive - processing the booking, parking your car and taking you to and from the airport. so for a two day booking, the costs are hardly any more, ranging between £17 and £23. Thereafter, the cost per day increases by £2, but then there is a divergence. Covered parking seems to get a litle more expensive if you are there long term, presumably because of upper limits on space, whereas additional outdoor days get slightly more discounted. 11 days' parking costs range between £35 and £50, and for 30 days it costs between £79.50 and £103.

That is a lot cheaper then the competition!

It's a family-run service, and clearly a popular one. The staff are all friendly to deal with, and you feel in competent hands. A good number of their customers use Goblin Combe on a regular basis. I don't know when I will next fly from Bristol, but I'll certainly park at Goblin Combe whenever that is!

Summary: Good value airport parking at Bristol