# Regency Villas at Broome Park?



## ValHam (May 24, 2015)

Anyone stay at this resort recently?  Do you need a car?  What sights in the area?  How easy is it to get into London?  Would it be best to fly into London and rent car to get out to Broome Park?


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## scotlass (May 25, 2015)

Sorry, I didn't see this post until after I replied to your question about travel from BP to Scotland where I also recommended taking the Eurostar to Paris.

We used to own at Broome Park so we know the area pretty well.  We always flew to Heathrow and drove from there.  In addition to Paris, I would recommend Canterbury Cathedral, Dover Castle where you can tour an underground WWII hospital as well as the castle, Leeds Castle, and Goodnestone Park Gardens.  We also stopped at Chartwell House, Winston Churchill's residence, but that would be on the way to or from the airport to Broome Park.  There are lovely seaside drives along the coast, including stops at Sandwich or Deal and of course, the White Cliffs of Dover.  Kent is lovely and most of the places I mentioned have beautiful formal gardens.  Let me know if you need more information.


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## Pompey Family (May 25, 2015)

Fly into London (LHR or LGW) and hire a car, it's a simple drive to Kent from either. As for driving into London proper I presume you mean driving to central London to visit the sights? If that's the case then I wouldn't recommend it, driving in central London is quite a challenge for someone not familiar with the city and even more so for someone not used to a right hand drive. I would recommend taking the train into London.


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## taterhed (May 25, 2015)

Pompey Family said:


> Fly into London (LHR or LGW) and hire a car, it's a simple drive to Kent from either. As for driving into London proper I presume you mean driving to central London to visit the sights? If that's the case then I wouldn't recommend it, driving in central London is quite a challenge for someone not familiar with the city and even more so for someone not used to a right hand drive. I would recommend taking the train into London.


 

Strongly seconded: don't drive into central London. Permits, emissions restrictions, occupancy, cameras, parking....the list goes on. 

If you plan on using London transport, strongly consider getting rail passes and/or oyster cards before you go.  Single ticket purchase at point of sale is expensive and inconvenient. I also really like the bus tours....they can be used for transport as well (unlimited on/off).
For your situation, you may want a multi-day, multi-use rail pass that could be used to encompass your trips to/from airport and/or around London etc... Expensive, but discounts for seniors, children, family etc... The passes can be continuous (1 day, ,2 day etc..) or flexi (3 days use over 15 days).

You could use your pass to travel from airport to London, visit briefly, and then take train back out of central London to car-hire location. Very tiring, but doable I guess.  

Have fun


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## ValHam (May 25, 2015)

The sightseeing around Broome Park sounds wonderful - I certainly am not going to be driving in London - However - would it be easy to get to the sights near to timeshare by car. I probably would not have another option .  Should I rent the car near the timeshare or in London?


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## taterhed (May 26, 2015)

Check prices of course, but...

If you pay for train service away from LHR to east London or Canterbury, you'll save the cost of the car that day....and tolls too.

The Drive from LHR to Canterbury would be challenging after the long flight depending on time/traffic.

If you're flying in to somewhere else, then maybe not too bad.

Look at the express fares (train) out of LHR.  Very expensive.  A pass will cover the whole trip to Canterbury, probably.  You can build the fares on the website for britrail. So, train to east London probably not cost effective.

Sorry, don't know if that's much help, but it's probably drive from airport or train to Canterbury and rent.  If the costs were the same, I'd personally train to Canterbury (depending on time of day etc..) and rent from there.  
Good luck and let us know what you find on care-hire cost.  I might do this next year.  Looks nice.  Tired of London, but looking forward to other locations--like Canterbury--for longer stays.


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## Pompey Family (May 26, 2015)

taterhed said:


> If you pay for train service away from LHR to east London or Canterbury, you'll save the cost of the car that day....and tolls too.



There are no tolls on the route from LHR to Canterbury. The only tolls are the congestion charge in central London. I disagree that it would be a difficult and tiring drive after a transatlantic flight, it's only two hours and really is quite a straightforward drive.


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## taterhed (May 26, 2015)

I will defer to your experience. I'm assuming this is going south around London, M25 correct?

I've always been in a van...but never liked the experience.  I thought there were tolls on the south side, but maybe just north and east of London?

Maybe I'll consider driving next time.  Looking forward to feedback.


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## Pompey Family (May 26, 2015)

The only road toll in the UK is the M6, all the others are bridge or tunnel tolls. There is no toll in the London area other than the Dartford Tunnel. The congestion charge could be regarded as a toll however this is only applicable within central London.


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## taterhed (May 26, 2015)

I guess the tolls were bridges or tunnels.   Thanks for the info.   I would never drive into central London.   Guess I'm just a bit nervous about traffic. As I said I've spent way too much time sitting in the back of a mini bus or van on motorways.   I'm sure, like D.C., the hour had a lot to do with it. 

from my cell...


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## Pompey Family (May 26, 2015)

taterhed said:


> I guess the tolls were bridges or tunnels.   Thanks for the info.   I would never drive into central London.   Guess I'm just a bit nervous about traffic. As I said I've spent way too much time sitting in the back of a mini bus or van on motorways.   I'm sure, like D.C., the hour had a lot to do with it.
> 
> from my cell...



Where did you drive? I'm struggling to think of any tolls that you would have incurred around the London area. With the exception of the Dartford Tunnel there are no tolls anywhere near London.

Here's a list of all the current road tolls in the UK: https://www.gov.uk/uk-toll-roads


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## taterhed (May 26, 2015)

I think you hit it.  Is that a 'dart charge?'  If so, that's it.  That and the congestion charges of course.

As I said, I ride, not drive, but you are making me more willing to consider driving.  Do the rental cars have these electronic things to make sure you don't get toll charges in the mail etc...?

Also, without hijacking this thread (sorry), what's your thoughts on driving from Glasgow (airport) to some of the outlying timeshares in Scotland?  Is the driving fairly straightforward up there or should we be concerted about leaving the airport or driving in the country etc..

thanks in advance.


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## Pompey Family (May 27, 2015)

taterhed said:


> I think you hit it.  Is that a 'dart charge?'  If so, that's it.  That and the congestion charges of course.
> 
> As I said, I ride, not drive, but you are making me more willing to consider driving.  Do the rental cars have these electronic things to make sure you don't get toll charges in the mail etc...?
> 
> ...



Not sure what you mean by a 'dart charge'. The Dartford Crossing crosses the River Thames from Dartford, Kent to Thurrock, Essex and is the only toll that is anywhere near London. I'd imagine most visitors to London would have no reason to use it.

As for driving from Glasgow airport to the more rural spots in Scotland I would absolutely recommend it. Whilst it is possible to get around most of the country by public transport the thought of waiting for half an hour in horizontal rain at some remote bus stop is not my idea of fun. The roads outside of the major cities are excellent, relatively quiet and good to drive plus you have all the flexibility that a car allows.

I rarely rent a car in the UK so I can't advise you on the electronic toll gadgets you mentioned however I suspect that they don't have them in the UK because there are so few tolls and if you're only going to be driving in Scotland then you've no need to worry because there are no tolls there.

Whilst it's easy for me to say because I live here, I do think that some people worry too much about the driving aspect when they visit the UK. You'll find that it's a lot less congested than driving in the US (M25 excluded), there's more lane discipline and you're not confronted with a number of Ford F series bearing down on you! I drive an automatic yet sometimes I'll rent a manual in France or Spain and whilst is does take some getting used to, driving on the other side and changing gears with a stick that isn't where you're used to it being, it doesn't take long to adapt. Of course you can rent automatics in the UK but they are significantly more expensive than a manual. Once you're out in the country is Scotland you can often find yourself being the only one on the road which is great if you're a bit nervous at first.


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## taterhed (May 27, 2015)

Thanks very much.  
Based on your confident answers, maybe we'll give the car a try next time we actually get 'out of the city.'


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## scotlass (May 27, 2015)

taterhed said:


> Also, without hijacking this thread (sorry), what's your thoughts on driving from Glasgow (airport) to some of the outlying timeshares in Scotland?  Is the driving fairly straightforward up there or should we be concerted about leaving the airport or driving in the country etc..
> 
> thanks in advance.



We go to our West Highland Scottish timeshare every summer so we know the roads well.  Leaving Glasgow airport to pick up the M8 is only dicey in the beginning as there are several roundabouts to contend with on the approach to the motorway.  Just go slowly until you get your bearings and if you miss the turn, just go around a second time.  We still have to do that occasionally.  The routes to main towns like Inverness, Oban and Ft. William are excellent although you may find yourself behind caravans or lorries that can slow down the traffic considerably.  If you happen to book Melfort Village, be aware that the road to the cottages is about 1 mile of single track road.  There are passing places on all single track roads so just proceed with caution and be prepared to back up if necessary, and always give a wave to the motorist who backs up for you.  If you decide to go to Mull or any of the islands, many roads are one track but visibility is usually good so you can see the oncoming cars.  If you can't see them, give a horn blast as a warning.  

Driving in the Highlands is breathtaking and definitely worth it.  The road through Glencoe is amazing and eerie given its history.  Having said that, the train from Crianlarich to Ft. William is also beautiful and worth the trip.  

I guess I am starting to ramble but there is so much to see and do that I would pass along.  I will be glad to add more if anyone has questions.


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## taterhed (May 27, 2015)

ValHam said:


> Anyone stay at this resort recently?  Do you need a car?  What sights in the area?  How easy is it to get into London?  Would it be best to fly into London and rent car to get out to Broome Park?



Thanks for the wonderful information!  Amazingly helpful.

Now, I apologize to ValHam for hijacking your post, hope the info was helpful to you as well:
Bump


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## w879jr1 (Jun 10, 2015)

*M6*



Pompey Family said:


> The only road toll in the UK is the M6, all the others are bridge or tunnel tolls. There is no toll in the London area other than the Dartford Tunnel. The congestion charge could be regarded as a toll however this is only applicable within central London.



Just to clarify,

The whole length of the M6, from its junction with M1 to the border with Scotland is toll free. However serious congestion can occur around the Birmingham area, and the M6_TOLL provides a speedier alternative route. The time saving achieved is really significant at peak traffic times.


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