Oct
29th

Aberdeen Serviced Apartments

No comments | Posted in Apartments, Corporate, Housing, Serviced Apartments

Go Native’s Aberdeen Serviced Apartments

Serviced Apartments in Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Go Native inspect a number of the Serviced Apartments that form a part of our network every year. This allows us to monitor the quality of those apartments and source new properties in the local area. The process also gives us valuable on-the-ground knowledge of local transport and amenities to assess the suitability of apartments for both corporate and leisure visitors alike.

Our team recently spent some time in Aberdeen to meet with local apartment operators. Given Aberdeen’s proximity to the offshore North Sea rigs, it is often referred to as the Oil Capital of Europe. The Oil & Gas industry brings a number of business travelers to the area creating a consistent demand for serviced accommodation.

Serviced Apartments in Aberdeen are scattered across the city. Many are within walking distance of the main thoroughfare, Union Street; others can be found a little further from the centre, with apartments available in the vicinity of the University of Aberdeen as well as further into the west end, traditionally the more prosperous part of the city. Apartments vary in style and layout; the more central apartments are found in traditional Victorian buildings constructed from locally quarried granite while those further from the historic ‘Old Town’ are also found in modern developments. Facilities on offer vary considerably according to budget, with premium apartments offering a standard of furnishing and décor equivalent to a 4* hotel.

The city centre is fairly compact so local transport from the outskirts or indeed from Dyce airport 10km to the north of the city is generally straightforward and efficient, whether utilizing the local bus network or private cars/taxis. Commuter trains from the railway station on Guild Street serve nearby towns such as Stonehaven, with faster trains connecting to Glasgow, Edinburgh and London.

The past few years have seen an increasing number of serviced apartment operators build portfolios in the city and although the total stock in the area is relatively small compared to some UK cities such as Edinburgh and London, we anticipate that the number of serviced apartments on the market will rise further over the next 3-5 years. Contact Go Native today to find an apartment in Aberdeen.

Oct
29th

Halloween around the UK

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Where to enjoy Halloween this Weekend

Go Native gives its guide to some of the most exciting places to dress up and have fun for Halloween this weekend

Brilliant source of fun and a chance for everybody to put on fancy dress or just another excuse for companies to make money and sell garbage, whatever people’s view on Halloween on thing is certain, from Lands End to John O Groats Britain is going to be takenover by ghouls, ghosts, vampires and Zombies.

So if somebody is making the most of our Corporate Housing Solutions in one of the many cities around the UK, what Halloween events can they take part in close by? To help these people Go Native has created a guide to some of the best Halloween events happening around the UK.

Birmingham

Birmingham Ghosts, Ghouls and Spooks Tour

This is a tour around the streets of Birmingham which will make all who attend realise that there is more to Birmingham than the pleasant exterior makes out. The tour will inform all listeners of the grizzly details and ghostly goings on around the city, whatever happens it is guaranteed to make you look at the streets of Birmingham like have never looked at them before.

Warwick

Warwick Castle Halloween event

Experience Halloween at one of the UKs most iconic castles, gaining intimate access to the castles dungeons and cellars. Not only does the castle offer this unrivalled access, but it also puts on traditional rustic bread rolls and a steaming brew to really create the spooky atmosphere.

Leeds

Dr Terror at Fort Nelson

This event, held at Fort Nelson, the Royal Armoury, is bound to intrigue both young and old. Not only does this include terrorising actors and ghostly goings on, but it also has a more fun element, with the museum offering a ‘thriller style dance off’ between 12:00 and 13:00, with costumed dancers all looking to show they have the Halloween X factor by showing off their moves on stage.

Cardiff

Halloween masked ball

If the traditional gory goings on are not your thing, perhaps the Cardiff masked ball might be the way to go. Here not only are their several cabaret and circus acts, but there is also a pumpkin carving contest and several other Halloween related events. In addition to this, people can arrive in ball wear or their favourite ghoulish fancy dress costume.

London

The London Dungeons at Halloween

The London Dungeons is normally one of the scariest places to be at any time of the year and especially at Halloween. Jack O’Lantern will guide you through the gates of Hell where you will hear the screams of damned souls and experience scares that you will not find at any other time of the year.

Oct
28th

Should the security measures in UK airports be lowered?

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Is lowering security good or bad?

Following Martin Broughton’s comments about airport security, Go Native looks at the pro’s and con’s of the argument

Away from, but still likely to affect the Serviced Apartment industry,  Martin Broughton, the chairman of British Airways, stole the headlines yesterday with his comments about airport security. He has seen his public standing skyrocket in recent months, being portrayed as a knight riding in to save Liverpool football club from the brink of bankruptcy, fighting and defeating the previous owners in court and finally handling the sale of the club to New England Sports Venues. This improved position within the media, combined with his senior position in British Airways has added weight to his argument that British airports should not have to perform the thorough security checks before boarding aeroplanes stipulated by the Americans in the wake of 9/11.

Broughton mentioned in a conference held for the UK airline industry, that the UK and other countries should not have to ‘Kowtow’ to US demands for shoes to be removed and laptops to be checked before boarding. He mentioned that several US internal flights do not demand the same stipulations and it is not fair that many other countries have to bow down to these security measures.

However, Go Native is curious about whether or not security checks should stay the same for added safety or changed for convenience and practicality. Therefore today we will be looking at the two sides of the argument, to see if we can come up with an answer.

No, they should not be changed

There have been few terrorist attacks on planes since 9/11, this may well be down to the security checks at airports, which have stopped people from bringing on liquids, made people remove shoes and have their laptop cases checked. The fact that there have been no repeats of similar terrorist attacks shows that the security checks are helping to keep passengers safe on planes.

Each check has been based and adapted due to individual threats. People had to take off their shoes after somebody attempted to blow up a plane using a shoe bomb, people were stopped from taking on liquids due to similar threats. The reactive nature of the threat prevention has been made to directly stop threats that have presented themselves.

It makes people feel safer when they are flying. With all the news reports and well documented attempts to kill passengers on planes having, what some deem to be, overly thorough security checks means thatpassengers feel safer about getting on a plane. This makes for calmer passengers and thus a more relaxed and easier flight.

Is the removal shoes still necessary?

Yes, they should be changed

The American airlines often do not comply with the same rules that they implement on others around the world. America has, arguably, the largest terror threat in the world and so if they can ignore some of these security measures, surely other countries who have less threat could be allowed to implement more lenient rules.

The rules have become convoluted and properly implementing them takes time and money, which in the current economic climate is difficult. The time that it takes to get through security and check in has increased significantly since 2001, making flying more stressful than it has ever been before.

Some have argued that starting a new set of security checks would allow the system to start fresh and thus run more smoothly. It would be possible to create a proactive security policy, which would identify and negate potential security threats rather than simply tacking on additional checks as certain events occur.

If full body scanners come in, will security measures change again?

The argument is undoubtedly complex, and security is not a trivial issue that can simply be changed on a whim. Equally though, it is not something that should be overly intrusive and time consuming, which makes getting the balance between safety and speed difficult. It could be argued that with the advent of online check-in, that longer security checks do not really add much time to a journey but again they could be seen as overly intrusive. With the potential for airports to introduce full body scanners in the near future, perhaps the debate will be null and void, but for the moment it is still a contentious issue.

Oct
27th

Street art walks in Bristol

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Original street art in Bristol

Bristol is the home of British street art, a business trip to the city without seeing some would be a crime, so Go Native has compiled a short guide of some of the best works

One of the major and most controversial art-forms to have come into mainstream consciousness in the past 10 years has been the revival, and acceptance, of street art. The city that has become the most synonymous with this movement is Bristol, so if anybody finds themselves in the city on business or in any other capacity, it is well worth having a look at some of the experimental, strange or controversial pieces which can be found on various walls around the city. One of the most popular areas for this type of work is Stokes Croft, so any wander around there is likely to turn up some hidden gems.

Therefore for anybody who may be staying in Bristol, either as a result of Go Natives Corporate Solutions or simply taking a day trip as a tourist, Go Native want to provide a brief guide to some of Bristol’s most famous and most creative street art.

Undoubtedly Bristol’s prodigal son is Banksy, who’s work has moved out of the boundaries of Bristol, and can be seen not just on the walls of the world’s biggest cities and buildings, but has also moved inside and his work can be seen hung on the walls in original forms in, amongst others, the home of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and in print form can be seen in millions of houses, from rebel teenagers to high flying executives. Some examples of his work in Bristol are:

Banksy at Stokes Croft

Banksy at Stokes Croft

Banksy at Frogmore Street

Banksy on Park Street

As well as the well known work of Banksy, Bristol also offers other amazing street art that, if any time is available away from business matters, are well worth having a look at.

Levi C for instance is an up and coming street artist who has some of the most innovative and original street art in Bristol. Much of his work mocks Banksy for becoming too mainstream, despite often mimicking Banksy’s distinctive style. The following is an example of his work that can be found in Stokes croft:

Levi C's Work in Stokes Croft

3dom is yet another street artist in Bristol, who’s work has both appalled and inspired, depending on attitude towards graffiti. The following is a piece that was done in collaboration with Voyder which can once again be found in Stokes Croft.

3dom and Voyder in Stokes Croft

Another artist to look out for when wandering around Bristol is Miss Bugs. Unlike other artists in the city who tend to centre their works around current affairs issues, Miss Bugs pays homage to some of the more traditional art forms, with the following showing appreciation of Munch’s ‘The scream’. This can be founds of Hotwells road

Miss Bugs on Hotwells Road

One of the amazing things about street art in Bristol, which is why it well worth taking just a 20 minute walk around between meetings, is that it is constantly evolving. A painting can be covered within 5 minutes, modified to improve it or be made into a political statement just with the flick of a paintbrush. Our Bristol Serviced Apartments offer a perfect base from which to explore the city as a collection of buildings and people, but also as a canvas on which many artists ply their trade.

Oct
26th

Smartphone Guide

No comments | Posted in Travel Technology

Top smartphones for a business Traveller

Go Native has a look at how useful three top smartphones are for business travellers

The phone is dead, long live the smartphone. The world of the business traveller nowadays has evolved well beyond what it was 10 years ago, no longer are you required to undertake weight training to lift your mobile to your ear, no longer do you have to awkwardly unfold a map to find where you are going and no longer is the average business traveller limited to a huge white handheld device for computer games whilst on the go.

Smartphones have become the new ‘must have’ accessory for business travellers as they combine the functionality of a phone, the entertainment of a television and the image capturing of a camera. With all these features coming as standard on almost all smartphones however, which one is the best for a business traveller?

Well Go Native is going to compile a list of the top smartphones for when people find themselves travelling on business, to help by letting the cream rise to the top.

Iphone 4

The Iphone 4 (Image from Cnet.au)


The Iphone is undoubtedly the most popular of the smartphones in purely sales alone it has trumped all others (apart from in some places the Blackberry). The reason for this is the functionality and simplicity that the Iphone has created with the simple touch screen, clear display and large easy-to-use icons.

What makes it great for business travel?

The Iphone is more than a phone, it is a complete travelling entertainment system. The many apps can do everything from checking in at the airport, to quickly listening to music via watching television or films on the go. Although other smartphones do have roughly the same options, due to the feverish attempts of the famous Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the Iphone has made these more effective and useable than any other smartphone on the market.

What holds it back?

When on the go a great battery is needed, between calling home, touching base with your office and generally entertaining yourself on the phone you need power to fulfil these remits. The Iphone does fall down on its battery life, it will need charging once a day, which may become complicated around meetings, dinners and phonecalls home. Also, although not an awful camera, the Iphone 4’s 5 megapixel camera is not as good as the 8 megapixels that some of its rivals possess.

Motorolla Droid X

The Droid X (Image from phandroid.com)

The Droid X (Image from phandroid.com)

The Droid X is the closest thing to an ‘Iphone beater’ on the market at the moment, it has similar specifications (although a slightly lower screen resolution) and also has an improved camera to make taking quality pictures on the go easier.

What makes it great for business travel?

The Droid X has many of the same features at the Iphone 4 on a larger screen. This means that activities such as watching a film whilst waiting for a plane or surfing the internet on the go are clearer. In addition to this the camera is 8 mega pixels, making the quality of any snaps taken whilst away a better quality.

What holds it back?

There are rumours that the Droid X suffers from having no GSM whilst abroad, making its connectivity an issue. In addition to this, it is slightly larger than the Iphone, making it more bulky to carry around.

Blackberry Torch

Blackberry Torch (Image from nairobivibe.co.ke)

Blackberry has traditionally been the phone for business users from Serviced Apartments in Newcastle to hotels in New York. This has meant that the new torch has understood the needs of many business travellers over the years and has adapted to their wants and needs.

What makes it great for Business travel?

It has a keyboard! One of the main problems that many business travellers have is that have a touch screen phone is the only option with modern smartphones. However, the Torch offers both the convenience of touch screen with the traditional functionality offered by a qwerty keyboard. Along with this the torch also has a built in app to put all of your social media in one easy to use place, so changing windows to look at Facebook or Twitter is no longer necessary.

What holds it back?

The Blackberry, like the Iphone only has a 5 megapixel camera, so the photographs that could be taken on the Droid X would be of better quality. It is also has a small memory of 512mb, this can be upgraded to 32GB, but will cost extra money when buying an sd card.

Oct
25th

Helping the government with their £100million business travel cuts

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How can the government tackle business travel cuts?

Go Native looks at the various ways in which the government can cut £100million from the business travel budget

The budget cuts that were announced by George Osborne last week will have a profound impact on the business travel of many of the government’s officials both in the middle and upper echelons of leadership. David Cameron has promised to start using chartered flights rather than private planes and it has been rumoured that the Royal family have had to start booking their business flights online in order to save on what has been described as ‘exhaustive’ business travel. The Duke of York in 2008 for instance spent over 100 days away on business travel (see Jonathan Richard’s 2009 article in the Times called Crunch time: a story in data).

But what other ways can the government save tax payer money whilst travelling around the world on business? It is difficult to simply say ‘stick them on a low cost carrier’ because after all there does need to be a degree of security that the majority of the population do not need, so what can be done?

Standard Chartered Flights

One of the ways that this could be achieved is through government officials using standard chartered flights rather than using private aeroplanes, which is what has normally been the case. One of the reasons that this has been a problem in the past has been due to security worries. However, when considering the amount of security that has been installed at airports this argument may be null and void. It isn’t even possible to bring aboard nail clipping equipment into a cabin now, let alone the material needed to kill or injure a protected politician.

Stop using expensive hotels

Traditionally government trips have revolved around using expensive hotels for accommodation. There are alternatives to this that could be addressed in order to reduce the costs related to their business trip. For instance one of the ways in which accommodation prices could be reduced is by staying in official residences or embassies. However, especially when travelling internally this may not always be possible. Therefore perhaps schemes such as Go Native’s Corporate Solutions could be a useful alternative, as this not only provides the cost reduction needed, but also longer term accommodation needs and flexibility. For instance rather than staying at an expensive hotel in Birmingham, perhaps MPs could have stayed in a Birmingham Serviced Apartment?

An example of a serviced apartment

Having to pay for added extras

One of the problems that the media and the public have had recently with the government has been the expenses scandal. Perhaps then it would be an idea to pay only for basic travel for politicians and civil servants and anything extra could be paid for by them personally. Not only would this save money but in terms of PR would also help the government to overcome the considerable damage that the expenses scandal caused. An example of the public outcry that could be appeased by this kind of radical change is Douglas Hogg’s famous moat cleaning scandal.

Video Conferencing

Some of the trips that politicians have to take are often unnecessary as video conferencing has got to the stage that face-to-face meetings can take place whilst sitting at the desk. This move may also see the government throw off any lingering image of an archaic administration that does not know how to utilise modern technology.

With £100 million of cuts for business travel in the government, cuts will be severe and will affect the ways in which politicians and other government employees travel for business. This may mean that cuts will not be popular but may ultimately appease many of the critics who level criticism at public figures for excessive spending.

Oct
22nd

London Cycling: Top Tips

No comments | Posted in Life at Go Native, Travel Technology

Tips for safe and effective use of London Bikes


Go Native looks at the various ways to have fun and stay safe whilst using the new London bike scheme

During the summer cycling can seem cool, cruising through the streets, weaving in and out of conscientious traffic and waving at all the other cyclists that you pass whilst smiling so hard that your cheeks hurt. In the winter however, it does not seem quite as romanticised when you are peeling your hands from the frozen handlebars and looking like Rudolph with a bright red freezing cold nose when you walk into the office.

With the introduction of the ‘Boris Bikes’ London is aiming to become like the Amsterdams and Cambridge’s of this world with cosmopolitan people taking to the street, saving on travel, getting fit and helping the environment. This is a great idea, and Go Native has adopted this with several of our own employees having utilised the bikes to get from A to B. Although it may be slightly more unpleasant during this time of year compared to in the summer it is an environmentally valiant and economically sensible way to travel around the capital, and worth the sacrifice.

Our Go Native team have taken to the Boris Bikes like ducks to water

So with the option of using bikes anywhere around the city and with the option becoming available to anybody rather than just the preregistered users in the coming months, Go Native gives some tips on how to safely ride around the capital if you are staying in a London Serviced Apartment or just here on a daytrip.

Wear a helmet

One of the major drawbacks of the ‘Boris Bikes’ is that they do not provide helmets, meaning that people are riding around London without being correctly equipped with safety equipment. This means that it can be very dangerous and if the worst happens and somebody falls off their bike, it could be make a hundred times worse if they are not wearing a helmet.

One of the problems that this has is that helmets are cumbersome, awkward to carry and quite often are not aesthetically pleasing. However, a Swedish designer has invented a new type of inflatable helmet which is easily concealed and opens only when certain sensors are triggered. This helmet for the fashion conscious is a great alternative to the traditional helmet, if you want to find out more click here.

Have your head on swivel

One of the main reasons that cyclists are injured is through not being seen by cars or other cyclists. Therefore it is important to be pre-emptive, if stuck behind a bus for instance, making sure that the mirrors are visible to make sure that the driver has seen the bike and be prepared to make emergency manoeuvres if necessary. This may be a slightly more stressful way of riding and it may be more difficult, but in the end if it saves injury then it is always worth it.

Make sure you are visible

Going on from the above point, wearing high visibility jackets and having flashing lights on the bike can help people to spot the bike and therefore are less likely to cause an accident involving the bike. One of the main problems that the ‘Boris Bikes’ have is that they are a public service, meaning that the bike which is picked up from the docking station could have been damaged by the person using them before. This means that the lights and reflectors that are built into the bike could be damaged, so it is always a good idea to bring along a set of removable lights that can be easily put on the bike and taken off.

Practice

Before taking to busy streets it is an idea to practice cycling on smaller roads and building up until it pedalling down Oxford street comes as second nature. The phrase ‘its like riding a bike’, referring to being able to fulfil a task having abstained from it for a long period of time, does not count for riding a bike in London, knowing the way that traffic moves and the way in which cyclists are expected to interact with other road users is essential to riding safely.

If you require any help with your accommodation needs whilst using the London bike scheme please visit our website or send us an email at enquiries@gonative.com.

Oct
21st

Where to watch sport around the UK, Week 1: Football

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Football around the UK

Go Native begins its series on the opportunities to view British sport across the UK by looking at the UK football scene

The front pages of the national newspapers in 2010 have been dominated, almost weekly, by various sports stories from somebody buying a football club to cricket teams who are fixing matches. It is in government policy, office talk even in the gossip pages of papers and magazines. It is impossible to get away from. If Karl Marx said that religion was the opiate of masses in 1843 perhaps sport has taken it’s mantra in the modern day.

So with it being as popular as it is, there are several opportunities to become involved with it, be you a business traveller staying in a London Serviced Apartment or in any other UK city who is interested in learning more or a sports fan who has made the pilgrimage to the UK to watch your favourite sport.

Go Native is starting a series outlining the various sporting activities around the UK which may be of interest to anybody who has some spare time during a business trip, who may be looking for Serviced Apartments near to a single sporting event or who may be following longer term sporting events and needs longer term accommodation for them.

Today Go Native will start off by looking at football.

The world’s most popular sport has no fewer than five premier league football teams based in London alone, each with huge stadiums which not only act as centres for communities, but are landmarks and sacred places for millions of fans around the world. Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham and West Ham are all based in London and with three of the five participating in European competitions, the chances of obtaining a ticket to watch them is improving year-on-year. This makes London the perfect base from which to start a football related trip or if staying in the capital, the perfect place to spend an afternoon at a match.

As well as having a strong domestic league presence, the UK is also bidding to become the host of the 2018 world cup, which would bring hundreds of thousands of football lovers to the city to take part in this festival of football. This would be a global event which is not just about sport but is also about including cultures from all over the world in a single cause.

On the other end of the scale, away from established world class stadiums and huge wages, London also boasts one of the most iconic venues for amateur football in the form of Hackney marshes, which is a huge sports field with 88 full sized football pitches for amateur footballers. Only recently Lionel Messi arrived at the marshes to have a look around the talent on show all around. Some of Britain’s top footballers began plying their trade on these hallowed pitches and it is seen as farm which produces some of Britain’s top crops.

Away from London, people interested in the football history around the UK cannot fail to look into the neighbouring cities of Liverpool and Manchester, both with divisive support for rival premier league teams. Liverpool and Manchester United both hold the record amount of league titles for an English team, so are two of the most important clubs in the UK.

In addition to these two colossus’ of English football, visiting Glasgow to see the two most successful Scottish teams Celtic and the Glasgow Rangers would be worthwhile, as not only would the opportunity arise to experience the fierce rivalry between these two teams, but would also give any traveller the chance to view the stunning Scottish landscape.

To book convenient and cost effective accommodation in any of the places mentioned or in any area that may be of interest to a sports fan , please visit our Website or send us an email at enquiries@gonative.com to see if we can help.

Oct
20th

Outlying areas week 3: Brighton

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Brighton

Go native looks at the ways to spend a day or long weekend in Brighton

Brighton has always had a special relationship to London, with many bike rides and car rallies using the London to Brighton route. The association comes from the Sussex seaside town being a tourism hotspot for Londoners throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th century, who would travel down to the coast for bathing and summer holidays by the beach. The influx of wealth in to the area saw many impressive architecturally beautiful buildings being erected in the city, many of which can still be seen today.

The reasons that Londoners of old went to Brighton is different to why it is currently popular, as the draw of foreign travel and quicker transport links throughout the UK, has meant that Brighton is now used less for holidays and more for long weekends or day trips. The multicultural, quaint and progressive atmosphere exuded by Brighton makes it popular amongst many people who may be looking for a change of scenery from London life, to sit by the sea or to simply wander around the many lanes which are home to hundreds of independent boutiques and quirky cafes.

Brighton Marina


Whether enjoying a drink on one of the many quayside cafes or simply walking around admiring the boats, Brighton Marina offers a relaxed atmosphere, guaranteed to relieve all the stress that a week of work can create. The marina is not only a place in which marvellous boats are moored, but it is also one of the prime location in the city to enjoy street entertainers, great food and the chance to shop in a brilliant new building overlooking the marina.

The Piers


Brighton has two piers, although the west pier has been out of service for several years after a fire, making it a stark, tragic but beautiful testament to a bygone time. However, Brighton Pier is still up and running and attracts thousands of guests every year to walk along its length, peer off the edge into the sea or have a ride on one of the many fairground rides that can be found on the tip of the pier.

The Boulevard


As well as being a beautiful structure, the Brighton Pier also marks the beginning of the Boulevard, where it is possible to wander along the shore above the pebbled beaches whilst staring out to sea or taking in all of the beautiful architecture on the seafront including regency houses and the famous Grand Hotel, which was famously was the scene of an assassination attempt on Margaret Thatcher in 1984.

Brighton Pavilion


Without a doubt the most impressive, lavish and original building Brighton is the Royal Pavilion. This was built by George IV in the 1800’s and takes it’s unusual architectural influences from Indian and Chinese buildings. This makes the building completely original in its surroundings, with nothing else like it either in Brighton or in the UK as a whole.

Nowadays the Royal pavilion plays hosts to thousands of guests who walk around the awe inspiring architectural feats and stunningly over-the-top decoration of the pavilion. In addition to being an attraction for tourists, the pavilion also hosts several scientific and artistic events throughout the year.

Brighton is only an hour away on the train and so occupants in any of our London Serviced Apartments can easily access the city for a day trip. However, Brighton can also be used as a weekend break, so if a Brighton Serviced Apartment would make a long weekend in Brighton easier than please look at our Website or email us on enquiries@gonative.com.

Oct
20th

Train or Plane? Go Native assesses both for business travel

No comments | Posted in Travel Technology

Trains vs Planes

With the new high speed rail link to Amsterdam and Frankfurt being announced yesterday, Go Native evaluates the benefits of both forms of transport

Yesterday’s main travel news was the news that Deutsche Bahn, the German train company, will be operating a service to Frankfurt from London St Pancras. They are currently developing the trains for this route which will run three times a day from London and will also service Amsterdam, with the possibility of including further European destinations. The service is hoped to be opened during 2013 although there have been some legal complications due to French opposition over the choice of trains that will be used on the routes.
This news has made Go Native think about what possibilities this may create for the business travel community. If you are staying in a London Serviced Apartment and find that you need to have a meeting in a European city,  what with the new options that will be available  to business travellers within the EU, which is better, using a traditional short haul flight or using trans European train services?

Trains

  1. In today’s world the importance of being seen as environmentally friendly has become an important PR area by many companies. A train is a more environmentally friendly alternative to a plane, which tends to burn vast amounts of fuel, whilst the majority of modern trains tend to use electricity, meaning less emissions and thus a more environmentally friendly transport option.
  2. Since 9/11 the restrictions placed on air travel have limited what can be taken on to flights, also budget airlines have strict weight limits and also tend to charge additional money to put luggage in the hold putting further limits on what can be taken on. Trains do not have the weight restrictions or the strict limit on liquids whilst travelling. This means that if a business traveller is staying for a short stay, they will not need to worry about the contents of an overnight bag and if they are staying for a slightly longer term, they will not have to pack their belongings into a 15kg bag in order to travel with it.
  3. One of the problems that planes have is that few cities have airports near to the centre of the city. Although there are exceptions, the central locations of the majority of train stations means that by taking a train, a traveller can avoid the often complicated or costly transfers from an airport outside a city, to the centre. This means that if the business trip is simply for a couple of hours the traveller will not spend most of their time whilst in the city travelling to and from the airport.

Planes

  1. One of the reasons that aeroplanes revolutionised the way in which people travelled, was due to their speed. No other form of transport can get from one place to another in a shorter amount of time. With the advent of the online log-in and the new phone apps which allow swift passage through check-in combined with the new scanners which save time on security checks, flights and time spent in airports are cut down to a minimum.
  2. As well as being quicker than trains with the advent of no-frills budget airlines they are also generally cheaper than using a train. This means that talking purely on economic terms they make more business sense than using a train.
  3. One of the drawbacks of using an inter-European train is that they have to use tracks in order to get from A to B. This means that in order to get to locations that may be away from the traditional business centres in Europe, several changes must be made, which are both time consuming and complicated. Planes do not have this trouble as most airports, regardless of how obscure they may be, are serviced by planes from British airports, making access to business areas easier.

Overall the differences between the two types of travel may suit different types of business traveller and different types of business trip. For those who may want to make long haul business trips, flying still remains the only option, however with this new innovation, trains may become more popular for meetings that can be conducted within a day’s travel. For speed and price flying remains the best option whilst trains offer a landing in the middle of cities and an more environmentally friendly option.

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