Contract Staying Away: Hotel Tips

[WTFH]

Spot the difference:

Personally, I always book myself into a half decent hotel for 2 weeks to get a feel of where is best to stay/where posisble drinking colleagues are staying/nice areas of town are etc. Plus I find it helps if you stay somewhere nice to begin with as then you look at your new "woring away" location more positively than if you stay in squalor from the start. During this 2 week period I then look for a cheaper option such as a recommended B&B, an Inn with a decent restaurant nearby or more likely renting (ensuring my contract meets my work contract in terms of notice etc.) mainly because I prefer to cook myself a meal a few times a week rather than the lonely meal out with a paper/book etc.

Personally, I always book myself into a half decent hotel for 2 weeks to get a feel of where is best to stay/where posisble drinking colleagues are staying/nice areas of town are etc. Plus I find it helps if you stay somewhere nice to begin with as then you look at your new "working away" location more positively than if you stay in squalor from the start. During this 2 week period I then look for a cheaper option such as a recommended B&B, an Inn with a decent restaurant nearby or more likely renting (ensuring my contract meets my work contract in terms of notice etc.) mainly because I prefer to cook myself a meal a few times a week rather than the lonely meal out with a paper/book etc.

[Katherine]

Personally, I always book myself into a half decent hotel for 2 weeks to get a feel of where is best to stay/where posisble drinking colleagues are staying/nice areas of town are etc. Plus I find it helps if you stay somewhere nice to begin with as then you look at your new "working away" location more positively than if you stay in squalor from the start. During this 2 week period I then look for a cheaper option such as a recommended B&B, an Inn with a decent restaurant nearby or more likely renting (ensuring my contract meets my work contract in terms of notice etc.) mainly because I prefer to cook myself a meal a few times a week rather than the lonely meal out with a paper/book etc.

[Soho]

I can recommend some hotels in Basingstoke:

Red Lion Hotel (B&B)
Apollo Hotel
Holiday Inn Basingstoke
Fernbank Hotel (Bed & Breakfast)
The Basingstoke Hotel
The Hampshire Court Hotel - Qhotels
Central Point Apartments, Basingstoke
Premier Inn Basingstoke West
Innkeeper's Lodge Basingstoke

[philo]

Thanks for the tips

Already got to the carrier bags so looking to upgrade!

[FiveTimes]

I ordered Targus TSB700EU City Gear Rolling back in 2014, its a solid bag. It can hold two laptops
Its large enough for a laptop plus a washbag and 2 days worth of clobber.
Plus its got a retractable handle so you can wheel it if you want

[darmstadt]

Laptop and clothes sorted, cheap and replaceable:

[SueEllen]

Staples used to do some nice backpacks with enough space for a couple of days.

Random ones still do.

[TheFaQQer]

Odd question but can anyone recommend a decent backpack or mobile office bag for laptop, bit of paperwork & enough clothes for a 2 night stay - just to save me having a laptop bag and suitcase\holdall?

Travelling by train otherwise i'd just lump it in car. Home - London straight to office and probably back the next evening sometimes 2 nights away.

Staples used to do some nice backpacks with enough space for a couple of days.

Failing that, get a wheelie one and a TYLT Energi backpack that slides onto the handle and has an internal battery that means you can charge your devices while on the move too.

[WTFH]

I have a samsonite carry-on bag and a slip case for the laptop. That's enough for a 3 day trip, and I throw the laptop into the bag for transport. For shorter trips I have a backpack with a laptop section.
I've also got a Lowepro camera backpack that can take a 17" laptop in one section and is big enough for a lot of camera gear (or several days of clothes)

[SueEllen]

Odd question but can anyone recommend a decent backpack or mobile office bag for laptop, bit of paperwork & enough clothes for a 2 night stay - just to save me having a laptop bag and suitcase\holdall?

Travelling by train otherwise i'd just lump it in car. Home - London straight to office and probably back the next evening sometimes 2 nights away.

I have an osprey backpac which has a laptop compartment. It's quite large about 40l.

I also have a smaller I think 20l lowe alpine one with a laptop compartment.

I got them both from an outdoor shop. (The shop changed name between the time I I brought them.) So would suggest you go into a decent one and have a look.

Personally I prefer using a separate very slim laptop bag when travelling by train long distance - there are loads on Amazon - that way I can put my clothes up on a shelf but keep my laptop on me while on the train. Shorter train journeys I would use one of the bags as it ends up between my legs.