cider43

American family of six going from Derby to Mull in July. Any suggestions on best way to manage this with two little ones? Drive vs. public transport.

janisj

How many days do you have for the journey? It would take a minimum of 2 days to drive (about 11 hours 'car time' to say Fionnphort without any sightseeing en route)

You'd have to rent a very large vehicle to fit 6 plus their luggage and car seats.

But train to Glasgow, train to Oban, ferry to Mull would find you on the isle without a vehicle (there are buses on Mull but they aren't an efficient way to get around)

Perhaps there are some missing details and you aren't planning on just Derby and Mull but seeing some things in between ?

ESW

With two little ones and luggage, the train isn't going to be particularly easy either...

I'm not quite sure why janisj is working on Fionnphort as that is on the far west of Mull and the ferry port for Iona.

Derby to Oban, the ferry port for Mull is about 380 miles, just over 600km. This could be done in a day but it would be a very long drive, depending on how well the little ones are in a car. We are talking 8 hours + and then you need to add in stops.

If you do decided to go to Oban by train, it is possible to hire a car once you get to Mull. Mull Car Hire have a seven seater but you would have to check whether they provide car seats for the children.
http://www.mullcarhire.co.uk/Self-Dr...2057644%29.htm

There is also Mull Self Drive but the website doesn't give any indication as to size of car.
http://www.mullselfdrive.co.uk/index.html

Both would meet you at the Craignure Ferry terminal.

janisj

Simple - I chose Fionnphort because 90% of Americans who visit Mull do it to see Iona.

Thus Fionnphort.

ESW

Point taken, but that is assuming the only purpose of going to Mull is to visit Iona... We don't know this.

sheila

Derby to Oban where you get the ferry is an 8 hour drive without stops.

I would want a car. But I might choose to take two days to do that trip

bilboburgler

Sheila, I think 8 hours might be a bit tight.

You could catch a bus to Glasgow and then hire a car, but that doesn't really help just keeps the carbon footprint down a bit.

I think hire a car and stare out of the window.

janisj

8 hours for some of us maybe . . . But for a family of six and most likely visiting/ driving for the first time, my guess is more like 10 w/ a rest stop or two.

BritishCaicos

The main tidal gate in this passage is the ferry to Mull. Last year during the week the last ferry left at 4:15pm in summer. From Derby you would have to leave at around 6am by train, changing in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

By car, the main variable is your driving style. I've driven 750,000 miles around Britain. The thought of any journey taking more than a day is alien to me. However, to achieve longer distances in good times you clearly need to limit stops and be prepared to drive at 80mph. If your family can cope with a long journey then setting off early and making the last ferry will not be an issue.

The between Derby and Preston on the M6 motorway is simply terrible. I have taken 5 hours to drive 50 miles. Outside peak times you can easily average 70-80 mph.

What is your itinerary outside this journey?

Costs make have a bearing on all this. 6 train tickets need to be booked well in advance, leave it to the last minute and you could be paying £100 plus per ticket.

Taking a car over to Mull is expensive, around £150 in July.

One option would be to take the train to Oban, use the ferry as cheap foot passangers (£7 each) and then hire a large campervan on Mull (£700 a week for 6 berth).

We are booking the camper for next May.

The roads on Mull are some of the worst in Britain. It is very tiring to be based in one town and make return day trips on the island. Touring makes far more sense.

Mull is quiet simply my favourite place in Britain.

Packed with stunning scenery, wildlife and history.

historytraveler

I think BritishCaicos offers the best plan. Take the train to Oban. Tickets for this route are fairly reasonable. Go as foot passengers to Mull, then rent a large van of some sort. I'm sure they can meet you with van at ferry port ( Craignure ) Whether a camper van or just large van for transportation depends on how long you plan to spend on Mull.

I too love Mull. There's much more to the isle than just the trip to Iona.

janisj

That might be a good plan, but I do think we need the OP to come back and fill in some of the blanks. 'Just' Derby and 'just' Mull is a fairly unusual itinerary. What are the bits in between and after. Could make a huge difference re the best plan.

historytraveler

My thoughts exactly. It does seem a bit odd. An important question is how long on Mull. I would assume with such a long journey from Derbyshire, they plan on staying on Mull for several days, but who knows? It certainly doesn't make for a day trip. Taking a few days to travel the distance would make sense too, especially with little ones. Lots of great possibilities for stopovers.

BritishCaicos

Sorry Mull is quite simply. It is quiet as well!

http://www.mullcampervans.co.uk

They are great people and the larger van accommodates six.

No issues in Scotland with parking overnight on any public roads or car parks, there are some stunning spots on Mull.

bilboburgler

You'll find driving on the motorways is limited to 70 mph while the other roads are limited to lower speeds.

I'd avoid breaking the law. While certainly in the lower half of the journey the cars in front will restrict you.