marsham

We are unfamiliar with the United Kingdom and fear that we are doing too much. Prior to an exciting voyage on the QM2 in July, we are spending a week (or so).

Flying directly into Edinburgh, we want to take a short tour of the city and then drive out to St. Andrews and back to Edinburgh for dinner and sleep. Waking in the moring and driving to the Highlands for one night. Then driving to a point (unknown) where I can return the rental car and take a ferry to Ireland, staying in Dublin vacinity. After two nights in Dublin, ferry across to Wales or Bath and spend two nights there. Then, drive to Southampton to board the ship.

My wife says that this is way, way too aggressive.

rex

Your wife seems to be "spot on" in my opinion.

Why ferry? www.ryanair.com can fly you for a song.

Best wishes,

Rex

bbib

Definately way too much - you are going to be too exhausted to appreciate what you plan to see, or should I say glimpse!

janis

Please listen to your wife.Not only is it waaaay too aggressive - it is almost undoable.

Some things to think about:

After an overnight transatlantic flight you may be in no condition to drive. You might get lots of sleep on the plane of course, but that is the exception. You would be better off spending the first day in Edinburgh withoit a car getting over the jet lag. Even if you arrive in Edinburgh very early in the AM - you need a MINIMUM of 5 or 6 hours to see even the least little bit of the city. Then you want to drive to St Andrews - I assume you'll want to see at least the Old Course, the cathedral and the castle. So for the drive over/back and touring St Andrews you need to allow another 6 hours MINIMUM. All this after a sleepless flight? Not my idea of fun

Then you want to drive north to the "Highlands" (a very big place), and the next day drive all the way down to Stranraer in far SW Scotland, catch a ferry to Belfast Northern Ireland and then get to Dublin, take a ferry over to Wales and find your way to Southampton.

You need to look at a map - you'll be in 5 countries (including N. Ireland) - and go all the way from Edinburgh to the north to N. Irelan to Ireland to Wales to southern England

This is totally nutty -- sorry but I do try to be realistic.

Either spend your week in Scotland - or skio scotland and fly into Ireland.

janis

Oops - that should be "skip" scotland . . . .

sheila

Could I suggest a minor alteration that would make this more doable, and fun, and somewhat less expensive too.

When you get into Edinburgh, spend the day and evening in the city. use the hop on hop off bus to see as much or as little as you want.

Then, next day, take one of the one or two day tours to the "Highlands". Rabbie's and Haggis Backpackers and LRT all do it. (these are minibuses and very personal, not big bus tours) If you're feeling flush after all this money I'm saving you, hire a driver instead (if you do that, you can organise your route so that you come back via St Andrews and tick that box too.

Next morning (Day 3 or day 4, I'm not sure) take a flight by Easyjet tobelfast and pick up your car there to drive to Dublin. That gets you to do all the things you were planning to (except maybe st Andrews), you save the cost of car hire- which you realy don't need, believe me- and you don't endanger yourselves or the residents with driving while a tad sleepy. Hope this helps.