Driving to and within Scotland
 

I am planning a drive from London to Scotland and wish to visit Glasgow, Inverness and Edinburgh. I can only stay one night in Scotland as I have other plans after that. Can anyone tell me which is the order that is the most convenient to visit these three places so that travelling time and distance is shortened? I also hope for someone to give me a clue on how long it takes to get from Central London to Scotland. Thanks:)

It would take around 7 hours to drive from London to Glasgow. Add another 3 hours or so to Inverness, about the same back to Edinburgh, and then another 7 hours back to London. Of course, should you wish to stop the car at least once and take a look around it would take considerably longer. I really don't think you are going to do this with just an overnight stop in Scotland! If you really want to see some of Scotland and only have a few days you should think about flying from London to either Glasgow or Edinburgh to give yourself a chance.

Scotland is too far from London and too diverse a country to only spend one night. You'd be better off to just stay in London.

thanks to the both of u for your advice... i think i might rethink my options then... by the way, does anyone know which airline offers the cheapest flights to scotland?

Your original plan should be out of the question; not a chance. If you are in London with a day to spare, why don't you think a bit more locally? If you MUST go to Scotland from London for a day (?), you could arguably take the Midnight train to Waverly Station (Edinburgh) and a late train back.

Unless you are a mad driver I'd put London-Edinburgh at a minimum of 8 hours and anything up to 12 or 13 depending on the time of day & traffic.

For flights between Edinburgh and London check BA (flights from Heathrow & Gatwick), bmi (Heathrow) and Easyjet (Gatwick & Stansted). Although theoretically BA & bmi are full service airlines nad Easyjet is a cheapie, it's worth checking all 3 -I've most often found bmi the cheapest.

Do you have a particular reason for wanting to visit Inverness ? It's not very scenic. Also, are you just interested in cities/towns, or do you want to see some of the countryside too ? If the latter you could consider flying to Edinburgh, getting the train to Glasgow, hiring a car to drive up north to see some countryside then flying back to London from Inverness. But not with only one night available, even if by that you mean 2 full days.

With only that amount of time I'd fly to Edinburgh or Glasgow, stay in that one city and fly back the next day.

It's only an hour from London (Stansted) to Prestwick (Glasgow) on a cheap Ryanair flight. You can pick up a car there. I go along with Caroline. Allow 8-13 hours for the drive. More if there is a traffic jam anywhere, and there usually is. Lots to see up in Scotland. Have a few days or so there instead of going all that way for just a quick look.

This is one of the silliest ideas I have sen on the Fodor's web site. Stay in London and take a day to visit Cambridge or Bath, but forget putting your life at risk by driving long distances at excessive speeds in order to accomplish very little.

I have done that drive 5 times. It takes a day each way, with no stops except gas, food and toilet. All you will see is break lights both ways. Do not do it. If you must see something in Scotland, then fly to Edinburgh as suggested above. Edinburgh will entertain you for the time you will spend there. There is much to do. If you really want to go to Glasgow, the bus does the trip in about an hour from Edinburgh for around 5 pounds.

hey thanks all for your advice... i have decided not to go to Scotland after all... i think i would probably just take a short drive around or near London... anyway are there any toll charges for the roads up to either York or Bath?

Why are you set on driving anywhere. W/ just one day out of London -- public transport (trains or buses) are much better options for places like Bath, York, Oxford, or Cambridge.

Just the time it takes to get to the rental agency, get the paperwork sorted out, and getting out of London could take a couple of hours and the same on the way back. In two hours you could be in York by train, or in 90 mins you could be in Bath -- long before you could be out in the country if you were driving.

Hi, there. tell us what your motivations are and maybe we can give you some advice as to how to best use the available time.

I'm actually now just thinking on taking a day trip out of london (starting early in the morning) and coming back by 7 pm in the night... are there any suggestions on what are the more suitable places to go sightseeing with the time that i have? Thanks.

Wow, what can one say?

well, what are you interested in?

There are at least a dozen worthwhile day trips out of LOndon - easily done by train (so you don't have to go through all the hassle of renting a car for the day and driivng through all that traffic in London.

If you tell us your interests people can make suggestions.

Reasonable options are:

Windsor Caste
Greenwich (Prime Meridian and Naval Museum)
Hampton court Palace
Bath
Stonehenge
Oxford
Cambridge

Any decent guidebook will give you details.

York is very intresting - but I think too far for a day trip -esp if you want to combine it with Castle Howard.

You want to look for something that is 2 hours of less by train.

Sorry - and this is advice from someone who has done dozens of road trips in europe, including 4 in the UK.

I think you need to read a couple of guidebooks or search on here for things that sound interesting. And look at a map. First you wanted to drive up to see Glasgow/Inverness/Edinburgh in one day/night (!). Then you wanted to take a short drive around London.

Read up a bit - then come back w/ some more focused/sensible questions. We can't very well help much unless you do a bit of homework and tell us the sorts of things you enjoy, when the trip is, just SOMETHING we can work w/