howard

I plan to be in Edinburgh in late August. I think my next destination will be Amsterdam. I confess I haven't looked at the map yet, but I'm wondering if I can cover the distance by boat. If so, does it make sense?

Danna

howard,
We took a ferry from Amsterdam to Newcastle overnight. DFDS sealines. they have a website with booking capacities. They are a little short on info regarding getting to and coming from the ship, but Ben Haines will help with that! Thanks Ben Haines! We met friends from Edinburgh who took the same ferry, don't think one goes directly to Edinburgh! Have Fun!

Diane

Are you set on a boat? EasyJet now flies between Edinburgh and Amsterdam, an hour flight for low fares - I don't remember how much. We'll be flying from Amsterdam to EDI in a few weeks with them.

Danna

Howard, the question of if you are set on a boat is interesting. For us, the cost of the ferry with 2 meals, room and bus & train travel was worth it. I looked at the costs of airfare too. Check them both out. We found that an overnight with meals was worth it. However, one never knows about the seas. We were lucky with a calm sea.... take dramamine just in case. Have Fun!

Tony Hughes

Rosyth (near edinburgh)is a classic example of a perfect deepwater port alas the british government have decreed all scots must drive to england to cross to mainland europe by boat (you see, it means we spend money on fuel, lodging and food in england and not up here). Ben Haines can cry in his soup all he likes but its true.

take a plane.

Ben Haines

Sorry I'm late. On weekdays trains leave Edinburgh Waverkley station on the hour and on the half hour and are timetabled to take 90 minutes to Newcastle. (Until Easter I think they are taking about two hours, due to track repair work). Busses leave Newcastle station at 1515 and 1545, and boats leave Newcastle International Ferry Terminal at 1730. They reach Ijmuiden next day at 0930, and busses run from there to central Amsterdam.

Mr Hughes: I'm dry-eyed. I wanted a Scottish Parliament, and now they sit it will be up to them to press for what Scotland needs. If they haven't enough powers they should demand them.

I'm a bit lost as to logistics. How long is the drive from Edinburgh to Newcastle ? Three hours ? I don't see where a hotel is needed, nor even a meal (especially as Scotland has the better food, on the whole). And again, are you sure of the economics ? I vaguely thought that to get a decently full boat each night the company chose a port within three or four hours of the Midlands of both Scotland and England, and of populous Lancashire and Yorkshire. Was I wrong again ? I do like the idea of the wicked british government (no capital letters for them !), surely dressed in top hats and fur coats, wickedly "decreeing" the oppression of the Scots. Well, of the other Scots, in the case of Tony Blair.

Jolly good show.

Ben Haines, London