nyse

Given one week, how might one best visit both of these cities? My home airport is Chicago, so a flight into Manchester appears to be best option. And then, flight from Manchester to Edinburgh and then train to Liverpool? Or, bus from Manchester to Liverpool and then train or flight to
Edinburgh?
I would so appreciate advice from those with experience -- thank you!

bluestar

Me, I would book a roundtrip from the US into Edinburgh and then a roundtrip from Edinburgh to Liverpool on a low-cost UK airline. You say you are going to the UK for a week -- you could get to Edinburgh and stay 2 or 3 days, go down to Liverpool for a couple of days midweek, then back up to Edinburgh for a couple more before flying back to the States. From the US, it depends on which airline you want to use -- US Airways has nonstop flight to EDI from Philadelphia, Continental one from Newark. Other carriers have you changing planes in other (European) cities.

bluestar

correction: I don't see that USAirways flight anymore, so I don't know if that is history or just seasonal. I think I heard that Delta has a Atlanta - Edinburgh flight, at least at one time, but not sure if they still do. Continental definitely still does from Newark. Also, I was just looking at the Edinburgh Airport flight departures screen: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2z9ks8
and I don't see any flights for Liverpool, which means you would have to consider a train or flying into Manchester.

flanneruk

Liverpool has a terrific range of low-cost flights to all sorts of places in Ireland and continental Europe, but it's got lousy domestic plane connections and practically no scheduled intercontinental ones. Flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow haven't just been suspended: the operator's cancelled them because of no customer interest. Edinburgh's pretty lousy for intercontinental flights too.

The only same-airline link from North America to both cities is on Aer Lingus via Dublin, and you might find an open jaw ticket your best bet. The only realistic ways between the two are train or car: about 3 hours. If you can resist stopping off, that is: the scenery is really very good for more than half the route.

If flying via Manchester, there's a train straight from MCR airport to central Liverpool.

rogeruktm

Not sure why someone is giving you information about departure airports other that Chicago as you said you would be departing from. If your best best is flying into Manchester, go for it and from the airport you can bus or train to either Edinburgh or Liverpool. Me, I would fly, but the bus will be cheaper. You might check out National Express for bus schedules or National rail inquiries for the trains.

nyse

I appreciate all the responses, and thank you Rogeruktm for understanding that Chicago to Manchester was the starting point--
The sites to check for bus and train are helpful and I should be fine from here. Thanks!

bluestar

My apology for not being clearer -- I was suggesting a way to get you into EDI with a connection in a US airport (i.e. ORD > EWR > EDI) instead of being stuck transferring at an atrotious one (i.e. CDG, LHR) in Europe. But if you have a nonstop from ORD > MAN then that is a good option. Again, sorry for the confusion.

nyse

Thanks Bluestar for advice and one good possibility as suggested by flanneruk as well is openjaw -- fly into MAN and home from EDI. And probably a train to connect the two.

(I actually prefer European airports for connections -- all I've seen of Frankfurt is the airport, but I still am glad for that!) Thanks again.