London/Newcastle trip
 

We're traveling from the US to Newcastle for a wedding this September, with a few extra days in London after the wedding. In planning the trip we seem to have options to fly through Amsterdam to Newcastle or fly directly to London and then take the train up (return flight would be through Heathrow either way).

Weighing customs/immigration/connecting flights in Amsterdam and then NCL vs. flying directly to Heathrow then train to King's Cross then train to Newcastle, does anyone have any recommendations? We can save some $$ by flying through Heathrow both ways though flying directly to NCL has its advantages too. Thank you for any advice!

There's no Customs or Immigration in Amsterdam if you're on a same-ticket connection to Newcastle.

Assuming prices are roughly the same, flying to NCL via Schiphol is a complete no-brainer. I can't see a single advantage in transiting Heathrow

BA via Heathrow, KLM via Amsterdam, and Air France via CDG all offer good connecting flights up to Newcastle. If the price and times are convenient then Schipol is a good airport through which to transfer. Though if you intend to fly back to the US from London that would probably give the advantage back to BA. But look for multi city flights from the US to NCL then from LHR back to the US.

There's no advantage in taking the train up to Newcastle after a transatlantic flight. But if you want to visit London after the wedding then buy your train tickets to London ASAP here https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/

And finally, just in case this works, United fly non-stop from Newark to Newcastle until 7 September.

>>then train to King's Cross then train to Newcastle<<

There is no train from LHR to KingsX. You'd either have to take the tube across London, a train to Paddington then a taxi, bus or tub to KingsX, or a long drive w/ a car service.

IMO connecting through Amsterdam is a no brainer. Then train from Newcastle down to London. Book your train tix as soon as your dates are set -- discounted tickets are released 12 weeks out and you are already inside that window.

<<discounted tickets are released 12 weeks out>>

for those who like to plan ahead, virgineastcoast now release tickets between stations north of York and London 24 weeks ahead.

https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.co...ance-bookings/

later bookings on that east coast route are becoming increasingly costly.

Oh -- thanks for the info -- used to be 12 weeks - right?

I'm traveling Glasgow > York and York > London next month and got cheap-ish tix in early June.

yes - it's still 12 weeks at weekends and bank holidays, and I'm not aware of any other train company offering Advance tickets this far out.

<<There is no train from LHR to KingsX.>>

Come on now. The OP probably means the Tube - the Piccadilly goes direct to Kings X, just takes a bloody hour. Not everyone is precise about train/tube distinctions.

Well -- I sorta did assume they meant a <i>real</i> train. My guess is they probably weren't talking about schlepping wedding luggage on the tube. But in any case -- either way it is a schlepp.

Transferring at Amsterdam would be faster and MUCH easier.

Doesn't OP have the option to fly to Newcastle from Heathrow???

It would be far more sensible than hauling yourself & luggage across half of London then train.

"Doesn't OP have the option to fly to Newcastle from Heathrow???"

Of course. But who'd want to queue up for hours to go through UK immigration at peak LHR non-European arrival time, then again for security and then probably - even on a single-ticket booking - get bussed halfway round SE England to another terminal when they can just stroll across a concourse at AMS?

Self-evidently, the sane choice is between flying from LHR and flying from AMS. But, unless there are considerations not disclosed to us, transferring at LHR is almost as horrible as schlepping into town to catch a train.

Thank you all so much for your help! Amsterdam it is.