London to Edinburgh
Feb 3rd, 2005, 11:01 AM
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London to Edinburgh
Driving from (London)Kings Cross to Edinburgh(St. Andrews British Open) and looking for best directions and different places to stop going there and coming back to London.
Feb 3rd, 2005, 12:12 PM
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3rd time you have asked this question in the past 10 days. We still don't know whether you are asking about a place to stop for lunch on one day journeys or whether you are asking about places to visit on multi-day journeys.
Feb 3rd, 2005, 12:23 PM
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If you have also posted on TripAdvisor then I'm assuming it will be a car journey. The A1 route described on the other posts are going to be the most scenic but with little time and just a one day journey then even at a constant 70mph you'll just get time for one brief stop. My suggestion is York or Durham. Pretty much the half way points.
Feb 3rd, 2005, 12:49 PM
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Well at least you aren't driving from LGW anymore. That helps a tiny bit. But are you are still wanting to drive up to Edinburgh, stay for 4 days and drive all the way back to London? Still does not make sense -- didn't on your other threads either.
If you insist on driving - then drive one direction and eithetr take the train or fly the other way.
For what you have planned (going to the British Open for 4 days), you don't need to drive from London. Flying would be cheaper than renting a car and paying for the petrol and would eat up a LOT less time/stress.
If you insist on driving - then drive one direction and eithetr take the train or fly the other way.
For what you have planned (going to the British Open for 4 days), you don't need to drive from London. Flying would be cheaper than renting a car and paying for the petrol and would eat up a LOT less time/stress.
Feb 3rd, 2005, 12:54 PM
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I actually think it will take longer from King's Cross than from Gatwick becuas ethe traffic in the centre of London at 8am is, not to put too fine apoint on it, congestion charging or no, sh**te (as they say on Father Ted.)
Take the train. As the old ad says- "Let the train take the strain"
Take the train. As the old ad says- "Let the train take the strain"
Feb 3rd, 2005, 11:55 PM
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I think we're going to have to conclude that you want to drive.
As between starting off at Kings Cross or Gatwick, I'd say you're about right: you can normally get the 20 miles out to the M25 from KX in about 75 mins, though you'll save a great deal of time if you leave before 0700. You'd be pushed to get round the M25 from Gatwick anything like that quickly at that time.
Unless you're very familiar with North London's back doubles to the M1 for the east coast route, you'll find it a great deal easier simply to head west along Euston Road to the M40. "Easier" is polite code for "you're in severe danger of wasting a couple of hours getting lost and stuck in traffic if you go the other way"
This matters, because my route commits you to the M40, M42, M6 Toll, M6, A74 west coast route to Edinburgh (as Edinburgh is west of London, the west coast route is actually faster). Save the east coast route for the return journey.
It's virtually impossible to stop off anywhere nice for an hour on either route: to get into York or Durham, find somewhere to park, find somwhere to eat, eat and do ten minutes' siteseeing will eat up at least 2.5 hours - and that assumes next to no time looking at their cathedrals.
So here's what I'd do. Northbound, I'd go the west coast route. I'd stop for coffee at the service station at J10 of the M40, and stock up on picnic food at the Marks and Spencer food store (M+S also have a food store at the Knutsford service station on the M6 between J18 and 19, but it's a horrible place to eat at, though like all M+S food branches it sells the best chain store picnic food in te world). I'd eat that picnic at the astonishingly pretty picnic spot at the back of the service station between J14 and 15 on the M6, about 150 miles north of London (only northbound: the southbound place is as horrid as the rest of the system). I'd do all this as fast as possible, so that when I got to the area round the Lake District, I could get off the motorway and meander north to Carlisle along the ordinary roads, then rejoin the fast system around Gretna.
If I wanted a spot of culture, I'd leave to M6 Toll at Lichfield, one of our least visited great cathedrals and the handiest to the motorway system. The cathedral was founded, BTW, by St Chad, patron saint of American elections (his election to office was allegedly gerrymandered too, though we don't know how much dangling he did), whose feast day last year was on SuperTuesday (I swear. He's still the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Birmingham)
Southbound, I'd take the east coast route and organise my time to allow a proper visit to both Durham and York, accepting that this means leaving early and arriving late, and that there'll be little time for goimng anywhere else.
People on this board sometimes recommend Cambridge or Stamford as stop off points. I doubt Cambridge is actually possible on a one-day journey: Stamford commits you to the slow, frequently congested A1 between York and London, rather than the M1 which (at any rate after the evening congestion has eased) is a great deal faster. It can't be combined with any proper visit to York or Durham on the same day
As between starting off at Kings Cross or Gatwick, I'd say you're about right: you can normally get the 20 miles out to the M25 from KX in about 75 mins, though you'll save a great deal of time if you leave before 0700. You'd be pushed to get round the M25 from Gatwick anything like that quickly at that time.
Unless you're very familiar with North London's back doubles to the M1 for the east coast route, you'll find it a great deal easier simply to head west along Euston Road to the M40. "Easier" is polite code for "you're in severe danger of wasting a couple of hours getting lost and stuck in traffic if you go the other way"
This matters, because my route commits you to the M40, M42, M6 Toll, M6, A74 west coast route to Edinburgh (as Edinburgh is west of London, the west coast route is actually faster). Save the east coast route for the return journey.
It's virtually impossible to stop off anywhere nice for an hour on either route: to get into York or Durham, find somewhere to park, find somwhere to eat, eat and do ten minutes' siteseeing will eat up at least 2.5 hours - and that assumes next to no time looking at their cathedrals.
So here's what I'd do. Northbound, I'd go the west coast route. I'd stop for coffee at the service station at J10 of the M40, and stock up on picnic food at the Marks and Spencer food store (M+S also have a food store at the Knutsford service station on the M6 between J18 and 19, but it's a horrible place to eat at, though like all M+S food branches it sells the best chain store picnic food in te world). I'd eat that picnic at the astonishingly pretty picnic spot at the back of the service station between J14 and 15 on the M6, about 150 miles north of London (only northbound: the southbound place is as horrid as the rest of the system). I'd do all this as fast as possible, so that when I got to the area round the Lake District, I could get off the motorway and meander north to Carlisle along the ordinary roads, then rejoin the fast system around Gretna.
If I wanted a spot of culture, I'd leave to M6 Toll at Lichfield, one of our least visited great cathedrals and the handiest to the motorway system. The cathedral was founded, BTW, by St Chad, patron saint of American elections (his election to office was allegedly gerrymandered too, though we don't know how much dangling he did), whose feast day last year was on SuperTuesday (I swear. He's still the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Birmingham)
Southbound, I'd take the east coast route and organise my time to allow a proper visit to both Durham and York, accepting that this means leaving early and arriving late, and that there'll be little time for goimng anywhere else.
People on this board sometimes recommend Cambridge or Stamford as stop off points. I doubt Cambridge is actually possible on a one-day journey: Stamford commits you to the slow, frequently congested A1 between York and London, rather than the M1 which (at any rate after the evening congestion has eased) is a great deal faster. It can't be combined with any proper visit to York or Durham on the same day
Feb 3rd, 2005, 11:57 PM
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Hi
Having driven up the A1 more times than I care to count (I live near York, have relatives down south), I would say that driving from Kings Cross to Edinburgh takes DOUBLE the time of the train journey at least. Of course with a car you can stop easily on the way at places that appeal, but you are looking at an 8 hour trip at least (I don't care what the routeplanners say, and that's a conservative estimate too) and it doesn't get the slightest bit 'scenic' on route until you are way, way up the country - Morpeth at least.
The rail service is very good - you are on GNER which has improved in leaps and bounds recently. The food served is better than in many restaurants, and the service is (usually) friendly and efficient. Go first class if you can afford it. If not, go standard but eat in the restaurant, and if they are not busy you can linger here. If they ARE busy then first class customers get preference and you will be shown back to your standard seat!
A small point - if you go by train do sit on the right. This is far better for viewing the scenery which gets beautiful as the track hugs the coast through Northumberland - you can see Lindisfarne (Holy Island) and some lovely rugged coast.
M
Having driven up the A1 more times than I care to count (I live near York, have relatives down south), I would say that driving from Kings Cross to Edinburgh takes DOUBLE the time of the train journey at least. Of course with a car you can stop easily on the way at places that appeal, but you are looking at an 8 hour trip at least (I don't care what the routeplanners say, and that's a conservative estimate too) and it doesn't get the slightest bit 'scenic' on route until you are way, way up the country - Morpeth at least.
The rail service is very good - you are on GNER which has improved in leaps and bounds recently. The food served is better than in many restaurants, and the service is (usually) friendly and efficient. Go first class if you can afford it. If not, go standard but eat in the restaurant, and if they are not busy you can linger here. If they ARE busy then first class customers get preference and you will be shown back to your standard seat!
A small point - if you go by train do sit on the right. This is far better for viewing the scenery which gets beautiful as the track hugs the coast through Northumberland - you can see Lindisfarne (Holy Island) and some lovely rugged coast.
M
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