Steph

My daughter will be studying in Scotland for five weeks in the summer of 2002. I am looking for an inexpensive way for me and a friend of hers to visit her while she is there studying (or after her classes are through). I have never been abroad, so seeing London/England or Scotland is a treat. Also, I have a cousin in Manchester, so that could be good for a night or two free lodging. Which is the least expensive alternative: <BR> <BR>fly directly to Edinburgh <BR> <BR>fly to London and rent a car <BR> <BR>fly to London and take the train? <BR> <BR>Any suggestions?

Danella

It has always come out cheaper for us to fly into London and then rent a car. <BR>Some flights land right in Manchester so you could check that out. Also look at the website for EasyJet as they have cheap flights between European cities.

janis

Because of the competition you can usually get the best airfares into London. But you could fly into Manchester - have your cousin put you up for a few days and take you around to the Peak District, Chatsworth, etc. Then you could pick up a rental car (at Manchester airport) to drive up to Scotland and tour around, staying in B&Bs which are really inexpensive and wonderful. Then loop back to Manchester to fly home. A rental car will be cheaper than trains for two or three sharing. <BR> <BR>If you wanted to visit London - skip the rec. of flying into Manchester. Go to London, take a coach (bus) to Manchester (or train if it fits in the budget), visit w/ your cousin and then do the car rental to Scotland as above. <BR> <BR>Accomodations in Scotland (other than in Edinburgh) are very inexpensive so you could do this pretty cheaply.

xxx

On a recent trip, we opted to fly into Manchester and out of London. It did cost a bit more. But we found that the benefits outweighed the cost as we wanted to begin our trip a bit to the north. Flying into Manchester allowed us to NOT have to deal with the bustle of a huge airport immediately upon landing. It also allowed us to skip the thought of having to deal with yet another few hours of traveling out of London after landing. It was very easy to pick up a rental car at the Manchester airport without being overwhelmed. Of course, you also have the luxury of having your relatives pick you up.

Sheila

So you have to be from New Jersey? Great name!! <BR> <BR>Lots of people seem to think the Icelandair flights from the North East into Glasgow are the best value at certain times of the year. No personal experience. <BR> <BR>Easy public transport links from Glasgow to Edinburgh and from Glasgow to Manchester