Train or Rental Car - London to Scotland
 

We are a family of 5, and are staying in London for 4 days (close to Nottinghill), and then heading out to Scotland for 3 more days, with a possible stop in York along the way. We deciding whether to take the train or rent a car. We are not sure how comfortable we are about driving through the city of London to get to Scotland. Can anyone suggest a car rental that would be close access to the highway?

Sorry? Can you just clarify something, please?

Are you going to travel to Scotland and then spend three days there, then travel back?

Or do you have a total of three days including the travelling time?

We are travelling to Scotland to spend three full days there, and then taking an additional day to travel back to London.

Tracie,

I can tell you that we did this trip both ways and the train is the way to go. We took the night train (it leaves from Euston Station at about 9:00 PM)to Fort William and then drove back to London from Glascow. Unless you are very framilar with the English countryside, driving is a waste of time. Getting directions is nearly impossible, but you could get a GPS system in the car. Also, can you drive a manual transmission while driving on the left side of the road?

The night train is comfortable and fairly inexpensive as long as you can be flexible. I would travel to Scotland and depending on what you wanted to see, rent a car there if you need to and take the train back to London.

Just my opinion. Happy travels.

Greg

tracie3: First I think you need to look at a map. &quot;<i>We are not sure how comfortable we are about driving through the city of London to get to Scotland</i>&quot; That makes it sound like one leaves London and before you know it - there is Scotland. There are hundreds of miles in between.

You'd have to drive an <b>entire</b> day to to get to Edinburgh. And then another entire day driving back -- all for just 3 days in the city.

And if you plan on visiting York you are talking about 2 full days (3 is better) up and a full day back. (5 or more hours to York, sightsee a few hours, stay the night, a couple more hours in the city and then 4 or 5 hours on to Edinburgh)

No, you don't want to drive. But th etrain will be pretty expensive - especially if you want to break your journey in York.

What is the rest of your itinerary like? Can you fly open jaw into London and out of Edinburgh (or vice versa) so you would not have to travel the length of the country twice.

&lt;&lt;&lt; But the train will be pretty expensive - especially if you want to break your journey in York &gt;&gt;&gt;

from about &pound;10 to York &amp; a similar amount to Edinburgh from York - see www.gner.co.uk &amp; book about 6 weeks in advance when the cheap fares are released. Bargain berths on the sleeper trains run from about &pound;20 one way

For the OP, driving to even the southernmost parts of Scotland (eg Edinburgh / Glasgow) from London is about 8 hours non-stop driving. To to get to Inverness it's around 10 hours.

Note this is by the most direct - and generally boring route possible. If you want to do any sightseeing then add time to that.

Options -

Day train - 4h30m to Edinburgh / Glasgow. A flight to either would take a similar amount of time.

Sleeper train - for Edinburgh / Glasgow you'd do the travelling overnight arriving about 7:00am. For further north it would be nearer to 11:00am

Flight - Inverness has an airport so you could get the last flight of the day from Gatwick or Luton to Inverness, hire a car there &amp; drive down to Edinburgh / Glasgow over the next couple of days. Then either take a flight or train down to London

You might be able to get a multi city ticket which will allow you to fly into London and out of either Edinburgh or Glasgow back home

websites to look at

www.gner.co.uk
www.firstscotrail.co.uk
www.whichbudget.com

alanRow: I didn't mean individual train tix would be expensive - but since there are 5 of them, the total will add up.

I'd assume that at least 2 of them would be under 16

Perhaps the www.family-railcard.co.uk would help

The train from London to Edinburgh is approximately 41/2 hrs &amp; is a comfortable and at times very scenic ride. I've done this trip three times the last being May '06. We fly into London, arriving in the morning and make our way to the train staion (Kings Cross) board the train and relax, doze, rest, eat and arrive in Edinburgh feeling very refreshed. We get a Britrail pass as we use it for the return trip, the Heathrow or Gatwick express from and back to the airport. For 5 people you could get a party pass that allows the 3rd through the 9th passenger a cheaper rate (I think 50% lower) we have found this the most comfortable way to go.

Definitely train. Even if you get off in York.