ginny

Hi to all!!<BR><BR>I am in the early stages of planning a trip in the spring (April 26th to May 10th) to Wales and Scotland. We do self-catering and have pretty much decided on the places to stay in both countries. <BR><BR>At the moment our plan is to stay the first week in a cottage in Llwyndafydd, Nr. New Quay, Cardiganshire, Wales, then head up to a cottage in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland.<BR><BR>My question....what is the best way to get from Wales to Scotland???? We will have a rental car in both places, but I do not want to drive that long distance. What about trains???? Any suggestions????? <BR><BR>The cottages rent from Saturday to Saturday in both places. I have been told that to take a train from this location in Wales to Scotland would require numerous changes and would take about 10 hours. Is this right?? I love the train rides, but, not for 10 hours!!!!!<BR><BR>

Danna

Ginny, what a fun trip at a great time! I don't know anything about your beginning or destination points, but I'm quite sure that train is not an option. We took the Coach (ie bus) throughout Scotland and NI and Republic Ireland and found it very handy and fun. There was the crazed driver in the fog this last time from Edinburgh to Dumfries, but we try to forget that ride. Check out the Coach, you get to sit back, enjoy the view meet folk and pay a whole bunch less money than you would on all other forms of transport. Have a grand time!

Nigel Doran

I would have thought that the estimate of ten hours is about right. Go to www.thetrainline.com and see whether you can phone them fo rdetails. It might need you to do that as you won't necessarily know what stations are the right ones for your destination. Why not drive, but stop over in Durham or the Lake District. Factor in an extra day for the travelling.

janis

I would definitely drive it. Catch the M6 and head north - in Scotland it becomes the A/M74. Then om the east side ofGlasgow cut over to the A/M80 to Stirling and then the A84 thru Callander, on to Loch Tay and Aberfeldy (or you could take the A9 and come into Aberfeldy from the east)<BR><BR>This would be a long drive but almost all is motorway/dual carriageway, and it would be a mostly easy drive. I'd guess it at about 450 miles. On narrow UK roads this WOULD be too far but not on this route of fast motorway driving. It would take about 7.5 hours straight driving so if you stop once or twice along the way figure about 9 hours.

Sheila

I think the two options janis and Nigel have given are about right. The drive would be long but not a killer. But you could easily break it en route.<BR><BR>I really think it depends on your frame of mind. I suspect you may find bus connections are worse than trains. You could fly to Edinburgh? and drive on from there.<BR><BR>Incidentally I did routes for day trips all round Aberfeldy for a Fodorite a year or so ago. If you'd like them, email me and I'll send them to you

ginny

Oh WOW....thanks to all of you...some great info and ideas to look into...it is much appreciated!!!<BR><BR>Danna: We will be starting and ending the trip in London and usually pad the end with an extra day or two to recover. The spring and early fall are our favorite times...thanks for your input!!!!<BR><BR>Nigel: I will check out the train site! Maybe we should look into the Friday to Friday cottage lets in Wales so as to allow us that extra day to travel before going to the cottage in Scotland...thank-you!<BR><BR>Janis: Thank-you for that great route plan!!!! I have driven over in the UK a number of times and don't mind it at all, but, for some reason was always a bit leary of the motorways...but, this sounds GREAT...thank-you so very much!!!!<BR><BR>Sheila: I will definitely be e-mailing you as I'm not very familiar with Scotland...YET!!!!! Driving it may be worth considering...I'm an early riser anyway and as long as the owners of the property don't mind a late arrival, then this may be the way to go. Will also check out flying as one of the other travelers had mentioned that!!!!<BR><BR>Again, to all of you...thank-you so much for your responses!!!!

Sheila

Ginny<BR><BR>I think it will take a lot less than 10 hours to drive. Maybe 8? I'll check when I've got an atlas to hand and post again

sylvia

According to the RAC route planner it will take you 8 hours and 40 minutes.<BR>If you go to http://www.rac.co.uk/<BR>they will give you a detailed route.<BR>Personally, I'd break the journey and stay overnight in somewhere like the Lake District.<BR>BTW, I hope Fodors won't delete this posting. For some reason they've taken a dislike to URLs. I don't know why because it doesn't breach copyright.

ginny

Thank-you again Sheila and thank-you Sylvia for that web site. I have book marked it and will check it out!!!!<BR><BR>And, I am definitely going to suggest to my traveling companions, breaking the trip up. As it stands right now, both cottages we have decided on in Wales and Scotland are on a Saturday to Saturday let, so I would have to look into the Friday to Friday lets in Wales. Whatever the outcome, I am not against doing it in one day as I have already had quite a long adventure trying to get someplace on a trip 4 years ago...and if I survived that, then I can survive anything!<BR><BR>Again, thank-you to all for your most helpful and appreciated advice!

janis

ginny - two things to consider if you cannot find a friday/friday rental you like in Wales: The cottages are so economical you could "eat" the friday night in Wales. If you really want to leave on ffriday you can and find a nice B&B enroute to Perthshire. This would not be my first choice but have done it a time or two when things just didn't work out. You do have to clear out of the cottage by 10AM on Sat so you are really only out the small cost of one extra night.<BR><BR>Also, there are a FEW cottages in Scotland that rent from Sunday to Sunday. it is rare - but almost as many as Friday/friday.<BR><BR>As for sticking with Sat/Sat - you must leave the one cottage a 10 AM at the latest and can't usually get into the new place until 4-6PM. If you get on the road by 7:30 or 8AM you will get to Aberfeldy by check in time - just about a perfect setup.

ginny

Thank-you Janis! You're input is again very much apprciated!! <BR><BR>The place in Wales that I found to rent does offer some Friday to Friday lets, but my Mom (who is one of my traveling buddies) has her heart set on a certain cottage. <BR><BR>We have also left a cottage a day early in order to get to another location without breaking our necks, so that is a possiblity, but like you said, not my first choice either. As it stands right now, we'll plan on leaving the cottage very early and take it from there. That is as long as we find a suitable car rental that will allow us to pick up in one area (Wales)and drop off in another (Scotland). <BR><BR><BR>This should be FUN!!!!!!!<BR><BR><BR> <BR>