Car or Train for 4? London-Salisbury-Stirling/Edinburgh

Just for information, what you're probably running into is that the March rail tickets went on sale some time ago, so most of the cheaper options may no longer be available.

Have you checked to be sure there's no viable budget flight option into either Edinburgh or Glasgow? In Salisbury you're fairly close to the Bristol, Southampton, and Cardiff airports.

Wow, I am floored by some of those airfares ($25!).

So if we went via air, would you recommend train to Salisbury and the airport in Bristol or Southhampton? Or just get the car for two days, pick up at Heathrow and drop at the other airport?

Again, appreciate your insight.

Be aware that with low cost air fares you will have to add in the cost of hold luggage - but it may still work out your cheapest option.

Salisbury to Stirling is likely to be a 9-10 hour drive plus any stops that you make plus any potential traffic delays, so this could easily be a 12 hour journey.

Rail fares are usually cheaper after 9.30/10am and your children will be half price. I am surprised that the train works out much more expensive than one way car hire, but fares have been available for a month. Flying maybe a quicker option, but you will have to factor in the costs of getting to and from the airport at each end.

Your friends who live in England will probably give you some coaching on UK traffic rules, but be aware that a long-distance drive the length of Great Britain is vastly different from California's I-5. For one thing, you're expected to stay in the slow lane except when passing (overtaking). People do often exceed the speed limits, but you still can't make time the way you do in CA because of frequent junctions and occasional roundabouts.

remember to split the train fares for the cheapest fares. check each segment separately, to Waterloo, from Kings Cross, perhaps split at Doncaster or York, and to Stirling.

The road between Salisbury and Edinburgh is a good road. 342 miles between the two. I always rent a car. With a car if you see something interesting en route you can always stop. You can't do that on a train. If you rent a car specify you want an automatic when making the reservation, otherwise you'll be shifting on the left. Also, trunks and storage in most European cars is less than in the states so carry smaller suitcases (carry-on size). It's easy to get into Edinburgh by bus from the airport. In Edinburgh, if you have time, take the bus out to Rosslyn chapel (seen in the Da Vinci Code movie).