I am leaving Atlanta to Manchester arriving at 7AM, and I want to go to Edinburg the same day if possible. There is a flight at 8:40AM direct, but I am not sure if that is enough time to clear customs. We plan on taking just a carryon.
If not possible then I can consider going to another city in Scotland first. I plan on staying in Scotland for 15 days total.
Posted by
Houston
3521 posts
You should only worry about clearing Passport Control. Customs is a non-event where you simply walk through unless you are bringing large quantities of merchandise with you. :-)
Manchester airport is fairly small, but for me only an hour and a half might be cutting it too close if the tickets are not on the same airline and itinerary. If your inbound flight runs late or there is a backup at Passport Control, you could miss your connection.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Lidia, What is the minimum check-in time for your flight to Edinburgh? For economy airlines it can be 1 hour or more even for short flights (=07:40).
As Mark says, it is not customs that is the issue, it is immigration (passport control), which takes place before you pick up your bags. For a non-EU national this could be 5 minutes or 45 minutes. Plus transatlantic flights could be 1 hour late (or 1 hour early), depending on winds. Plus you have to allow time to walk through the terminal and find the check-in counter for your onward flight..
I think you can do the arithmetic yourself.
Posted by
Royaume-Uni nul points, pas plus
2518 posts
You can take a train from Manchester airport to Edinburgh - plus if your flight is late you can take a later train then the one originally booked
scroll down the link below and look at the Easement section
https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/special-offers/manchester-airport/
Posted by
Chicago
7913 posts
as long as your flight arrives on time this should be enough time
go for it if the price to buy is so good you will not mind missing the flight
checkin online and print the boarding pass 24 hours in advance
Posted by
Freedonia
15257 posts
Cutting it close. Especially if your flight is late.
Passport Control, security and having to change terminals (Virgin at T2, Flybe at T3) adds to the time.
And, Flybe has very strict baggage limits on carry on. Smaller size than Virgin and combined weight of both carry on and personal item is 22 lbs.
There are direct trains from Manchester Airport to Edinburgh and only take 3 1/2 hours. You can relax after a long flight, walk around, enjoy the scenery, get something to eat or drink. It goes direct to the center of Edinburgh. The flight takes you to the airport and then you have to get to town. (It's easy but it does add time.)
You can take the risk but I suggest having a backup plan.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32929 posts
People in the Rick Steves forum often confuse the two.
I don't think that participants who have been here for very long do. Some new posters perhaps, especially those who have dealt with the TSA and have heard of US Customs. They are soon put right by experienced posters.