planning a 3 week trip with my husband for 3 weeks, last week in August, 2 weeks in September 2018. We leave Baltimore , Maryland and fly to Heathrow - plan to spend a week there. We want to visit Amsterdam and Edinburg - for a week each.
In what order do we do this and which is cheaper? train within Europe of plane. I do not like Airports)
Is there a direct flight from either Scotland or Amsterdam to BWI(Baltimore MD) -
Posted by
11156 posts
Non stop flights from Edinburgh or Amsterdam to your area, look at Dulles and EWR.
Posted by
7662 posts
If you haven't purchased your tickets, go for open jaw, that is fly into Amsterdam, then fly back from Edinburg or London. Make your own arrangement to get from Amsterdam to London. There is a nice sleeper train from London to Edinburgh. A week is a bit much to see Edinburgh, but you can take in more of Scotland. St. Andrews is good and not far from Edinburgh.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6534 posts
The only direct flight from BWI is via British Air flight 0228 to London Heathrow (LHR). It leaves every day at 9:20pm. We take it every time we go to London. For other destinations in the UK or Europe we generally have a stop in either Philadelphia or Newark. If you don’t mind driving, there are more non-stop flights to Europe from Dulles. From BWI to Edinburgh (EDI) on United, you’ll go through Newark. Via British Air you’ll go through London. There is a United non-stop flight from Dulles (IAD) to Amsterdam (AMS) that departs at 6:30 pm. There is a lot of long term parking at Dulles but if you decide to use it, give yourself an extra hour to drive to it, get a spot, and catch the bus back to the airport (that’s in addition to the time it takes to fight the beltway traffic just getting to the airport).
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4044 posts
"Open jaw" is good advice, with a little translation from the travel agent jargon: It means multi-city or multi-destination. In other words, fly into one city, home from another. It can only be done with a multi-destination search function; these are not two one-way tickets. Probably the most choices for you would arise from the combination of London and Amsterdam, major international gateways. To move around between them, including Scotland:
www.skyscanner.com for cheap airlines, such as between Edinburgh and Amsterdam;
www.seat61.com the expert on train travel
Also you can look for National Express bus connections in the UK, but I wouldn't for those distances.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Definitely fly into Amsterdam and out of Edinburgh, or vice-versa.
If you are just going to Amsterdam and Edinburgh, going between the two by train is not sensible. It is a short flight across the North Sea, but a long train trip: 5½ hours south from Amsterdam to Brussels and London, and 4½ hours back north to Edinburgh.
But, if you are stopping in London in between the two; Edinburgh to London is definitely quicker by train and London to Amsterdam is similar, personal choice whether to go by train or plane.
Posted by
1221 posts
For the price sensitive, it's often cheaper to fly into the UK and out of the Netherlands because the UK charges what's effectively a departure tax (the APD) of $150-$170 depending on current exchange rates for long haul transatlantic economy seats. The Dutch taxes/fees/duties for depatures are significantly less.
Posted by
Portsmouth
5262 posts
Slightly off topic but I notice that you spelt Edinburgh the way I've heard some Americans pronounce it, Edinburg as in iceberg. To save any potential embarrassment it's pronounced more like Edinburrrr with an emphasis on the Scottish roll of the 'R'.
Posted by
OP
46 posts
What awesome information!
thanks everyone
Yes- I should know better and will try and remember to say Edinburrrr