Driving from London to Edinburgh

Carol , Aside from your sojourn in York ( a great place ) ,were you stopping elsewhere en route to Edinburgh ? If not ,why not go by rail ? It would be far easier in many respects . On our last visit to the UK we used a car exclusively , but that decision was informed by our travel plans and destinations . To answer your other questions, you do not need an IDP ( International Driver Permit ) in the UK . I had not driven there until my trip and it's not the unmanageable horror show that most North Americans think . However , it does require a certain degree of attention , and unless you drive a manual transmission and are adept at shifting on the opposing side ( or can secure an automatic transmission as a rental ) you might be biting off a bit much . For a direct London - York - Edinburgh itinerary , Rail is the way to go IMO !!

I agree with steven. We've driven and gone by train, I much prefer by train. Way more fun and relaxing imo.

Cj, Given the few places you'll be visiting, travel by train would be far easier and much more pleasant. As you're stopping in York for a few days, the car will be parked and gathering dust, and you'll be paying for that. All of the places you'll be visiting are well served by rail. In addition to driving on the "correct side of the road", you'll also have to deal with a few other things like negotiating traffic circles, automated speed cameras, strict parking regulations, expensive CDW / LDW charges, high fuel costs, etc. If you buy rail tickets well in advance, substantial savings should be possible. For more detailed information, have a look at the excellent Man In Seat 61 website. Theoretically, you shouldn't need an International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. The primary purpose of an I.D.P. is to translate the terms of your home license into a number of other languages, which shouldn't be an issue in the U.K. However, I've heard of a few people who were asked to produce an I.D.P. when they rented a car in the U.K., which sounds a bit odd. Happy travels!

I've been developing an itinerary for a trip around Britain, using trains as much as possible. What I've learned in my research (including the discussions here a the Helpline), is that London-York-Edinburgh is well-served by trains. (The Cotswolds? Now, for that I'd rent a car.) And though I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and someone who likes road trips here in the US? I figured out quickly, during my 6 previous trips to the UK (most but not all centered in London), that the last place on Earth I would want to drive a car, unless absolutely necessary, is London or even anywhere in close proximity to it. If you must drive in Britain, then take a train to some place away from London and rent a car there. Maybe York.

@ Suz , a quick heads up ! Considering your plans , go to you tube and punch in " Great British Railway Journeys " A BBC production presented by Michael Portillo , an ex MP . They are a series of travelogues in Britain . Very informative , they are great fun . Vicarious travel at its best . You'll love them!!

I don't think it's crazy to attempt to drive. It takes almost no time at all to adjust to driving on the other side of the road. As others have said, your itinerary should guide you. If your only stops are readily accessible by train, take the train. If you plan on stopping at out of the way places (especially for short day stops), a car can work much better. One caveat on train travel is to pack light. You will be boarding and getting off carrying what you packed. Packing heavy can be a real problem. My mother ended up having shoulder surgery trying to carry too much. If you must pack heavy, a car can do the lugging for you.

The first batch of replies also presupposes that there's nothing of merit between London and York and even York and Edinburgh. Looking at a few other guidebooks, eye-balling a map, or reading a little history might change the whole plan. The train will work fine for the Lemming Trail, however.

@ Ed , I couldn't agree with you more that there is a great deal to see between London and Edinburgh . My initial response only considered what the OP's parameters were suggesting . Certainly , your points about delving more deeply would be better .

Thank you all for thoughtful responses. The thinking behind doing the car rental was that we could stop here and there for little day stops between London and York and between York and Edinburgh. . . . so given that is it worth it? Or more trouble than its worth?
Carol

Cj, If you have time for "stopping here and there", I suppose it might be worthwhile to rent a car. However, I tend to consider slow travel like that to be a waste of valuable touring time in the locations I really want to see. In the same situation, I'd prefer to get to York and Edinburgh as quickly and comfortably as possible, and use the time enjoying those destinations. Everyone's travel style is different, but that's the way I approach it. I have meandered around North Yorkshire with a car, but it was appropriate for the circumstances at the time. One thing I've found is that driving in the U.K. always takes longer than anticipated, so be sure to allow lots of time. Cheers!

Cj, the answer to this is actually somewhat nuanced . Ed's points are well taken in that there is a great deal to see . I think you have to start with a few questions : Is this your first trip there ? , how many days are at your disposal ? As Ken says ,if your time is somewhat limited staying focused on the major sites is a better choice at this time , If you've been there before , you could use a car and seek out more as Ed suggests . These are not dichotomous " right or wrong " answers . you have to find a balance . Our recent trip to England was best served by car , Places we wanted to explore ( Cotswolds ,Cornwall , Scottish Highlands )could only be seen that way . This fall's trip to Italy , the opposite : Rome , Florence , and Venice ( for obvious reasons) , were all by train, a car for this would have been a nuisance . We would have loved to tool around more of the Italian countryside in a car ,but time didn't permit . Even with six weeks , My principal focus on that trip was the big three . Next time , if I'm fortunate enough to return , I would broaden things out somewhat - places like Urbino , Padua , Ravenna to name a few . I won't blather on , I think I've made my point : limited time ? see the big things for starters ; more time take a car and spread out = tailor it to match your experience , time and interests .

I have done the drive and it was well worth it. I did manage to get an automatic as I was a bit apprehensive about being able to do it all. But, there was a first time for everyone, and seriously, even though you need to think about it a bit more, it's kind of like when you first start to drive, you adapt really quickly. I found plenty of obscure little places to explore along the way. For me it is truly the journey...not the destination, as well as enjoying the company I am with, and I could think of nothing more enjoyable than exploring the countryside of UK with my daughter. (I have driven all over Europe but I am still chicken to drive right in downtown London, so I rent at Heathrow and head out) I love the train but it just doesn't stop when I want it to.

No, you're not crazy. You are adventurous. A train is fine and efficient, but it won't take you on a tour around the Yorkshire Dales, to Housesteads on Hadrian's Wall, to the ruin of Melrose Abbey, or to someplace that pops up along the way that strikes your fancy. I've done the drive from North to South. Driving is harder work, but it's worth it.

I really enjoy driving around England and Scotland. I would not, however, try to drive in London or even out of London. For one trip I made, I took the train to York, where I picked up a car. From there I did just what you described, explored the countryside as I made my way north. I was headed for Glasgow via some stops in the Lake District and other places. I saw a beautiful Saxon church, Durham, Hexham, Hadrian's Wall, my grandmother's home village, stayed at a farm B&B right out of an "All Creatures Great and Small" episode, saw a stone circle, a Morris Dance, Keswick, Housteads, got lost in the Debatable lands and more. It was wonderful. I did this in early September with no hotel reservations about 13 years ago. (Good grief! I can't believe it's that long!) If you wanted to pick up your car sooner, take the train to Cambridge, explore that city and then head north with your car. BTW since that first trip from York, I've rented a car may times and driven all over Scotland. Pam

You definitely don't want a car in London. If you are not going into London proper, you can definitely pick up a car at the airport. Just make sure you don't plan a route through London. My suggestion if you plan on spending time in London is to take a short train ride to where you'd like to start driving. Slough is a close and cheap train trip from London and there are a couple of rental companies located there. As mentioned earlier, Cambridge is also an option. Oxford is also a decent candidate especially if you plan on visiting the Cotswolds. Look at the driving times on Google or another map website. Compare the time and cost of train tickets. Look at what you would give up seeing by not being able to drive. The opposite side of the road is a problem for some people. For others it isn't. My one piece of advice is to focus more on the center of the road and less on where the curb/ditch is. That's probably what you are doing when you drive in the US. You just have to learn to not constantly try to focus on the left side of the car when driving in the UK. Some roads (like in the US) are narrow and that means you slow down and pass oncoming traffic carefully.

Don't overlook bus travel, at least for shorter trips. While the train is more comfortable, the view from the windows is often obscured when the tracks cut through hills or are sheilded by the country hedgerows and stone fence walls. Inter-city buses (coaches) are often tall, giving a nice perspective across the countryside. May be cheaper than train, too.

Thank you all for your replies, you have all given me a lot to think about! What our plan is: 3 nights in Oxford (my mom has friend there), 3 nights Bath, 5 nights London, 3 nights York, 4 nights Edinburgh. So. . . . that said, drive, bus or train between London (maybe from airport) to York then Edinburgh or not enough time to spare time in London and York and Edinburgh to take the time to drive? Anyway just thought I would throw this in the mix. It is our first trip there though my mom was in London when she was 19 (she is 83 now). Maybe all that can be said has been and I just have to decide. Can we decide when we are there last minute? Thank you all so much, Cj

Hi CJ, From what you said in your last post - you are spending time in only 4 places. I highly recommend you take the train. It is easy to get to Oxford from London by train and vice versa. And the other places on your destination have excellent train service.
For some people, driving in England is easy once they get the hang of it. But one thing people haven't mentioned is the traffic. I lived in the UK for 3.5 years and the traffic (unless you are from some large urban area) is a lot more congested in England. A lot. The concentration is a lot higher when you drive and you will miss being able to gaze out the window and enjoy the sites. So I recommend taking the train and spending your time enjoying the cities instead of worrying about how to get there and where to park and how much that will cost.

CJ - As the others have said, you definitely don't want a car in London. But the other stops are well worth a car if you have time to see sights in between each. Say you see London first, then take the train to Bath and rent a car there. Bath to Oxford can include Stonehenge, Avebury and the Cotswolds. Oxford to York can include a multitude of options. York to Edinburgh can include Durham, Hadrians Wall and many other options. Some of these can be done with a long day's drive while others might be worthy of a night along the way. Driving in the UK is not really hard to get used to. It seems natural once you are sitting in the drivers seat on the right side. But navigation on rural roads and in towns can be very tricky. I wouldn't do it if your mother can't help navigate. An IDP is not required but can be helpful. It validates your state license and rental agencies sometimes ask for it if they can't figure out the validity of your license (it's happened to me).