We are spending some time in Europe in a few short weeks travelling to various locations, including Inverness, Scotland. We need to be in Edinburgh to fly to Paris, so we thought we'd get an early start and drive from Inverness to Edinburgh on the day before our flight to Paris, Friday, arrive (hopefully) by noon, and spend the rest of the day in Edinburgh, enjoying the castle and the Royal Mile. Does this seem doable? Looking forward to your comments. Thanks!
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
Yes, this is absolutely possible. You might want to check with Tripadvisor's Edinburgh forum, which has locals on it, to figure out where to park your car. It is possible to drive in Edinburgh--I've done it--and since you'd be coming in for one day and then heading to the airport I would drive in, and park the car for the day. Pam
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
Check out leaving the car in Inverness and taking the train to Edinburgh. Might be easier than worrying about Edinburgh traffic and parking.
Posted by
OP
Abbotsford, BC, Canada
18 posts
Hi! Thanks for the pointers, we do intend to stay at a B & B in Linlithgow and take the train into Edinburgh. We have been told it's not a good idea to drive into the city. Thanks for your comments!
Posted by
Washington, DC, USA
571 posts
Kim,
My wife and I made our first trip to Edinburgh last October. Although not particularly large, the city took longer to get around in, especially because of the construction on Princes Street. My advice to you is to determine in advance your "must sees" and plan your time carefully. We spent 5 hours in the castle; I never expected we'd spend so much time there. For the evening, after the sites have closed, I highly recommend the Edinburgh literary pub tour. Very entertaining, and the walk gives you a good tour of part of the city, plus the opportunity to visit three or four nice pubs along the way. Enjoy your trip.
Posted by
OP
Abbotsford, BC, Canada
18 posts
Are kids (ages 12-16) allowed in pubs there?
Posted by
Manchester
495 posts
Children are allowed in some pubs, within limits and restrictions. There was a quite good discussion on TA recently (ignore the OP):
18's in Edinburgh pubs
P.S. This is pretty much limited to Edinburgh, the law in Scotland is different than England and Wales and allows a lot of discretion to the local council to implement the details. The "problem" here is mainly down to how the Edinburgh council interprets the law - pubs in the rest of the country tend to be more kid friendly (although there are still limits.)