I have learned so much from this forum! Here are today’s questions:
1. Best car rental companies at Edinburgh airport?
2. We are driving from Edinburgh airport to Seaham, England. I know we will need to get visas (as US travelers). Is there any other documentation that we need to cross over and then return to Scotland?
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5719 posts
Edinburgh airport has all the usual suspects. Pick your favorite, or the one with the type of vehicle and the price you want.
Whether or not you need a visa to enter the UK depends on the passport you carry. US and Canadian passport holders don't need a visa for tourism purposes. But they do need to obtain an ETA before arrival. You don't need anything else to travel between England and Scotland.
Posted by
Singapore
645 posts
I think you may be slightly misunderstanding the whole Scotland/England thing ;). While strictly speaking they are two different countries, they are part of a single United Kingdom. Residents of borh are British citizens, and there is no customs or immigration controls, or indeed restrictions on who live or travels where. They are much more analogous to two US states (although others may disagree)
If you are US passport holders, you don't need a visa to travel to the UK as a tourist. You will need to complete an ETA.
Hope that clarifies.
Posted by
TX, USA
4989 posts
Best rental company is subjective. But I used Arnold Clark. They are a short shuttle ride (3-4 min?) from the airport and provide a free shuttle to and from the airport.
As Simon says, if you have a U.S. passport, you will need the UK ETA (see several threads about this in the England Forum). Nothing additional is needed. You may move freely between England and Scotland.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34358 posts
just be sure when you get your ETA you get it from the official government source, either on your laptop or on the app. The cost is £10. There are many "helpers" out there happy to relieve you of $$$ to do for you what you can do in less than 5 minutes. If the price is over £10 (around $12.50 in US dollars at the moment), you have clicked the wrong place. It is not a visa.
Posted by
SoCal
1378 posts
While strictly speaking they are two different countries, they are part of a single United Kingdom. Residents of borh are British citizens, and there is no customs or immigration controls, or indeed restrictions on who live or travels where. They are much more analogous to two US states (although others may disagree)
The only small caveat I would add is regarding currency. I've been told that banks in Scotland often dispense Pounds Sterling from their ATMs that some English merchants won't accept. So ATMs in England are "safer." (I actually didn't have trouble spending my few GBP issued by the Caledonian Bank upon my return to England, but Scots friends advised me it's happened to them occasionally.)
As for highway "borders," I agree they're pretty much like crossing between Ohio and Indiana.