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Edinburgh Nexus

Posted by (Cincinnati, OH, USA) on

We are planning a 2-part visit to the UK in early May 2018. Edinburgh is the nexus between Part I and Part II.

Part I of the visit is a trans Atlantic cruise from the US ending in Southampton, then taking a train to London Euston then the Caledonian Sleeper Lowland route to Edinburgh Waverly.

Part II includes 3 days in Edinburgh, then a more-or-less "loop" rail journey counterclockwise route from Edinburgh, to Sterling, Cairngorms, Inverness, Kyle of Lochalsh, Isle of Skye for 2 or 3 days , Mallaig, Ft. William then on to Glasgow for 3 days. We'll fly home from Glasgow. Including the day we arrive in Edinburgh and time in Glasgow, Part II would be a total of 14 days and nights.

We’ll drop our luggage at the hotel in Edinburgh and reserve most of the first day for "housekeeping necessities". This will include finding and using a self-serve laundry and a shipping site (DHL, FedEx or other) to send home the clothing we won't need in Scotland and, third, get our bearings in Edinburgh (purchasing a transportation card, obtaining maps of public transportation, etc).

After Edinburgh and during the train journey, we anticipate being off-and-on the train perhaps 3 times not including Edinburgh and Glasgow (and another 2 on-and-offs for a bus). We’ll arrive in Edinburgh with each of us having a standard size piece of luggage probably weighing around 35-38lb. At the very least we want to lighten the weight, and would like to also reduce the bulk by sending some of our belongings home before beginning the train journey. If we could reduce enough, we'd even send one piece of the actual luggage home with the cruise clothing. We’d then only have to manage one piece of luggage for the balance of the rail journey. If we could find a laundry in Portree (or Ft. William) this would be a bonus.

We are planning on booking lodging at Edinburgh in the Old Town in the vicinity of the Central Library (Cowgate at George IV Bridge). An internet search yielded a launderette on Montrose Terrace at Abbey Street, a FedEx at 12 Southbridge and a Tourist Information Center at 3 Princes Street. We’re wondering if these places are currently in-operation, or is our information out-of-date?

Thanks for any help.

Posted by
2639 posts

As far as I am aware all these places still exist, there has been a few changes on south Bridge but I am sure the International parcel place is still there. there is a laundrette on Clerk street which is an extension of South Bridge about 3 or 4 stops on the bus that should be easier to get to than Montrose terrace.
the Toursit office is on the top of the Wavelrey malI and is still there but being a local I am not ever in there.
am in town on Saturday so will try and confirm things

Posted by
2639 posts

https://www.acelaunderetteanddrycleaners.com/launderette
this is the place I was referring to, best idea is to get a "service wash" done, they will do the wash ,dry clothes and fold them for you all at a very reasonable price , saves you having to hang about.
https://lothianbuses.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42%253Aservice-30
this is info on the local buses,£4 for a day ticket that gives you unlimted travel on all buses and most of the tram route.

Posted by
631 posts

Scotrail seem to have anticipated your arrival! They have a new tour ticket which seems to fit your planned route. It describes it in the other direction but does say you can travel in either direction, and obviously if you want to end at Glasgow and not do the full circuit that's OK. It allows travel on 4 days out of 8 and you seem to have 8 days to do the tour between the Edinburgh and Glasgow stays. https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/combined-tickets-travel-passes/grand-tour-scotland-travel-pass

and thank you for the most sensible itinery I've seen here in weeks!

Posted by
768 posts

Unclegus and SteveB
Wow, amazingly helpful information. May I prevail on you with a further inquity. This is really a detailed question but the answer we receive could play a big part in our plans. I thought through the "luggage management" a bit further. I've also found a "collapsible" carry-on size piece of luggage that is light weight and would fit in each of our primary luggage and only takes about 2" inside. My plan goes like this. Pack the primary luggage for both the cruise and rail parts of the journey along with the "collapsible" luggage. Upon arrival at (or at least before departing) Edinburgh, separate our belongs for the rail journey, putting them in each of the two "collapsible" luggage, then ship the two pieces of primary luggage (only partially full) from Edinburgh to Glasgow (to the hotel we will have booked in Glasgow). When we're departing Glasgow, "reunite" our belongings in the primary luggage and check the luggage on the flight home as normal. This would yield the best possible scenario and hopefully avoid the likely high cost of shipping baggage internationally.

I've tried to find an internet site where I could preliminarily calculate the cost of the Edinburgh-Glasgow shipment, but have only been able to find sites for shipping within the US or from the US to Scotland (or vice versa). I estimate the size of the two primary pieces of luggage (if I somehow bind them together for the shipment from Edinburgh to Glasgow) as 18"x 24" x 28" and the total weight would be approximately 30-35 lbs. Can either of you provide me an internet link to a shipping service within Scotland (service centers in Edinburgh and Glasgow) so I can input these data and preliminarily determine the cost? Thanks again for the superb help you've already provided.

Posted by
631 posts

local luggage shipping in UK is not common, the only company I've heard of is https://www.carrymyluggage.com and only because CrossCountryTrains have a link to them (and a discount voucher code: XC101) . Other than that it would be the usual courier companies like Fedex, DHL etc..

But you'd have to check that the hotel in Glasgow is organised enough to be able to receive it.

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