We are staying a few days on west side of Glasgow then picking up a rental car to have for two weeks touring Scotland and then will go on to Edinburgh. Our first destination from Glasgow is near Aviemore. And we will returning from Mull our last destination. Any thoughts on best location to pick up the car in Glasgow and return in Edinburgh? At the airport? At the central rail station? At another location? So far not any real price difference for whatever such location. Would like easiest version of getting to/from/ car rental office with our luggage and ease of getting on our way out of/into city. We have also considered taking a train to or from somewhere else at one end or the other. And have considered train and two different rentals (one week from near Aviemore and one week on Mull) but are not finding car rental locations that really save on the driving. Would appreciate any insight anyone may have.
Posted by
Delaware
1596 posts
Hi, Laurie Ann,
Definitely the airport. You most likely will not need a car while you're staying in either Glasgow or Edinburgh. In both cities, it's a lot easier to get away from the airport than it is to get away from center city. Same thing upon returning. If you still have days in Edinburgh at the end of your holiday, you can drop your car at the airport, and take the tram or bus in to town. If you do decide to hold on to the car until the last day, make sure that your lodging has parking available. There usually is not much of a price difference between renting in town and renting at the airport. It's the airport fees that make renting at the airport just a wee bit higher.
Have a wonderful holiday!
Mike (Auchterless)
Posted by
Paris
10581 posts
I agree totally with Mike. Return at the airport in Edinburgh and take the tram into town.
One time, I drove into Edinburgh to drop off my parents and husband at our hotel and then drop the rental car.
I was so frazzled by the traffic that after the way I finally found to get them dropped off, I gave up and drove out to the airport to drop the car rather than struggling to make it to the in-town drop off location. By that point, retrieving any sanity I had left was much more important than any few extra pounds I might have been charged for returning to a different location.
I was just in Edinburgh again this weekend, blissfully car-free and happy for it !! But riding in a taxi I was reminded of the horrible driving experience. Not for me (and I love driving and have lived and driving in NYC, Boston, DC, and Paris).
Posted by
Lake District, England
9062 posts
There are two local island car rental options on Mull. So you could train to Oban, cross as foot pax then pick up a car on the island. The only thing is that from Aviemore to Oban by train you would have to go back through Glasgow.
At Aviemore there is this local company who are a subsidiary of Europcar- https://www.aviemorecarhire.co.uk/
So although a local company that means you can do one way rentals to any other Europcar depot.
If you hire from Arnold Clark at their Glasgow South Street location (not the airport location) they will apparently pick you up from hotels in the West End.