Driving from London to Edinburgh

If you're starting from London Oxford might be convenient - take the bus or train to get there (Oxford Tube or www.oxfordbus.co.uk ) Enterprise (http://www.enterprise.co.uk/car_rental/home.do ) will pick you up from the train or bus station, and drop you off where you choose in Edinburgh..

I would check the rates and see what is cheapest...Oxford or Heathrow. I have done that drive and picked up at the aiport, then gone to the countryside and headed to York, then up the eastern coast and on to Scotland. It was beautiful. I did not leave the car in Edinburg, however, I returned it to Heathrow as that is where my flight was and just took a different route back. Sometimes the rates are cheaper at the airport. My favorite rental car company is the cheapest, but in England I always get an automatic. I drive a manual at home and in Europe, but I am not sure I want to deal with that and the rest of the left hand driving thing.

If you are flying in to London, you can certainly pick the car up at the airport. If you are spending time in London before picking up your car, you could get one in any number of locations around town but still outside the congestion zone. Taking the train to Oxford is certainly one option. Are you planning on seeing any sites between York and Edinburgh? You could drop the car off by the train station in York and take a much faster train to Edinburgh. It's a resonably long drive (about 4 hrs) so you won't see much if you're planning to do it all in one day. If you have some sites in mind, plan carefully to determine your arrival time in Edinburgh. There are three places to drop off cars in Edinburgh. The airport is open 24/7 from what I recall. Most companies are also located at the Waverley train station in central Edinburgh but these have limited hours especially on the weekend. There is also a third area I've seen mentioned but it also have even more reduced hours. It's also not near anything I'm interested in so I haven't investigated it at all. Bottom line for Edinburgh. Unless you meet the operating window for Waverley you'll have to drop off at the airport. From here either you get the Enterprise drop off, if available (I've never used them) or take the 3.5 pound Airlink bus that runs from the airport to Waverley station.

Ken, I think you've convinced me to just the car off in York. I wasn't planning on stopping anywhere on the way between York and Edinburgh, and if there is any scenery to view, I'd be better off viewing it from the train. I'm looking forward to seeing if I can manage driving from the left. I have an acquaintance who is a rural mail carrier. Maybe he'll let me drive his vehicle around the countryside for training.

Martin, before you totally decide not to drive consider if you'd like to see a site or two. There are many but they'd add to the drive time. The big names between York and Edinburgh are Durham Cathedral, Hadrian's Wall and Bamburgh Castle. Each one would be a bit off the main route. Hadrian's Wall would be about an hour off the shortest route. All of these sites would deserve at least 60 to 90 minutes. If you leave early and don't mind getting in late you might see one or two of these. The trade off is what you'd see in Edinburgh that first day. Of course, the mad drive would add a bit of stress. Driving on the left is not a big deal. Don't worry about it. You'll adjust quickly.

Martin, if you take the train from York to Edinburgh, sit on the right. There's a a good stretch where the train runs along the North Sea Coast. Also, unless you are planning on seeing something in rural Yorkshire, you might as well get rid of the rental as soon as you get to York. Odds are, you will pay extra for parking. And, much of the touristed area in the city center is pedestrian only. Don't pay for what you won't use.

In addition to Durham, you could also think about a brief stop at Hadrien's Wall. Also, the Abbeys in the Border Country are wonderful. I've dropped off cars in Edinburgh city centre or at least near Murrayfield stadium. I've picked up cars near Prince's Street. It's city driving, but nothing like a big city like New York or London. At any rate, too, the airport link bus is very, very easy and affordable to get back in town if you decide to go that route. Pam

I disagree about not needing a car between York and Endinburgh. Durham, moors, Hadrien's wall, Scottish hills, abbeys and castles. I found that drive at imes more interesting than the Cotswolds. But the rule of driving vs train applies: If you just need to get to Edinburgh then take the train; if you have the time/desire to see things along the way, drive.