I am taking a trip this summer and flying into Dublin staying one night...We wanted to take a ferry to England the next day with our goal being southern England for 3 or 4 days, then heading up to Scotland for 3 days, and then back to Ireland for the remainder of the journey which would be 5 days.....The total time for the trip is 14 days...Some of the ferries that I have seen leave from Dublin and others from Roslarre...I need advice as the best route to get over to Great Brittan and then back again...Where are the best places to rent cars? Can cars travel all over England, Wales, and Scotland? or are they country specific? Help....feeling frustrated....any advice would be great..and yes I have books but would like to talk to real people about travel....
Posted by
McLean, VA, USA
3 posts
if you haven't booked your plan yet, fly into Dublin and out of London to minimize backtracking.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
It does seem to make more sense to do your Ireland traveling before going over to England and then leave from there, but maybe you got a good deal on travel to Dublin? Are you considering the ferry just for the experience? If it's just transportation, you might consider a budget flight instead.
It's hard to advise you without specific information about where you want to go, since 3-4 days isn't enough to see a whole country. What specific areas to you have in mind?
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
If you only have three days for Scotland, then I would go to Edinburgh. If you have a car, I would see the borders--one of the abbey's, Traquair House, or Abottsford, or Floors Castle. If you are interested in Scottish history then a trip to Stirling is a good idea. You can see Bannockburn where Bruce defeated the English--just a quick stop--and then on to the Castle. While a lot of the Castle is closed now for an incredible renovation, there is still a lot to see and the views are spectacular. You can easily see why this was a key location to ruling Scotland.
Pam
Posted by
Edmonton, AB, Canada
668 posts
Emily, only you can decide where the "best" (most convenient) place is to rent a car, but generally they are more expensive at airports, but you have to weigh that against alternative transport to where you eventually pick up the car. Driving in London is definitely out. You can take a rented car anywhere in Mainland UK and, if you make prior arrangements, you can usually drop it off at a place other than where you picked it up. Taking a rented car to Ireland (north or south) used to be a problem, but I do not know the current situation, perhaps someone else could help, but I would recommend you travel to Ireland without it, and, if necessary, pick up another one there, as you avoid the ferry charges for the car.
Ryanair flies from Dublin to Bristol and if you pack light and book well ahead, is cheap.