We are planning on flying from Paris to Edinburgh on Easyjet, then renting a car and driving to the Aberdeen area (Banchory) for a wedding. After this we are thinking of driving the car down to London and stopping in the Lakes District and maybe a stop or two more on the way down. It seems a lot cheaper than the Eurostar + a 4 day Britrail pass for 2 adults and two kids. However, are there costs like gas, tolls etc. that will make the fly/car option not such a great deal? Right now the fly/car is half the cost as the trains for our family, but I might be missing costs. Please advise. I haven't booked any components of this part of our trip yet, so there is still time to change plans.
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
Most of the reports by travelers I have read recently about renting cars confirm that when you have 4 members of a group, the auto will always be cheaper--even considering parking fees and petrol.
I don't know of any tolls you will experience on your itinerary.
Always park outside larger towns and use the public transportation to move about. I have always found it to be far more convenient and often cheaper than driving a car.
My policy when driving in France is to buy petrol when I see a low price. That will usually occur at super markets or discount service stations. Avoid the big national brands.
Posted by
Ballston Lake, NY, USA
157 posts
I have found the car to be a reasonable cost overall when traveling with 4 people. I also like the convenience factor. As you will see the best advice (and also recurring) advice is do not drive in cities and big areas. Leave that to the locals. Drive slowly through through the traffic circles (roundabouts)as they will give you the most trouble in the UK
Posted by
San Diego, CA, United States
864 posts
I've posted this before but it is important to know that unless you can drive a stick shift your car rental will be more and you must notify the car rental agency well in advance that you require an automatic. Also ask how much the insurance will be (and it'll be pricy). Still all in all it's a good deal for a family of four. There are plenty of park and rides outside the larger cities. Traffic is light in Scotland and we drove directly to our B&B in Edinburgh with no hassle. Remember - RIGHT SHOULDER TO THE CENTER LINE. Ditch the car at Heathrow and travel by tube/rail from thereon out. P.S. The Lake District is ever so lovely.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8058 posts
Check into what your insurance options are. If you plan to rely on your credit card for coverage, make sure that your card will cover you first, then verify what coverage limits you have and your credit limit. It is not unheard of for some agencies to put a credit hold for thousands of dollars on your card as "collateral" until you return the car unharmed. Of course you may never notice or know that they do this, but some people with low credit limits find out at their hotel when the card is declined due to being "maxed out". Also make sure the quote you get includes the total fees. including a drop off charge for not returning to the same location.