Transport links

[Tarquin Farquhar]

You will have a lot more choice of flights if you fly to Düsseldorf. The train from Düsseldorf to Köln takes about 40 minutes.

If you can lower yourself to ryanair they have a direct flight from edinburgh at 06:35 that will get you in for 09:05.

No direct flights from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Düsseldorf. There is a 6:30 arrive Düsseldorf 11:30 after a change at Heathrow.... then into Düsseldorf from airport and get train to Köln. Arrive well into afternoon, not so great.

Of course I can fly Ryanair to "Düsseldorf Weeze". Where the Hell is that? Doesn't matter, no flight on Tuesdays anyway.


Jesus, if they even had a sleeper train from Scotland to Heathrow arriving early, I could do that. But there is nothing. Either I arrive in Köln too late on Tuesday afternoon, or I spend Monday evening travelling to some airport in England and then sleep there for a morning flight to Köln.

[pmeswani]

No direct flights from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Düsseldorf. There is a 6:30 arrive Düsseldorf 11:30 after a change at Heathrow.... then into Düsseldorf from airport and get train to Köln. Arrive well into afternoon, not so great.

Of course I can fly Ryanair to "Düsseldorf Weeze". Where the Hell is that? Doesn't matter, no flight on Tuesdays anyway.


Jesus, if they even had a sleeper train from Scotland to Heathrow arriving early, I could do that. But there is nothing. Either I arrive in Köln too late on Tuesday afternoon, or I spend Monday evening travelling to some airport in England and then sleep there for a morning flight to Köln.

I had a look at the train options, even that doesn't help you. Good luck in your search.

[Moscow Mule]

I thought about ferries from Rosyth or Newcastle, and driving from Holland. But I don't think there's one that will get you there on time.

[Tarquin Farquhar]

I had a look at the train options, even that doesn't help you. Good luck in your search.

No, indeed it doesn't. You start off thinking that you'll have to use London as a hub, but then you realise that transport links don't use London as a hub, they all use it as a destination.

The trouble with changing flights there is that they always have hours between them, so you can't even get to NW Europe inside one morning, you spend much of the morning in Heathrow. Similarly, if you get to London by train for your flight, you have to get out from London, and for example the Heathrow Express does not run from a station that has any trains from Scotland, so you have to cross London as well as all the rest. Why Oh Why are there no trains from other parts of the country to Heathrow, rather than to a Victorian London terminus?

Trains all the way is a hopeless idea because you have to change on to Eurostar, again loads of time in London, and they don't run at night so you have to get to London during the evening before. Can't travel by sleeper train to London for a morning train or flight, because they all arrive too late for an early onward journey, i.e. they are OK only if London is your destination.


My best bet so far is Easyjet Edinburgh to Gatwick on Monday evening, airport hotel, then Easyjet to Köln the next morning.

[Spacecadet]

I don't even fancy it once

Opodo:
Price per adult including taxes and booking fees: £ 425.64 GBP

plus taxi to airport (from Stirling??, ouch!), or airport hotel, plus train Amsterdam-Cologne.

And it still doesn't get me to Cologne before 11 am.

Thnks but......

There is a direct train from Amsterdam Centraal to Cologne leaves at 08.04 arrives 10.45 €91 first class
You just need to get to Amsterdam the night before

[Paddy]

Leave central Scotland (say Stirling) next Monday evening, arrive in Cologne on Tuesday morning, say before 11 am, pref before 10 am. Don't mind travelling overnight, in a sleeper or a ferry berth.

It's not far, in NW Europe, the best-connected area in the world. Must be quite easy. Shouldn't be too expensive either, I would say.

Can't quite seem to find how to do it.

Glasgow - Brussels on BA £135 rtn
Brussels - Koln direct Train

If need stay overnight in Brussels and have fun.

[Moscow Mule]

Glasgow - Brussels on BA £135 rtn
Brussels - Koln direct Train

If need stay overnight in Brussels and have fun.

Are you sure it's running?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8517714.stm

[oversteer]

In case Stansted is any better, Germanwings fly Stansted-Cologne, Tues 23rd 0750-1010, £139 inc taxes (depending on return flight)

[Tarquin Farquhar]

Glasgow - Brussels on BA £135 rtn
Brussels - Koln direct Train

If need stay overnight in Brussels and have fun.

Nope. It is one-way, which is more expensive. And BA leaves far too early (17:15 so 16:15 checkin so 15:00 dep Stirling), and yet again its a stopover in Heathrow.

Brussels-Köln is a good idea though. Seems that the other side of the channel has plenty of good travel options, it's this side of the channel that fails.

[Moscow Mule]

it's this side of the channel that fails.

It's alright if you don't live in the sticks.

(30 mins to Heathrow, <26 hours to anywhere on the planet )