Transport links

[Tarquin Farquhar]

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

Yeah, not bad. Same thing as Gatwick or Manchester: travel the first evening to somewhere on the way, and spend the night there.

It's only 425 miles as the crow flies between Stirling and Cologne, two cities in NW Europe, I can't believe that it is so hard to travel between them without giving up a working day for the travel.

The assembled company is trying hard, and ISTM that the knowledge on here is outstanding, but it's not working.

[Moscow Mule]

When's the last flight out of Edinburgh or Glasgow to the mainland?

Probably worth flying out on whatever you can get then driving from wherever to your destination from where ever you land.

[Tarquin Farquhar]

When's the last flight out of Edinburgh or Glasgow to the mainland?

Probably worth flying out on whatever you can get then driving from wherever to your destination from where ever you land.

That too is a good strategy. Problem is that there are very few direct flights from Scotland to anywhere outside the UK. The BAA strategy seemed to be to make everybody go via London.

Glasgow: 1635 to Amsterdam.
Edinburgh: 1740 to Brussels (leaving Spain out of it)
Prestwick: 1505 to Paris (leaving Poland out of it)

I really need > 1900 dep. Ca n'éxiste pas.

[chef]

Monday
drive stirling to Edinburgh

19:05 depart Edinburgh
21:40 arrive Amsterdam
return flight with KLM return date 1 month later 23/3, bin the return ticket it's cheaper than flying 1 way
£144.34 with Opodo

then either:
a) sleep at Schipol hotel at the Mercure for £70 and catch a morning train
- 6:44 train depart Schipol arrive Cologne 9:43 60EUR with Deutche Bahn, 1 change at Utrecht with 12 mins wait
- 7:44 train depart Schipol arrive Cologne 10:45 60EUR with Deutche Bahn, 1 change at Utrecht with 12 mins wait
total trip price £268

or

b)drive Ams Schipol Airport to Cologne (2hrs 30, arrive around half midnight on the monday)
avis car rental Ams Schipol - Cologne Main Station £400
arrive as early as possible but total cost £500

[Tarquin Farquhar]

Monday
drive stirling to Edinburgh

19:05 depart Edinburgh
21:40 arrive Amsterdam
return flight with KLM return date 1 month later 23/3, bin the return ticket it's cheaper than flying 1 way
£144.34 with Opodo

then either:
a) sleep at Schipol hotel at the Mercure for £70 and catch a morning train
- 6:44 train depart Schipol arrive Cologne 9:43 60EUR with Deutche Bahn, 1 change at Utrecht with 12 mins wait
- 7:44 train depart Schipol arrive Cologne 10:45 60EUR with Deutche Bahn, 1 change at Utrecht with 12 mins wait
total trip price £268

or

b)drive Ams Schipol Airport to Cologne (2hrs 30, arrive around half midnight)
avis car rental Ams Schipol - Cologne Main Station £400
arrive as early as possible but total cost £500

Doesn't binning the return half attract an extra charge, up to Single price?

Car hire is out (too costly) but I could leave my car in AMS over the weekend.

1905 is just at the limit of being too early. Possible though.

Or park my car at Brussels or Frankfurt/Hahn, and get a morning flight.

[Tarquin Farquhar]

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

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

That's what's wrong with transport "planning" here: most of the country is treated as if it is in "the sticks".

As it happens I live in S England, but I have to be in Perthshire on Monday. And start a contract in Köln, should have been Monday, I'm trying to make it for Tuesday.

I don't mind so much that from most of the country you have to get to London first in order to go anywhere, I just hate how hard that is.

• Sleeper train from Inverness, calling at Stirling, then Glasgow etc to Heathrow direct: that'd be nice.
• Early flight from Edinburgh, fast guaranteed connection at Heathrow, arrive Köln before 11 am: that'd be nice.
• Direct train from Glasgow to Brussels: that'd be nice.
• Evening flights from anywhere in Scotland to anywhere in continental Europe: that'd be nice.
• Evening (not afternoon) flight from Glasgow to London somewhere, with (guaranteed) connection same evening to somewhere on the continent: that'd be nice.

But there is nothing, none of those possibilities.

[chef]

Doesn't binning the return half attract an extra charge, up to Single price?

no, I have done this myself several times in the past, albeit a few years ago the last time but I've never been asked or charged, I imply missed the return flight, if your that worried then call up customer services

1905 is just at the limit of being too early. Possible though.

sheesh, you say you want to fly out around 7pm, I spend 20 mins searching for your requirements and then you say it's on the limit of being too early
FFS man, which is it? 7pm departure or later?

Possible though.

it met the requirements stated and so the work was done as required, the invoice is in the post

[Tarquin Farquhar]

Thanks a whole lot, guys. I'm now sure I've covered everything. My 3 choices now:

1. Monday fly Edinburgh or Glasgow to Gatwick, stay in airport hotel. Tuesday 07:00 to Köln, arr 09:25.

2. Fly down 19:55 to Luton and stay at home Monday night. Eschew rising at 03:30 to get to Gatwick, instead fly from Luton 07:00 to Dortmund arr 09:20. But first, park my car at Dortmund for the weekend. (Did I forget to mention that I am on the mainland with a car right now?)

or

3. Change the game. Just don't get to Köln before lunchtime. Acceot the consequences, whatever they might be.

[Pondlife]

3. Change the game. Just don't get to Köln before lunchtime. Acceot the consequences, whatever they might be.

Is this really a one off or will it be a regular thing? If the latter, I'd set expectations now or you're setting yourself up for a future of ruined Sundays.

[scooterscot]

That's what's wrong with transport "planning" here: most of the country is treated as if it is in "the sticks".
.

Similar problems most weeks, that's why I live only 20 minutes from the airport... or 3 minutes from the train station.

In your situation I'd fly to Amsterdam and get the train, I avoid London at all costs it's so chaotic, delays are almost certain. You don't have to go to London to go anywhere, in fact I make a habit, when flying international, to go via Amsterdam - 9/10 times taxes are not so high.

Have you tried sky scanner?