kudzurunner
5938 posts
Apr 06, 2016
12:49 PM
|
After I finish up with the harmonica workshop in Edinburgh this July, I need to make my way south to London. I'll be leaving Edinburgh on a Tuesday morning and need to arrive in London by Thursday night or Friday morning. I've just gotten an offer to special guest with a great UK blues musician at a club gig in Bristol on Wednesday.
Since I will probably be bringing along two 50-pound suitcases plus a small amp, I'm thinking about renting a car and driving the whole thing, rather than taking trains.
How much will it cost to rent a small car for that period of time and for those distances (including gas and standard insurance)? Does anybody have any idea? The harp workshop in London is paying my transportation expenses south--which is to say, the cost of a direct train ticket from Edinburgh to London. I'll need to make up the difference.
I'm just looking for a thumbnail estimate. Thanks.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Apr 06, 2016 12:49 PM
|
Adam Pritchard
97 posts
Apr 06, 2016
1:15 PM
|
Hi Adam, a week's car hire in the UK will cost you around £200 ($280) based on pick up and drop off from the same airport (are you flying back home from Edinburgh?). That would be for a small/medium size car such as a Ford Focus. That should be big enough to squeeze all your luggage in. Have a look online for Edinburgh airport car hire.
Where are you playing in Bristol and who is the UK blues musician? I'd love to come and see you as I'm only a 40 minute drive away.
|
Tiggertoo1962
80 posts
Apr 06, 2016
1:23 PM
|
----------
One of the last of a dying breed.
|
Tiggertoo1962
81 posts
Apr 06, 2016
1:27 PM
|
Try again... freakin' anti-spam code.
Couple of links, where you can enter your own requirements for a more accurate quote.
http://www.rentalcars.com/SearchResults.do?enabler=&country=United+Kingdom&doYear=2016&distance=10&ftsEntry=1472171&city=Edinburgh&driverage=on&doFiltering=true&dropCity=London&dropFtsType=C&ftsAutocomplete=Edinburgh+Airport+%28EDI%29%2c+Edinburgh%2c+United+Kingdom&driversAge=30&dropFtsAutocomplete=London%2c+Greater+London%2c+United+Kingdom&dropFtsLocationName=London&fromLocChoose=true&filterTo=20&dropLocationName=London&dropCountryCode=gb&ftsType=A&doMinute=0&countryCode=gb&puYear=2016&ftsLocationSearch=36736&dropFtsSearch=L&locationName=Edinburgh+Airport+%28EDI%29&puMinute=0&ftsInput=&doDay=15&searchType=onetomanysearch&filterFrom=0&coordinates=55.9493%2c-3.36226&puMonth=7&travelReason=L&dropLocation=20866&dropFtsInput=london&doHour=9&dropCountry=United+Kingdom&dropCoordinates=51.501%2c-0.126343&ftsLocationName=Edinburgh+Airport+%28EDI%29&ftsSearch=L&puDay=12&dropFtsLocationSearch=20866&puHour=9&location=36736&dropFtsEntry=441379&doMonth=7&filterName=CarCategorisationSupplierFilter
http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Routes?departure=Edinburgh%2C%20United%20Kingdom&arrival=London%2C%20United%20Kingdom&index=0&vehicle=0&type=&distance=km¤cy=EUR&avoidClosedRoad=&motorway=&toll=&vignette=&orc=&crossing=true&caravan=&car=hatchback&fuel=petrol&fuelCost=1.36&allowance=&corridor=
----------
One of the last of a dying breed.
|
bluethird
4 posts
Apr 07, 2016
12:30 AM
|
Also worth noting that petrol/gas prices in the UK are over double what they are in the USA. Ballpark fuel cost for one-way from Edinburgh-London £65/$90. Also, there are going to be extras to the quoted price if you want to reduce damage waivers etc.
Are you spending any time in London?
Also, I wonder if it'd be possible to rent/borrow gear along the way, rather than have to lug gear around. It might be worth putting a request out to Edinburgh/London/Bristol people to see what's available.
Glad to have you over, sorry that I won't be making it along to Edinburgh.
|
kudzurunner
5939 posts
Apr 07, 2016
5:15 AM
|
Thanks for feedback. In answer to notes and tips:
1) I definitely will NOT be picking up and dropping off at the same place. I want to rent in Edinburgh and drop off in London.
2) I have no choice about how much stuff to carry. I need one suitcase for my custom footdrum kit and my other suitcase for clothes, harp case, merchandise, etc. I always bring one small amp when I travel, since I just can't count on finding a HarpGear or the equivalent everywhere I go.
3) No, I won't unfortunately have much time in London. Just that Friday for the harp workshop. I may stay through Saturday and go home on Sunday. I 10% open to the idea of guesting with a band on that Saturday.
|
bluethird
5 posts
Apr 07, 2016
5:24 AM
|
Hi Adam,
If you do decide to stay in London on the Saturday, you could do a lot worse that check out Steve Weston at Ain't Nothin' But The Blues. I have no idea whether he'd be up for a guest spot, but he seems like a super nice guy, has superb chops, and a great band too.
Are there any details of the Friday harp workshop yet?
|
Baker
424 posts
Apr 07, 2016
5:41 AM
|
Hi Adam.
Glad to hear you're going to be in the UK. The Edinburgh to London drive is probably around 9 or 10 hours – long for us in the UK but a small hop I'm sure, for you American drivers.
A rough estimate of car hire is about £50 a day, plus £50 for extras – insurance, damage waiver, maybe a full tank etc. There may also a premium for dropping of in a different location but I don't think it's be that much as the UK is pretty small.
As bluethird says expect to spend £65 or so on "gas".
Best thing to do is look up your journey. Popular car hire places here are:
https://www.enterprise.co.uk/en.html
http://www.avis.co.uk/
https://www.hertz.co.uk
I live in London and would love to make it to your workshop if possible. Do you have any more information?
Thanks, Baker.
|
kudzurunner
5940 posts
Apr 07, 2016
6:50 AM
|
There's a facebook page for the Summer Harmonica Camp, which is what I'll be a part of:
https://www.facebook.com/613809908691908/photos/a.613813965358169.1073741825.613809908691908/1018195598253335/?type=3&theater
|
Tiggertoo1962
82 posts
Apr 07, 2016
8:32 AM
|
Hey Adam
I rent fairly regularly when I'm visiting family in Scotland. My usual choice is DCS (Discount Carhire Scotland), but I think they only operate out of Glasgow and Prestwick airports so they're no use for a London drop off. That's the reason I posted the two links above.
As Baker says, if you use the companies he suggests, you can expect to pay maybe £50 a day PLUS, but there's no way in the world I would pay that - that's why I use search engines when booking rental cars, flights, etc. I might not get all the frills, but I'm flexible and I save hard cash.
The second link I posted can be used for calculating routes, just as you would in a navi, but it also gives you an estimate of fuel costs. Obviously, a lot depends on whether you're driving a Fiat Panda or a 700 series BMW, but it gives you a fairly good indication of what to expect if you driving an "average" saloon car.
As I said in my original post - which the spam monster ate - I'd have loved to have been able to come to Scotland in July, but the holidays are already booked for late August. Maybe you'll make it over to Germany for the Klingenthal festival one of these days. You never know your luck in a big city ;)
----------
One of the last of a dying breed.
|
harmonicanick
2412 posts
Apr 07, 2016
9:36 AM
|
Adam,
Where in Bristol please on a wednesday it must be with Eddie Martins new Blues night at the Gallimaufrey Bar???
|
nacoran
9014 posts
Apr 07, 2016
9:54 AM
|
Just remember to drive on the right, er, I mean left side of the road!
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
First Post- May 8, 2009
|
Frank101
148 posts
Apr 09, 2016
4:24 PM
|
Take the train.
It'll be cheaper, plus more importantly (IMHO) you can just relax and watch the country go by, instead of driving ("Oh crap, which turnoff should I take?") and watching the taillights on the traffic ahead of you.
|
MindTheGap
1446 posts
Apr 09, 2016
11:07 PM
|
I agree with Frank. Driving in the UK is not a relaxing experience like it can be in the US. The Scottish Highlands, maybe.
If you do take the train, don't sit in the Quiet Carriage if you feel like entertaining everyone :) There could be an ugly scene.
And don't forget to the mind the gap between the train and the station platform when alighting from the carriage.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Apr 09, 2016 11:17 PM
|
harmonicanick
2413 posts
Apr 10, 2016
1:14 AM
|
@MTG lol
|
kudzurunner
5945 posts
Apr 10, 2016
5:37 AM
|
Frank101: I'm certainly willing to take the train--I initially assumed I would--but I'll be travelling with 100 pounds of luggage in two large suitcases, plus an HG2. In your experience, is it reasonably easy for a 58-year old man to hop on an off a train with two suitcases of that size and weight, and to find places to stow them when on the train? I've never tried to do something like that. I've always restricted myself, when traveling on European trains, to what I could actually haul on and off by myself in one trip. Two suitcases of that size--one for my percussion gear, the other for everything else, including merchandizing, harp case, running shoes & clothes, and the stuff I'll perform in--are tricky, since I'll need to leap on the train with one suitcase and the amp, stow them, then dodge back out to get the second suitcase and haul it on. But please share your experience. Maybe I'm being a wimp. My sense was that a car would be easier, and would give me a lot more flexibility in my routes.
Yes, nick, that's the club.
|
Kingley
4018 posts
Apr 10, 2016
6:31 AM
|
If you want to just see the inside of a box, miss all the of the really beautiful countryside, the quaint villages the pubs, the rivers, etc and the interesting quirkiness that is Britain and miss meeting scores of weird and wonderful people, then take the train. If you want the full experience then take the car. Another plus for the car is it'll take you door to door of course. Whereas the train will take you station to station and then you're reliant upon taxicabs or people's generosity to get you to where you're going.
Last Edited by Kingley on Apr 10, 2016 6:31 AM
|
Tiggertoo1962
88 posts
Apr 10, 2016
6:44 AM
|
MTG - have you ever tried driving some of those "wee hielan' tracks"... with an oncoming COO?!?! :D
Talk about minding the gap? Miss that one and it's a 3000 foot drop...
----------
One of the last of a dying breed.
|
Frank101
149 posts
Apr 10, 2016
10:29 AM
|
'runner - So much leaping and jumping!
Is this the same stuff you're used to carry on trains on the Continent? And, do you really need to carry your own amp?
If your stuff is on wheels, you will probably find kindly souls to help with the actual lifting onto & off the carriage (foot & a half or so).
If we're talking big bulky space-consuming stuff ... well, you should probably check it (should be pretty straightforward on a direct Eboro-London train).
It does sound like you're inclined to drive, though. So all I can say is -
Enjoy the M6!
|
MindTheGap
1448 posts
Apr 10, 2016
10:39 AM
|
The luggage does make it difficult to manage.
There is the option to stow it in the guard's van,
if you inform the staff. But it does sound like a
faff, esp. if it involves a lot of changes.
Another option is the coach. There's dedicated stowage
space, and time to get it in/out if you are leaving from
and arriving at a big coach station.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Apr 10, 2016 10:42 AM
|
groyster1
2849 posts
Apr 10, 2016
2:19 PM
|
driven in Ireland 3 times....never again.....brit rail in UK is awesome....porters will help with luggage....tip them well........
|
Ian
327 posts
Apr 11, 2016
5:02 PM
|
Drive....
The trains here are expensive and prone to delays, plus the luggage will make things difficult.
I just did a quick search for you and through easycar.com you can get a Tuesday to Friday 1 way rental from Edinburgh to central London for £130. Thats a small car, but big enough for your purposes, fuel wouldn't be too bad, guessing £60 or so.
|
slim_willson
4 posts
Apr 13, 2016
2:25 AM
|
On the other hand, the drive from Edinburgh to London, sticking to motorways with no stops or excursions into more attractive parts of the UK, is not much short of seven tiring hours, even without any of the delays the road network is prone to. Perhaps not an enticing prospect in a small hire car. The train journey is four and a half hours or so of relative comfort and relaxation. Also, in central London and Edinburgh a car can turn into a liability – parking, congestion charge etc.
|
