Scotland Meets Thread (formerly Scotland: A Brave Adventure)

[sayhello]

Some airlines allow stopovers on the same ticket but the rules are different for each one. If memory serves correctly BA does so you could fly CMH - LHR stop over a few days then continue on LHR-EDI if you didn't want to take the train. I checked a few flights going into EDI and LHR from CMH around your time frame and the lowest I saw were in the $1172 range on Air Canada.

The travel hackers say the best day to search for flights you plan to pay out of pocket for are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I will say that when we booked our DVC New York Dreams ABD we decided not to use miles for the flight and I searched for our flights on a Wednesday. We got two round trip direct flights for Memorial weekend for a very reasonable amount on the airline we wanted.

Thanks, calypso726. I had thought about that, but, honestly between having to get from central London to Heathrow, wait time at the airport, the flight, getting from EDI to my hotel in Edinburgh, it's a wash with taking the train. And the cost of taking the train is pretty low in the UK. It's only about 4.5 hours by train, and the train station is like 5 minutes from where I'm staying in London, and also very close to where I'm staying in Edinburgh. And I actually really like taking the train. So it's all good! And leaving out the London to EDI leg does not make the price any higher, which is unusual.

The price for the ticket I'm looking at (Columbus->London & EDI->CMH) hasn't changed more than a few dollars over the past 5 months. It doesn't matter what day of the week I look; it's always the same. But I'll keep that in mind for domestic flights! I think those are way more variable.

Thanks,
Sayhello

 

[kristilew]

SayHello, when DH was dividing his time between London and Edinburgh, he found that the train was a time saver in a big way, especially with airport security lines these days.

Calypso726, what is "travel hackers?" Is this a website with travel tips or something? I saw you mention it with regard to a BA flight you got. Very curious about it....

 

[sayhello]

SayHello, when DH was dividing his time between London and Edinburgh, he found that the train was a time saver in a big way, especially with airport security lines these days.

Thanks, kristilew. I suspected as much, but it's nice to have it confirmed! Has he ever had issues shlepping luggage on the train? Are there different train companies, or just different places to buy the tickets? Any he recommends?

Sayhello

 

[calypso726]

Calypso726, what is "travel hackers?" Is this a website with travel tips or something? I saw you mention it with regard to a BA flight you got. Very curious about it....

Hi Kristilew. Not exactly. Travel hackers are people who utilize all means available to rack up airline miles and hotel points in order to travel free or nearly free. Some are frequent travelers and some like DH and I earn our miles through credit card sign up bonuses, online airline shopping portals and bonus categories on certain credit cards.

A little creativity goes a long way. For example, our annual DVC dues are coming up and I could use one card that earns 1 mile per $ on purchases or 2 miles per $ on travel which for some reason the dues are categorized that way. Or, I could use a different card that earns 5 miles per $ at office supply stores and go buy Disney gift cards at the office supply store and pay my dues with the Disney gift cards. A little more work but worth it to me. There are many blogs and a couple of forums run by other travel hackers that I studied to learn his hobby and how best to work the system. We have each earned well over a million miles and our credit scores have gone up too

We both started doing this after booking the Brave Adventure in order to try to get enough miles to fly first class. We did and will also be flying 1st class for our DCl Alaska cruise and London/Paris ABD with a Scotland pre trip Our pre trip 3 night stay at the Radisson Blu in Edinburgh will also be on points. DH is willing to travel more as long as I am able to figure out how to make it cost less

 

[Princess Leia]

Thanks, kristilew. I suspected as much, but it's nice to have it confirmed! Has he ever had issues shlepping luggage on the train? Are their different train companies, or just different places to buy the tickets? Any he recommends?

Sayhello

East Coast Trains run between London and Edinburgh. It takes about 4 hours 22 min. You will get best deals booking online at their website www.eastcoast.co.uk
You can book about 3 months ahead. Prices are much cheaper the further out you are from travel. it is also worth checking the best deal as ticket prices varying greatly for different times of day. The great thing with train is that you are in the city centre. When you factor in check-in times for airport and travel from airports to city centre the train is a great option. It is set up for travelling with cases. We have gone as a family of 4 by train to London and love it.

 

[disneydeb8]

I'm so impressed with the creative ways to score mileage threw travel hacking. I haven't been as successful for this trip, but maybe for next one!

Ok.... So I'm getting cold feet BIG time! As I have previously posted, this trip is a huge ' trip of a life time' for my family. We have been holding off taking this trip when we felt our 4 kids were old enough to truly appreciate their heritage and the history. My parents (whom immigrated from Scotlland) were a great influence on them and instilled such a sense of pride.

I'm wondering if the itinerary will cover all that I need them to see in the highlands. I'm disappointed there is not time for the Jacobite express! or a walk threw Glencoe, and I would like to know from ABDers before us, if they felt they missed out on anything in particular. Was there too much back tracking on the bus and would you amend the hotel locations, or add another stop? I know this is a Disneys brave, and not a braveheart or Scotland the brave tour, but any regrets? I mean we chose ABD because DIsney has never disappointed us. We bought DVC, done 2 DCl cruises, at least 10 trips to WDW, have traveled quite a bit and have pretty high expectations....Disney gets it done and I'm thrilled with the brand. I just am afraid I might need something more than even disney can deliver.

we will be arriving a week before the tour starts to visit with family and see the Military Tattoo, tour Glasgow and my parents home towns so I have a bit of time to add other must dos. So far that includes Stirling Castle, St Andrews, and maybe a day trip to the borders to visit Alnwic castle Any others?

 

[kristilew]

Sayhello, what Princess Leia said. Can't remember which station DH left from in London but the website should be helpful. You are going to have so much fun!

 

[calypso726]

I'm so impressed with the creative ways to score mileage threw travel hacking. I haven't been as successful for this trip, but maybe for next one!

Ok.... So I'm getting cold feet BIG time! As I have previously posted, this trip is a huge ' trip of a life time' for my family. We have been holding off taking this trip when we felt our 4 kids were old enough to truly appreciate their heritage and the history. My parents (whom immigrated from Scotlland) were a great influence on them and instilled such a sense of pride.

I'm wondering if the itinerary will cover all that I need them to see in the highlands. I'm disappointed there is not time for the Jacobite express! or a walk threw Glencoe, and I would like to know from ABDers before us, if they felt they missed out on anything in particular. Was there too much back tracking on the bus and would you amend the hotel locations, or add another stop? I know this is a Disneys brave, and not a braveheart or Scotland the brave tour, but any regrets? I mean we chose ABD because DIsney has never disappointed us. We bought DVC, done 2 DCl cruises, at least 10 trips to WDW, have traveled quite a bit and have pretty high expectations....Disney gets it done and I'm thrilled with the brand. I just am afraid I might need something more than even disney can deliver.

we will be arriving a week before the tour starts to visit with family and see the Military Tattoo, tour Glasgow and my parents home towns so I have a bit of time to add other must dos. So far that includes Stirling Castle, St Andrews, and maybe a day trip to the borders to visit Alnwic castle Any others?

No regrets but I am glad we came a few days early to enjoy Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival and got to see the Military Tatto. That was a highlight! I would love to go back again and stay in Edinburgh for a week and enjoy some of the shows during the festival. I am glad we chose to get dropped off at Culloden after one of our days in Inverness. Personally, I would have liked to stop at Glencoe and take pictures. I am glad we also took the time beforehand to see Stirling Castle and The Wallace Monument. I also really enjoyed doing the Real Mary King's Close tour. When we go back this September with my parents we will be taking the tour again. If you get a chance to hike up to the top of Arthur's Seat you should. We will be doing that again in September too.

 

[disneydeb8]

No regrets but I am glad we came a few days early to enjoy Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival and got to see the Military Tatto. That was a highlight! I would love to go back again and stay in Edinburgh for a week and enjoy some of the shows during the festival. I am glad we chose to get dropped off at Culloden after one of our days in Inverness. Personally, I would have liked to stop at Glencoe and take pictures. I am glad we also took the time beforehand to see Stirling Castle and The Wallace Monument. I also really enjoyed doing the Real Mary King's Close tour. When we go back this September with my parents we will be taking the tour again. If you get a chance to hike up to the top of Arthur's Seat you should. We will be doing that again in September too.

I almost forgot to add Arthur's seat hike! Thank you. Culloden battlefield is a must do so I was thrilled they gave you the option. Glencoe is hard to let go and wondering if any possible way to visit during the tour. Do you feel Lewis was a must see? I know the standing stones has the outlander tie in so I'm guessing your answer is yes

 

[calypso726]

I almost forgot to add Arthur's seat hike! Thank you. Culloden battlefield is a must do so I was thrilled they gave you the option. Glencoe is hard to let go and wondering if any possible way to visit during the tour. Do you feel Lewis was a must see? I know the standing stones has the outlander tie in so I'm guessing your answer is yes

Definitely YES! Even if I wasn't a huge Outlander fan I'd say definitely yes. Being able to walk up to and touch the stones is awesome. I am already mentally preparing myself for the fact that you don't get to go up to and touch the stones at Stonehenge I really enjoyed seeing the Arnol Blackhouse and loved the peat fire. Stornoway is pretty amazing simply because of the remote feeling it invokes. My best advice is to stay open minded. There were several things on the itinerary that I didn't think I'd care for too much or could probably skip. I wound up being quite surprised. Some of the things I thought I could have done without wound up being the best parts of the trip. If there was one thing I could have done that we didn't do, it would be to see the fairy pools in the Isle of Skye. I will one day though.

 

[sayhello]

East Coast Trains run between London and Edinburgh. It takes about 4 hours 22 min. You will get best deals booking online at their website www.eastcoast.co.uk
You can book about 3 months ahead. Prices are much cheaper the further out you are from travel. it is also worth checking the best deal as ticket prices varying greatly for different times of day. The great thing with train is that you are in the city centre. When you factor in check-in times for airport and travel from airports to city centre the train is a great option. It is set up for travelling with cases. We have gone as a family of 4 by train to London and love it.

Thanks so much, Princess Leia! This is just what I needed. I'll definitely book ahead of time. Thanks!

Sayhello, what Princess Leia said. Can't remember which station DH left from in London but the website should be helpful. You are going to have so much fun!

That website is great. It looks like I can catch the train at King's Cross (not too far from my London Hotel) and take it to Edinburgh Waverly, which is walking distance to my Edinburgh hotel! I am really getting excited, but it still seems a bit far away!

Thanks!
Sayhello

 

[RSM]

. Being able to walk up to and touch the stones is awesome. I am already mentally preparing myself for the fact that you don't get to go up to and touch the stones at Stonehenge .

There are tours of Stonehenge in the early morning prior to opening and in the evening after closing that allow you to go inside the structure of Stonehenge and get very close to the stones. You can't touch them, but you are within inches. For most tours of Stonehenge you are outside a roped area around the perimeter. Not sure of what access ABD has, but if you really wanted to get close to the stones and had time you could check out Premium Tours VIP tour of Stonehenge.

 

[calypso726]

There are tours of Stonehenge in the early morning prior to opening and in the evening after closing that allow you to go inside the structure of Stonehenge and get very close to the stones. You can't touch them, but you are within inches. For most tours of Stonehenge you are outside a roped area around the perimeter. Not sure of what access ABD has, but if you really wanted to get close to the stones and had time you could check out Premium Tours VIP tour of Stonehenge.

Good to know. Thank you for sharing that. I'll have to back and peruse some of the London/Paris ABD trip reports and see if Disney gets to go beyond the ropes. That would be awesome. If they don't perhaps I will look into an after hours option if the itinerary allows. Thanks for sharing!

 

[SingingMom]

Good to know. Thank you for sharing that. I'll have to back and peruse some of the London/Paris ABD trip reports and see if Disney gets to go beyond the ropes. That would be awesome. If they don't perhaps I will look into an after hours option if the itinerary allows. Thanks for sharing!

You are outside the ropes at Stonehenge with ABD.

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[calypso726]

You are outside the ropes at Stonehenge with ABD.

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Boo! What happened to the Power of Da Mouse

 

[disneydeb8]

Boo! What happened to the Power of Da Mouse

Funny, I was thinking the same thought!

Look is like we may add a pre-tour stop over in London! DH says we might as well and the kids will be thrilled, they are huge Potter fans and dr who so will have to indulge them with this surprise

So I need to call on those experienced with London and traveling up to glasgow.

First I can fly into Heathrow or Gatwick so is there a preference. Also, London hotels and area...any suggestions. I plan staying 3 nights than heading to glasgow via rail! stay there for 3-4 nights before heading to Edinburgh for tattoo and ABD. Thanks for any wisdom you may share

 

[sayhello]

Funny, I was thinking the same thought!

Look is like we may add a pre-tour stop over in London! DH says we might as well and the kids will be thrilled, they are huge Potter fans and dr who so will have to indulge them with this surprise

So I need to call on those experienced with London and traveling up to glasgow.

First I can fly into Heathrow or Gatwick so is there a preference. Also, London hotels and area...any suggestions. I plan staying 3 nights than heading to glasgow via rail! stay there for 3-4 nights before heading to Edinburgh for tattoo and ABD. Thanks for any wisdom you may share

I've only ever flown into Heathrow, so I can't comment on which is better.

If your kids are really Harry Potter fans, then you'll want to take them to the Harry Potter studios tour just outside of London.

http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/?gclid=CMHCpc2j_rsCFUpnOgodWUoA6A

There's a train that goes there from Euston train station. I just looked, and the train to Glasgow also leaves from Euston station. So I'd recommend staying in that area (I am in August). The Marylebone area is right there. That's where I'm staying (off Baker Street). Oxford street is nearby, as is Madame Tussauds' and the British Museum. And King's Cross station is the next tube stop up, and there's a Platform 9 3/4 set up there with a cart that looks like it's passing through the wall (great Harry Potter Photo op).

There's also an express train from Heathrow to Paddington station, which is not terribly far away from Marylebone either. There's a train from Gatwick to Marylebone, but it's not an express, so it takes an hour & 15 minutes vs. the Express which takes 15 minutes.

There's a company called London Walks http://www.walks.com/ that has a Harry Potter tour, which I took when I was there in 2011. Really excellent tour that hits places relating to Harry Potter, JK Rowling, or used during filming of the movies.

I'm also looking at a company called Muggle Tours http://www.muggletours.co.uk/ which is highly rated on TripAdvisor.com.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head (I'm doing 4 pre-days in London, then taking the train up to Edinburgh, so I'm already looking into this.)

Let me know if you have any more questions!

Sayhello

 

[disneydeb8]

thanks Sayhello!

This is great information to get me started planning a pre-pre-trip!

It's pretty overwhelming and I have never researched London so I have a bit of work to do. Im trying to keep this a surprise since the kids will not expect this -- my 16 year old will absolutley freak! She could not grasp why "wouldn't we" tour London when we were so close???


so thank you again!

 

[RSM]

Hi DisneyDeb8,

We spent 9 days in London this summer. We used London as a home base and did a few day trips outside of the city. our 11 y/o son is a huge Harry Potter fan, so virtually every day had some Harry Potter theme to it. I would absolutely second SayHello's recommendation on the Warner Bros tour. For any HP fan, it is a must see. Thousands of props and most of the inside and external sets are still intact. You can take a train to Watford or book a tour (includes entrance tickets and coach ride). The tour is more convenient, the downside is that you don't have as much time in the studio. Another, HP related thing (if you have time) is to take a trip to Oxford. There are coach tours that will take you there and give you a tour of the University, highlighting scenes from the movies that were shot there, and pointing out the inspiration for other parts of the movie. We did a tour of HP sites in London with a company called Brit Movie Tours. They were very good, however, there are a bunch of companies that do this type of tour, so you can choose whatever is most convenient. Platform 9 3/4 is at Kings Cross station. Just a heads up, the lines can get pretty long for that photo op. If you get there early, the lines tend to be much shorter. They have a pretty good system set up with people there to put a scarf around you and take a picture. We waited about 20-30 mins, but I heard some complaining about waiting over an hour for the photo op.

If you are going to be there 3 days, I'd recommend getting an oyster card to ride the tube. Huge cost savings and very convenient. The tube/underground in London is super easy, and you will figure it out within one or two trips. There are also lots of workers to help at every stop. Another recommendation is to get a 2 or 3 day London Pass. It allows you entrance into many of the museums/attractions in London, and you get to skip the entrance line at many of the more popular attractions (e.g., London Tower). Just google London Pass and take a look.

There is so much to do, you will have a blast. Hopes this helps at least a little bit. Feel free to ask any questions.

 

[Princess Leia]

Funny, I was thinking the same thought!

Look is like we may add a pre-tour stop over in London! DH says we might as well and the kids will be thrilled, they are huge Potter fans and dr who so will have to indulge them with this surprise

So I need to call on those experienced with London and traveling up to glasgow.

First I can fly into Heathrow or Gatwick so is there a preference. Also, London hotels and area...any suggestions. I plan staying 3 nights than heading to glasgow via rail! stay there for 3-4 nights before heading to Edinburgh for tattoo and ABD. Thanks for any wisdom you may share

Just wanted to share our experience on visiting London. I will try and answer some of your questions. In terms of hotels what is most important is that you are near to a tube station. We stayed at Premier Inn London Southwark (Tate Modern). It turned out to be ideal. You will get best prices the further out you are. A friend also recommended the Premier Inn County Hall which is beside the London Eye.

My daughter loves Harry Potter. We booked on the Big Bus Tour which means you can use the hop-on hop off-buses. As part of this tour you can go on walking tours. We went on the Royal London Walk and the Harry Potter Film Locations walk. We really enjoyed this tour. You will see the exterior of the Ministry of Magic (Whitehall), the entrance to Diagon Alley and Leicester square. It is worth purchasing the book 'Harry Potter on Location' prior to your visit to London? We also went to the Warner Bros studio tour. Again if you are the fan of the films it really is worthwhile. We got the train from Euston to Watford Junction. Just make sure that you get one of the express ones. You can get a shuttle bus to the studios. You can check train times online at national rail enquiries.

Virgin Trains leave from London Euston to Glasgow Central. You can book online. If you book early you can book a table for no extra cost. You could also travel via Edinburgh to Glasgow. Let me know if you need any info on Glasgow. It's great fun planning surprises for the children.