Hi all, We're so excited! We're headed back to Ireland in June, so I'm immersed in the planning again. Has anyone ever taken a ferry from the Belfast area to Scotland (I think the port is about 30 miles south of Glasgow)?
We're planning to rent a car from Avis and drive along the west coast of Ireland up and around to Belfast. Then...if Avis allows it...take the ferry to Scotland and fly home from Glasgow. Has anyone tried something similar? Will the car rental companies allow such a thing? I guess I'm also making the assumption that we can drive our vehicle on to the ferry. Would it be better to leave our car in Belfast, and use public transportation in Scotland?
Any advice would be appreciated! I'll have more questions about Ireland, later. I can see that this time we'll be doing the B&B route and I'll be relying heavily on Michele's book. It's the best! Jeanne
You might be interested in Stena Lines Rail & Sail, http://www.stenaline.co.uk/stena_line/stena_line_uk/belfast_-_stranraer/gb/by_rail.html, which takes you by Ferry to Stranraer and then lets you choose from a host of destinations via First Scot Rail. You can take the Rail into Glasgow and then rent a car there. It would probably be more economical and less of a paper headache to do it this way.
Thanksk so much! I checked out the link and this looks like it will be perfect. I think it's good advice to leave the car behind in Ireland and make new arrangements in Scotland. I'll let you know how it turns out. Jeanne
I am glad that Stena was a good fit. I know that some rental companies will allow you to take your rental car with you. However there are usually extra fees and extra paperwork. There is also a huge hassle if you have mechanical problems or, God forbid, a collision.
If you have the time, Caverlock Castle is a must see it is south and west of Glasgow by an hour but it is well worth the drive. Also, if you plan on visiting very many of Scotland's historic sites, consider investing in a Historic Scotland membership, as it pays for itself in short order.
I know this is an Irish travel forum. However, if you need any help with Scotland, will help in anyway I can.
Cowboy Craic's advice about not taking your Ireland car to Scotland makes a lot of sense. Besides the ferry do check out the flight between the two also. There are sometimes flights that are cheaper than the ferry. So check out both. It sounds like a fun trip.
My husband and I had planned to take the ferry from Ireland to Scotland this summer and Michele gave us the same advice. When we looked into it, we found that flights were much cheaper and took only a fraction of the time. Check Ryan Air.
Also, we had a car in ireland, but decided not to have one in Scotland. We stayed in Edinburgh, and took day trips from there. We flew home from Scotland too.