16 Days in Europe

[jessva]

Planning a trip in July and need some help figuring out the best way to get to each destination. The 3 main destinations we would like to visit are Paris, Amsterdam and Scotland.

So far the plane tickets are a lot more expensive to fly in and out of separate destinations, but maybe it will be cheaper and more worthwhile in the long run to fly in to France and out of Scotland?

Here's a tentative plan:

day 1: arrive in Paris 8am

day 2-4: Paris

day 5: Paris to Belgium. My companions want to drive, but is that more complicated then taking a train?

day 6: Belgium to Amsterdam

day 7: Amsterdam

day 8: Amsterdam to Scotland. It looks possible to fly from Amsterdam to Edinburgh?

days 12 Scotland

day 13 Scotland back to France. By train?

day 14-15 Paris.

day 16 travel back home

[herrbert]

I would just concentrate on the three destinations, and skip Belgium. (OK, you need pass it). Renting a car can be a good option and if you can split the bill with enough people it might be cheaper than taking the Thalys between Paris and Amsterdam. Only prepare the place, where you want to rent the car. I would suggest to not do that in the center of Paris, but on the outskirts. On one of the airports, you are likely to see all the familiar rental companies. (like e.g. Hertz) Check if you can get a car with Satnav, which will help you find your way to Amsterdam.

There are plenty of flights between Amsterdam and Edinburgh. I think Easyjet, would be the cheapest (but watch the charges for online check-in, luggage and priority boarding etc.) There are also flights with Flybe and Lufthansa. British Airways is also an option, but maybe you want to wait until the present strike is over. If you can't find a flight to Edinburgh, you can also check Glasgow. The distance between these cities is short, so flying into Glasgow, doesn't make a lot of difference. (except with a late flight ofcourse).

From Scotland, I would fly back to Paris, as your trip is a short one. Taking the train or driving would take longer than you expect.

For taking a flight home from Scotland you need to check with the airline, to see if they allow you to. If they are not flying on Scotland, which is pretty likely, as there is no major hub there, you might not have the possibility to use an open jaw for this. In that case you could consider, going Paris - Scotland - Amsterdam, and check if the surplus for an open jaw, exceeds the ticket for the Thalys (or the money for renting a car.)

[jessva]

Thank you for the tips and advice. Yes, I would prefer not to hassle with a car and take the train from France to Amsterdam. I think I will look for an open jaw ticket to make the travel less complicated.