toopie28

Hope this is the right place to post...

Do you guys know - when is the busiest time to travel to the UK in the summer?

I usually go home (to Scotland) every Christmas or New Year (which is always a travel nightmare) and have been nagged to go over this summer. So I'm trying to plan the least busiest time to go over there - any ideas?

Thanks.

ian-mstm

This year, it'll be between the 3rd week in July and the 3rd week in August.

Ian

Englishmum

Just a warning - it's going to be VERY expensive to fly to the UK this Summer; what with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations (in June) and then the Olympics, demand is going to be high and ticket prices accordingly.

Perhaps you could fly to Ireland and then take a connecting flight (or even ferry) to Scotland from there? Check out prices for Dublin, Shannon and Continental/United also flies to Belfast.

Check out the websites for Aer Lingus and also try Iceland Air.

toopie28

Good idea. I'll try Dublin as well as Amsterdam. Hate Hellthrow.
Thanks.

Bob

This summer will be a shit idea....tickets are already getting mentally expensive because of the Olympics.

If it's a holiday to see family, why not try a third party country, where you can all be on holiday, rather than it being work for you? Some where in the middle, such as Iceland?

Mummy in the foothills

So any idea when is all the Olympic frenzy over? End of August? I know they have the special Olympics right after the regular one.

Englishmum

The answer is here.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Paralympics

Mummy in the foothills

Thanks. I was hoping Ds could fly over at the end of august, but now I think he may have to wait. Oh well, maybe I'll get lucky and find him a flight still for the end of august.

Englishmum

I'm in the same conumdrum....I might even fly direct to Zurich, pick up the car in Zug and drive to England to see the rellies. OTOH I guess the fees will also be high for taking the car ferries or trains from June-early September. They always are higher of course during the school Summer hols but this year it's bound to be extortionate.

I don't even want to look at flight prices until I'm definite on dates for travel and ready to book; I've been caught out more than once when I've pondered about booking a flight - demurred - and then when I go to actually go ahead and book the flight, the price has rocketed...

I'd love to see some of the Olympic events - however I don't know anyone who is going. I've heard it's actually easier to buy tickets outside the UK too.

penguinsix

I find February, November and October are usually the cheapest months. I avoid flying in Summer if at all possible due to crowded and expensive planes.

Bob

Flights during Thanksgiving tend to be a bit meh on price though.

toopie28

Well Mum will not travel - at all. So no way to meet in the middle.

I checked Aer Lingus to Dublin and there is always a layover in either Boston or some other state - trying to avoid that.

I might wait until the last moment - I really do not want to travel in the summer and just maybe go longer for New Year but you know the family... they just want me to "pop over for a couple of days"... cuz I'm just around the corner - AAARRRGGGG!!!!!

mikechristina

There is no "popping over" it's days to recover and adjust on both ends. Many people don't understand that you need a good two weeks to make it worth the visit!

Mummy in the foothills

If you look on the Aer Lingus site they do a direct flight from SFO to Dublin, we went on that a few years back then got the ferry over to Wales. On the way back we stopped in Dubin overnight and saw the sights. Then had an early morning flight out direct to SFO.