driving from Southampton to Edinburgh

We - me, husband, cat - are moving to the UK this September via Queen Mary 2.  The ship arrives in Southampton around 6:30 AM.  Our ultimate destination is Edinburgh, so the plan all along had been to rent a car and just drive straight on up. Yes, it's a long drive, but considering the amount of luggage we will most likely have, along with the (not exactly dainty) cat, it seemed to make the most sense.

Unfortunately, as we're making the plans for this, we haven't really come across anyone who thinks it's a good idea.  Reactions have ranged from "Ooh, that's a long day" (which I can deal with) to "worst idea ever!  Maniac drivers on the motorways!  Speeds up to 110 mph!  Insanely expensive petrol!  Horrendous traffic!", which admittedly has me a bit more worried. 

Trouble is that I can't really come up with any better idea.  The train seems like a nightmare with all of our stuff, plus the cat carrier, not to mention expensive in its own right.  Shipping a few bags ahead would work, but... sort of defeats one of the major reasons for taking the QM2 in the first place, what with its unlimited luggage policy.

So, sage UK-Yankeers:  What do we do?  Are we crazy for even attempting this drive?  Neither of us have ever driven in the UK before either, for whatever that's worth.   

Not that it's not do-able, but many people find that no matter how experienced a driver they are in the US, UK driving throws them for a loop the first time out -- and much longer after that, too. It might not be fun -- or indeed even safe --  to deal with that right away on a major drive of 300 + miles, to say the least.....

I've read on here of some people making this kind of journey by train, cats and all -- perhaps they can chime in with some recommendations for a train journey instead?

I'm not sure you can carry that much stuff on the train, to be honest. I know trains don't have a luggage limit, but you will really be struggling with everything, including the cat! Not to mention if you have to change anywhere which would be a nightmare.

I think driving will be your best option, but it will take a long time for sure. Can you split the journey into two days, possibly finding a hotel halfway that will allow pets? I've only driven once in the UK and it was primarily on the motorway. I didn't think it was bad at all. The narrow roads are definitely more scary.

I don't think you're crazy, at all.   Then again we drove from Gatwick to Middlesbrough (NE England) with our two cats, so I might be a bit biased.

You'll be on motorway or dual carriageway (think two-lanes-each-side divided highway, with barrier or grassy median) pretty much the entire way, which is very very similar to driving on the same types of roads in the US, except that the exits are on the left.  I think Bmore's idea of breaking the journey into two is a good one, if you can find a pet-friendly place to stay; however, if there are two of you and neither is jetlagged or overly tired (since you're arriving on the QM2, I'm assuming you'll be well-rested) and you can take turns driving, then there's no reason you can't do it in one day. 

From a practical standpoint, you're going to run into higher rental fees for the one-way car hire - if you can find a place that will allow it in the first place! - and you may have a bit of trouble hiring a car without a thousand different kinds of ID, so do your homework before arrival.  The actual drive itself should be a breeze in comparison.

With no experience on UK roads, I'd be very worried about this. At least find the UK highway code online and try to learn it.

I can't find the thread now, but some time ago it was posted that a US driver, not knowing what the lane markings mean and how some of them differ from the meaning they have in the US, caused a fatal crash on a UK motorway exit ramp.

Not trying to scare the OP, but it's something to consider. Even those of us taking lessons and driving regularly have still found it a frightening challenge so much so that personally I wouldnt have wanted to get myself out on a 300 mile motorway drive my very first day.

Well, the first thing to consider is that you are confident about driving in the UK (US licence works in the UK so that should clear the licence bit, the car hire company can advise on insurance, etc if needed?....)

Next length of journey. Sure you know its a pretty long journey and that this would cause a fair bit of tiredness. But if there are two drivers then should be ok. 

I'm talking from experience. Just so that yout get an idea here is my ongoing experience. Just yesterday i have driven 267miles (thats about 4.5 hours of non stop driving!!!) Then in one day, been to four different places, done 10 hours of work and had little time to eat except for a drink....yes when i got back home it was 2:42am (Monday started at 7am for me!!!)....It can be really tiring. I am tired and will be going to sleep after posting this reply, just happen to have read this thread!!! 

I would certainly not recommend doing such a lengthy journey using public transport be it train or coaches. It would be awkward and would cause alot inconvinience bothto youselves and the passengers. But driving is definitely the option that i consider more suited (other than asking a courier to transport al your luggage). As Bmore2UK said i also recommend a break in between....shall we say make it a MUST as you will be tired and this being your first trip here, safety has to be paramount when driving.

I'm assuming your driving is definitely upto mark for UK standards..(i.e you understand and know the signs and rules and are confident about driving on motorways as well as city roads)....if not...consider someone driving you lot instead.

I drove 3.5 hours in Ireland, mostly motorway, and I was exhausted by the time we got there...more so than ever in the US and I used to drive the 8 hour trip to NC by myself with only 1 or 2 short breaks. It's because you have to pay attention so much more since you're not used to the road rules and such. I told my husband that I felt like I used my brain more in that trip than the entire 3 months I'd been in Ireland!

Speeds up to 110 mph! 

Ridiculous.
You might find the odd person (illegally, of course) doing a speed like this, but it's not the norm.

Yeah... it will be a long day, but if you're confident in your driving skills, it shouldn't be an issue.

Car hire in the UK is much easier for people that hold a US driving license than a Uk one. One one holiday here to see DH, his car broke down  enroute to pick me up from the airport. We had to hire a car to get back to the NE. He tried to get one but didnt have enough ID. I walked in and they gave me one with only my passport and PA driver's license.

If one of you had experience driving in the UK, I'd say it would be fine.  But if neither of you have ever driven in the UK before, I'd be wary, honestly.  Not to say that you 100% shouldn't do it, but I probably wouldn't attempt it.

I think the train could work actually, but only if it was a direct train to Edinburgh.  If you'd have to change, it's not really a practical option. You could hire a car to get you to a train station with a direct route to Edinburgh (preferably the origin of the train so you'd have lots of time to load all your luggage without inconveniencing anyone else.) The cat carrier shouldn't be that difficult to deal with on the train- just pop it on one of the tables and you should be all set.

If I were you I would do exactly the same.  Not knowing your timeline and how good you are with long roadtrips, I will make some suggestions.

If you can, spend two days or so in the south of England to get acclimated to the time change.  Pack plenty of Ambien to help you adjust (get to bed at a decent hour).  Jetlag plus long car trips don't mix well.  This will also let you get acclimated to driving on the left before you make your long trip.

Make sure you rent a car that is big enough for all your baggage - a van perhaps?  It would be a shame to do all this planning just to realize you can't fit all your bags in the rental vehicle.

The motorway system in the UK is similar to US.  Once you are on the motorway, it's a piece of cake.  Try to spend the majority of the trip on M-class roads and you will not see any issues (wide road - many lanes).  There are many more crazy drivers in the U.S. than in UK, so if you are coming from NJ, this will not be a problem for you.

The drive itself will take about 8-9 hours.  I would do this all in one day, but if you are not use to long road trips, two 4hr days will also work.

Steer clear of major cities (London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle) during rush hour times and traffic should not be an issue.  Better still is if you can plan your long drive up on a Saturday or Sunday.

I've never come over with a pet, so make sure you investigate the UK's PETS program to avoid any quarantine restrictions.  Work this into your plans upon arrival.

The hardest part of your trip, I think, will be navigating around Edinburgh.  One thing you may want to consider is purchasing a GPS (SatNav in UK) once you land.  They are pretty cheap now (99 pounds or so) and they are portable so you can use it on your own vehicle later.  This will take a lot of stress off you when navigating smaller roads, looking for petrol stations, etc.  Also not a bad idea to invest in a UK atlas - they have them in most petrol stations.

Hope this helps!!

At least find the UK highway code online and try to learn it.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/index.htm   

I think that driving is almost certainly your best bet.  I may be wrong, but I think that there are no direct trains to Edinburgh from Southampton, and changing trains with lots of luggage and a cat will be a nightmare at best.  It will be a long drive, and I think that so far no one has mentioned the almost inevitable road works that you may run into on the way - at least, every time we have traveled from Leeds to the south, there have been numerous road works causing long delays along the way.

If you are confident drivers, though, I think you will be ok.  My brother travels fairly frequently to the UK, and he always hires a car and seems to have no trouble.  It is a good idea to check out the UK highway code, and of course, to get a decent atlas.

If it were me, I would think seriously about breaking the journey half-way.  I think you can find pet-friendly hotels without too much trouble.  A quick Google came up with Best Western hotels as having pet-friendly rooms.  You should probably figure out your route in advance, and then Google to be certain there is a pet-friendly place in the right area.

I don't really think you need GPS.  The motorways are well sign-posted, and a city atlas for Edinburgh should help you find your way once you get there.  Also, pedestrians are usually pretty helpful if you need directions in the city area.

If you do want to check out the train option, go to www.nationalrail.co.uk/ where you can plug in your starting point and destination, and find out what trains will take you there.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies!  After much deliberation, we are going to go ahead and do the drive.  There's no direct train from Southampton to Edinburgh, and I think trying to wrangle all of our luggage, plus the fairly massive cat carrier (did I mention he's big?  we think he's part ragamuffin) onto a train, PLUS a transfer would just be waaay too difficult.

I think the concerns that you guys brought up are completely valid, so we're going to look into possibly breaking the drive up into two days, and also definitely reading up on highway codes and signage before we arrive!  Oh, and we will, of course, be investing in a good atlas! 

I'm sure it will be a little frightening at first, but my husband apparently did some driving when he was living in Thailand (where, and this was news to me, they drive on the left side as well), I've done some driving on mainland Europe, and we've both been living/driving in northern NJ and NYC for the past five years or so, so we at least are familiar with some other stressful driving environments!  I know those experiences are all going to be different than driving in the UK for the first time, but hopefully (knock on wood, head, any other hard surface available) our excessive amounts of paranoid preparations will translate us into being even more hyper-aware and safe than normal.  (Bmore_2_UK:  I can totally see us having a similar experience to yours, and concentrating so hard that we are exhausted after a few hours...)

I just looked quickly at Google Maps, and it suggested the following route: A34 --> M40-->M6-->A74(M)-->A702.  I'll obviously be spending some more quality time with the atlas to figure out if this is the best route or not, but in the meantime, I'm wondering what an A type of road is like?  If M roads are divided motorways, what is an A road?

Thanks again for all the tips and advice!   

Some A roads are dual-carriageways - like 4 lane highways.

I too suggest breaking the trip into two days, solely for the reason that it's going to be difficult to avoid big cities - they're all over the place between Southhampton and Edinburgh - and with such a long trip, that means you are going to hit delays somewhere along the way with rush hour if nothing else.

You could, once you have an atlas (hopefully you can get one in the US and study it up good), spot the motorway service stations (marked with an S) and find the ones that have hotels/motels - might make it easier to plan your trip if you know where they are and are able to check if any takes pets, just in case you DO need to break up your journey.

Personally, I did much better driving here as a visitor than I ever have as a resident...I found motorway driving to be a real pleasure, and the only 'learning' I had was from another US visitor who'd driven here before - she gave me a few lessons and then I was off and running, driving from Bath to Leicester on afternoon, usingmostly the motorways.  Even managed to find my way back to Gatwick airport on my own...