Edinburgh to Exeter...

[Self Loading Freight]

I wanted to fly someone from Scotland down to the West Country last week, but the only price I could find online was around six hundred quid.

That's ridiculous. What am I missing?

R

[MerchantVenturer]

There are no direct flights from Scotland to Exeter at present, although Flybe have announced plans for a daily flight from both EDI and GLA next year.

The nearest you will get to Exeter at the moment from Scotland is to Bristol (BRS). There are five daily BA Citiexpress and three daily easyJet flights from both EDI and GLA to BRS.

I have flown from BRS to both EDI and GLA for as little as £25 'return' with easyJet.

I have just done three random test bookings on the easyJet website for EDI-BRS. Next Tuesday shows an all-in 'return' fare, including taxes, of £79.98; a date is September shows £69.98 and in November £35.98.

My sample related to 'return' flights on the same day but as all easyJet fares are booked as single journeys a 'period return' is no different in price. For example I test sampled leaving Edinburgh on 30 September and returning on 4 November and this showed an all-in fare of £35.98 there and back.

[PAXboy]

True!

This is from Exeter Airport (http://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/) "London and other UK mainland airports are not served by Exeter International Airport at present."

So BRS and a car hire. The train service would be much longer as BRS is already south of the city by some distance and you would be doubling back on yourself in a taxi or a bus to get the train and then pass the airport again. The M5 is very close to BRS and you could be down the road quite quickly.

[Self Loading Freight]

Thanks. The person in question doesn't drive, so car hire isn't an option.

Great Western it is, then. Damn.

R

[Pax Vobiscum]

... or go all the way by Virgin Trains - 7.5 hours Edinburgh to Exeter, tickets £30-£109.

with apologies for political incorrectness :p

PV

[MerchantVenturer]

SLF,

If you don't want to travel by road all the way from BRS airport, a better option might be to get a taxi or bus to Weston-super-Mare which of course is on the way to Exeter - taxis 25-30 mins journey time but buses to Weston from airport are infrequent.

You could then pick up a Virgin Cross Country or Wessex train at Weston railway station and be in Exeter in about 3/4 of an hour from Weston, and these trains are quite frequent. Most First Great Western trains from Paddington terminate at either Bristol Temple Meads or Weston.

On the other hand there is an airport coach that runs every half hour from the airport and calls at Bristol Temple Meads railway station on its way to the Bristol Bus and Coach station (journey time about 20 mins and about £5 return). It would be cheaper than paying for a taxi to Weston and you pick up the same Virgin or Wessex train.

[Self Loading Freight]

Thanks, all. Plymouth Airport seems similarly useless! Best to wait until March 2004 and see what FlyBE cook up.

R