A challenge for you lot... I want to get to Scotland for as cheap as possible.

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

I am looking to go to Scotland in the Feb half term for a couple of days.
I need the cheapest way of getting me and my 2 children (4 and 6) there.

I can either fly, train, or coach. I am currently in West Sussex and will be using Chichester train station if using train.
I can get to airports and coach pick ups.

I am wanting to go to Aberdeen on the 11th/12th Feb, will also want a return trip for about the 14th/15th but its flexable.

Can anyone see if they can sniff me out a great deal please?
I don't care what class i travel and at what time.

TIA

East Coast Trains is the cheapest train option (10 hour journey with 3/4 changes) but it looks like it's going to be about £400 return...

flybmi do Heathrow to Aberdeen for about £500 but seats selling out fast

easyjet only fly from Luton to Aberdeen

Personally I think you're mad, your kids will hate spending 2 whole days travelling for a 2 day holiday and you might be stressed by it. Isnt there anywhere closer that you fancy? (Aberdeen is a bit grim in the winter...)

where is the local coach pick up

Do you have a family and friends railcard??

If not - get one - it would save you a fortune.

If you left on the 11th Feb and returned on the 15th - you can get a return for £128.60

(famly and friends railcard is about £26 irrc) and the fare without is £226

Zebras - where on earth did you get £400 from????

Coach would probably be a lot cheaper - but I wouldn't not with younger children - I did Milton Keynes - Edinburgh (a shorter distance and 10hrs) with young children 3 years ago and it was hell on the ooach with no changes, no option to have a walk up and down the carriage etc

No I want to go to Aberdeen to see my best friend who I miss very, very much! She usually comes down here (by coach) but she has invited us up to her, I could do with a break and I thought it would be nice for the kids to have a change of scenery.

However as it is I probably wont be able to afford it and afford to entertain the kids when we get there so I will work something else out.

I bet you can entertain them really cheaply up there if you can get the money together to get up there. It's only a couple of days I'm sure there's plenty of really cheap (or even free) stuff to do.

I hope so, im in the midst of a breakup of a 7 yr relationship with the childrens dad. In a highschool fashion I am really longing for my friend.

Does this help

What other towns with train stations near you could you get to?? Just sometimes it can be (bizarrely) cheaper to travel for a different station close to where you live (sometimes further away from where you're going).

Right now if you get a F&F Railcard - if you pay out £26 for a F&F railcard (which is then valid for a whole year) - you can do it for £128.60 (plus the railcard).

if you can get to Portsmouth(?) fairly easily (I presume that's where you'd fly/coach from?) you can do it for £100 + railcard cost

Well her way is near

Laurencekirk Station and Stonehaven station

My way i am near Portsmouth and Brighton/Worthing/Arundel...

I looked at easyjet but you have to pay per bag you take! I would have to try and get a life to the air port and I have never been on a plne by myself before let alone with 2 young kids. I shamefully wouldnt know what to do when I got to the air posrt, heck I don't even know if you need a passport to fly to Scotland.

Train seem the best option, I will have to see if i can raise the cash.

BaroqueAroundTheClock that really helpfull thanks so much, it seems 'do-able' I can hoepfully raise £100 and get a life to Portsmouth Station.

I don't know if it makes it any cheaper still but DS1 is entitled to a disabled railcard as he gets higher rate DLA.

Is the 4yo free?

Yes I think so on a train its over 5 you have to pay?

Also with flying if you're not near an airport you have to factor that in travel to/from as well. I know when I looked into flying up to Edinburgh with the DS's last summer it worked out more expensive (and not actually that much quicker once I'd factored in getting to the airport and check-in time) than the train with railcard.

\link{http://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets\ifyou go here} you can play around with station options. You'll need to do it for 1 adult and 1 child and select the family and friends railcard.

Just looked up the coach from Portsmouth to Aberdeen......the quickest about 15hrs - and costs £76!!

Train.

Airport completely wrong side of the city for Laurencekirk. You'd need a taxi and then a train back through Abdn and out the other side.

Unless your friend is willing to come get you.

Stonehaven is a nice wee town. Not much to Laurencekirk.

actually think it works out at £105 from Portsmouth

is £65.05 up and then £41 back down (cheapest option for that one appears to be buying singles)

(I have no idea how they work all this stuff out with fares - but have learned through experience it's good to play around with arrival/departure places if you have the option )

Yes Katy - the 4yr old will be free.

My friend tells me it is a lot cheaper to buy seperate fares for each leg of the journey and then seperate singles back again with a rail card...

well Last time I went I got advance sleeper from London up (travelled to London to get it) then sleeper back - followed by a day in London - it cost £65 each way, but its a bit less if you buy a whole cabin I think. Its cheaper in one sense, because you get a night's accommodation and arrive about 8am (you arrive early in London, but can stay in the train until later). the food is pretty runbbish unless you pay more, but you can ignore this and go straight to a decent cafe at either end.

oh yes - that's worth having a play around with too - the seperate legs of the journey - grab a piece of paper and have a play.

Sleeper wouldn't work for them Dropped - they won't let the children sleep on their own and the berths only sleep 2

East Coast are showing Chichester to Stonehaven Fri 11th Feb (13.11 dep 22.44 arr) as £46.90 and the return on Tue 15th dep 10.09 arr 19.28 as £36.70 (total £83.60), both with Fam&Friends railcard assuming 1 adult 1 child (as understand 1 child is free).

But as Baroque says it's worth having a play with times/days.