Road tripping around Scotland was a fantastic experience for the entire family! We started our 16 day adventure touring the city of Edinburgh before picking up our rental car booked through Auto Europe and hitting the open road. So why rent a car in Edinburgh with Auto Europe vs other forms of transportation in Scotland? The answer is easy – you get to see so much more of the country! While I love public transport in Europe and enjoy taking the occasional guided tour, having ultimate control over where to stop, how long to stay and what to do made the trip more enjoyable and relaxed. You can’t make an impromptu 2 hour hike to find puffins if a coach full of other travelers is waiting for you!
Why Rent with Auto Europe
After extensive research, we had the perfect road trip itinerary planned that allowed us to make a loop from Edinburgh to Glasgow, along the west coast and up to the Isle of Skye, back down the east coast and even hitting some spots in the middle of the country. Once we had our route, it was time to find the best deal for our car rental. Having used Auto Europe for past rentals, we knew it was the best website to do just that with 20,000 pickup locations worldwide, we knew Auto Europe would have plenty of rental options in our destination.
The website was easy to navigate and in just a few minutes we found a great price on a rental wagon with Hertz. We were able to compare rates from several agencies as well as compare car statistics all on one screen. While we traditionally choose smaller vehicles, we needed something a bit larger since my mother-in-law was traveling with us. We knew the roads in Scotland can be narrow, so it was important to keep the car size to a minimum while maximizing storage space and legroom.
Picking up the car in Edinburg went just as smoothly as the online booking experience. When renting a car, it’s important to us to get unlimited miles and Auto Europe had us covered! We almost got a free upgrade from a manual transmission to an automatic but the customer just in front of us got the last automatic wagon. Derrick wasn’t terribly upset not getting the upgrade but it would have been a nice bonus! It’s not easy to drive on the opposite side of the road and shift at the same time.
Some of the other great benefits renting through Auto Europe include:
- Free Cancellation 48hrs Before Pickup
- No Credit Card or Booking Fees
- 24/7 Rental & Support Hotline
Why Renting a Car is Better Than Other Forms of Transportation in Scotland
Car rentals offer more flexibility than other forms of transportation. We drove along one lane, winding, twisting roads that large coaches couldn’t navigate. We were stopped more times that I can count as sheep lazily crossed the roads. We pulled over in the highlands so the kids could dip their toes in a frigid mountain stream. We saw the steam train similar to the Hogwarts Express cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct. We searched for the Loch Ness Monster, stopped at random tiny villages and shops, explored several castles and even spotted puffins as we hiked next to the sea. If we had opted not to rent a car, many of our experiences wouldn’t have been possible.
Scotland is definitely best explored by car, even if you only have a few days. Renting a car in Edinburgh from Auto Europe is the perfect option. You can easily compare rental car companies and prices then book everything online with the knowledge that your car will be waiting at the selected location and date. Edinburgh has a major airport or you can easily jump on the train from London making the city a great starting point for your adventure. Hit the road to see castles, sheep lazily munching grass on the side of the road, puffins, sandy beaches, windy mountain tops and Fairy Pools. You’ll thank me later.
Have you rented a car in Edinburgh with Auto Europe? Do you agree that renting a car is better than other forms of transportation?
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Disclosure: I partnered with Auto Europe during our roadtrip. As always, opinions are 100% my own and may differ from others.
Hi…a few corrections to your post. It’s Edinburgh with an H. Skye not Skype and it’s the Fairy Pools not ponds….nice to see you visited Skye and are recommending it. It’s literally the best. And you are right, unless you are staying around the 2 or 3 larger cities, car is only option to give you freedom to explore.
Thanks for catching those typos! I don’t think auto correct likes Skye 🙂 We loved Skye, it was one of our absolute favorite areas.
We just went in July and renting a car was easy like you said and it was easier to see more of the country side!
Yes, we saw so much more by having a car. What was your favorite area of Scotland?
I would definitely like to try this in the UK, if only to experience driving on the wrong side of the street and the wrong side of the car! Also love the idea of stopping when you want and where you want. I’m currently re-reading Harry Potter and would love to have seen the train that looked like the Hogwarts Express on the Glenfinnan Viaduct – a picture I have pinned on Pinterest.
Driving on the opposite side of the road is definitely an experience! I recently watched the movies with my kids and they enjoyed it. Now that I’m back home, I have to hunt down all the books again. I’ll have an article up soon with more photos of the Glenfinnan Viaduct. We also have a short video which is pretty cool.