Flight Tips for Golf Trips to Scotland & Ireland
Essential Insight for the Flight Portion of Your Journey
The process of planning an overseas golf trip inspires no shortage of questions. From the cost of Scotland golf packages to how much to tip a caddie in Ireland, our Expedition Planning Managers have no doubt answered them all. And while most of these questions early on are related to Golf and the Good Life overseas, eventually an equally important topic comes to light:
What about flights?
Although H&B does not handle booking airfare as part of our golf packages to Scotland, Ireland, and England, our members still seek our advice on the topic every single day.
The guide below shares some of the insight we usually pass along. We've also covered the topic extensively in the below episode of the Golf and the Good Life podcast..
Get Everyone on the Same Page
Obviously the logistics at the start of the trip are a little easier if the entire group flies together. More often than not, however, this isn’t possible. Perhaps a few members chose to go early, or your travel companions live in different corners of the United States. Whatever the case, when it comes to booking flights, it’s important to have everyone on the same page.
Some destinations may require a commute with your H&B Driver-Host upon arrival, so it helps if you agree to arrive in the same city and within as narrow of a window of time as possible. Otherwise, if your group is scattered to the whins of the British Isles, it could be a recipe for a rocky start to the trip.
The Plan is Non-Stop
The most effective way to remove stress from the logistics of your golf trip across the pond is to book a non-stop flight from the U.S.
In Scotland, Edinburgh and Glasgow both feature non-stop flights to a number of major cities, primarily east of the Mississippi River. In Ireland, Dublin is home to the greatest number of routes from the U.S., but there are also some convenient options to Belfast and Shannon.
Finally, London offers the most non-stop flights to the U.K., however it’s Manchester that will prove to be the best option for visiting the links courses of England’s Golf Coast.
To identify the airport closest to your destinations overseas, visit our golf maps of Scotland, Ireland, and England.
But if a non-stop flight isn’t in the cards for you...
Connect Here, Not There
If a convenient non-stop flight for your golf trip doesn’t exist, then our suggestion is usually to book your connection on this side of the pond. Doing so will save you the time and hassle of an extra run through security that you’d likely experience when connecting overseas. If your originating flight runs behind, that time may prove to be quite precious.
On the other hand, sometimes it’s best to…
Connect There, Not Here
As you study the maps mentioned above, you may notice some additional airports that we haven’t yet mentioned. That’s because cities like Aberdeen, Cork, and Inverness lack non-stop service to the U.S., however they are served by a variety of cities elsewhere in the U.K. and Europe. London will usually present the most choices for connecting flights to these cities, not to mention the greatest number of departures from the U.S.
If you go this route, however, it’s a good idea to...
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Avoid London Heathrow and Paris CDG
Ask any experienced golf traveler, and they’ll tell you that the best way to arrive for your golf trip without your clubs is to connect through London Heathrow. Their penchant for temporarily misplacing golf clubs is legendary, and has left everyone from bucket-list golf travelers to major champions standing on the first tee without their sticks. The primary alternative, London Gatwick, isn’t exactly stellar in this regard, but the odds of finding your clubs on the luggage belt are still far more in your favor.
The same applies for Paris Charles de Gaulle, though it's not your bag that will have trouble making the connection... It's you. The customs clearance in Paris is notoriously slow and poorly organized. Allow no less than 2 hours for a connection at CDG, and even this may be cutting it close.
But if you absolutely must connect through Heathrow or Paris, we suggest that you...
Ship the Clubs
The best way to ensure that the airline won’t lose your clubs is to never hand them over in the first place. With that in mind, numerous members of the H&B Forces opt to ship their clubs ahead every year. The added convenience, plus the peace of mind of knowing that the clubs are waiting at your first course or hotel, is worth every penny.
But for the most peace of mind of all, it’s never a bad idea to...
Go Early
Besides choosing the right flight and shipping your clubs, another effective way to make sure an airline doesn’t stand between you and your sticks at the first tee is to depart a day early. At worst, the additional time gives you some valuable flexibility if something goes awry with your departure. At best, all goes off without a hitch and you’ve got an extra day of sightseeing at your disposal. In the end, roughly all it will cost you is an extra night in a hotel.
Although the best laid plans can still go awry - especially when an airline is involved - if you and your travel companions deploy these strategies when selecting flights for your golf trip, you’ll have the best chance of starting off right down the middle.
Additional Reading
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