The Open returns to St Andrews. Plan this one a year ahead.
A small university town on the Fife coast, the Home of Golf, and a quarter of a million visitors in a week. Accommodation, aircraft parking and cars all run out, in that order.
The championship
The 155th Open at a glance
- Dates11 to 18 July 2027Practice days from Sunday 11, championship rounds Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 July.
- WhereThe Old Course, St Andrews, FifeOn the east coast of Scotland, about 50 miles north-east of Edinburgh.
- Nearest airportsEdinburgh and DundeeEdinburgh for larger jets and airline connections. Dundee is much closer and takes smaller aircraft.
- From LondonAbout 1 hour 15 by private jetAgainst seven to eight hours by road or around six by train and car.
Dates as published by The R&A. The final rounds fall on the same weekend as the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Why it needs planning
A small town with one road in
St Andrews has a few thousand hotel beds and, for one week, the attention of the golfing world. Houses are let a year in advance, road access into the town is managed with park and ride sites, and aircraft parking at the nearby airports is rationed. Visitors who leave it until spring find the choices already made for them.
We are honest about our part. Our own chauffeurs are based in London and Manchester. In Scotland we arrange cars through operators we know, alongside the aircraft, and we hold the whole itinerary together: the car to the London terminal, the flight, the car in Fife, and any changes along the way.
Getting there
Ways to reach St Andrews
| Route | Typical time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Private jet to Dundee, then car | About 1 hour 15 flying, 25 to 40 minutes by road | Closest option. Runway length limits the aircraft that can use it |
| Private jet to Edinburgh, then car | About 1 hour 15 flying, 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 by road | Takes any business jet. Longer on championship days |
| Helicopter from Edinburgh | About 20 minutes | Subject to the landing arrangements for the week |
| Airline to Edinburgh, then car | About 1 hour 25 flying plus the drive | We meet you in arrivals |
| By road from London | 7 to 8 hours | Better broken with a night on the way |
Editorial guidance, not promises. Access arrangements for the week are published by the organisers nearer the time.
What clients usually book
The week, as one plan
- A return private flight timed to the rounds you are attending, with the car at both ends
- A car and driver in Fife for the week, for the course, dinners and a round elsewhere
- Daily transfers from Edinburgh, Gleneagles or a rented house to the course
- Group movements for corporate hospitality guests
- A side trip: Kingsbarns, Carnoustie or Gleneagles while you are there
Around the week
Related pages
Start planning
Tell us your week
Which days, how many of you, and whether you have accommodation yet. We will come back with a plan for flights and cars.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About travel to The Open
Are these your own cars in Scotland?
No. Our own fleet is in London and Manchester. In Scotland we arrange cars through operators we know, to the same brief, and you deal with one contact at Odyssey.
Dundee or Edinburgh?
Dundee is far closer but takes smaller aircraft and has limited parking. Edinburgh takes anything. We will advise for your aircraft and dates.
How early should we book?
Now, if you can. Aircraft parking and good cars for championship days are committed many months ahead.
Are you an official partner of The Open?
No. We are an independent company arranging travel to and from the championship.
One contact, wherever you are