Best way to travel from London to Edinburgh
Travelling from London to Edinburgh
Boasting cobbled streets, historic architecture and a vibrant nightlife, Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and the ideal place for a short city break. From Edinburgh Castle to Arthur’s Seat, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in the Scottish capital.
If you’re feeling inspired and want to travel from London to Edinburgh, there are lots of ways to choose from – including train, plane, coach and car. Not sure which mode of transport to choose? We’re here to help you make the right decision!
When travelling from London to Edinburgh, you’ll travel from one end of the country to the other, covering over 332 miles and hopping over the Anglo-Scottish border. There’s a lot of things to take into consideration when deciding how to travel from London to Edinburgh, including price, journey time, CO₂ emissions and more.
To help you make your decision, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on the best way to travel from London to Edinburgh.
Comparing travel from London to Edinburgh
When choosing the best way to travel from London to Edinburgh, there are lots of factors to take into consideration. To make your decision simpler, we’ve assembled a guide for each mode of transport.
| Transport | CO₂ emissions | Price | Duration | First/last departure time | First Class | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train | 22.1kg* | From £10.90** | From 4 hours and 10 minutes |
19:45 | From £108 | Free Wifi, comfortable seating, at-seat order service, onboard shop, plug sockets, quiet coaches, generous leg room |
| Coach | 14.03kg* | From £11 | From 9 hours and 10 minutes |
08:30 22:30 | n/a | Free WiFi, power sockets, air conditioning |
| Car | 72.9kg* | Depends on petrol prices | Around 7 hours | Anytime | n/a | n/a |
| Plane | 154.1kg* | From £24 | Around 4 hours, including check-in times and travel to/from the airport |
07:00 22:00 |
Depends on operator | Luggage storage |
Surprised by those CO₂ emissions? Find out more about I came by train - a collective movement to help fight climate change. Because switching to train is one of the single best things you can do to lower your CO2 emissions.
Travelling from London to Edinburgh by train
If you’re hoping to travel from London to Edinburgh, train is the way to go! Compared to other modes of transport, train is a far more sustainable way to travel from London to Edinburgh. In fact, a single journey from London to Edinburgh by train emits three times less CO₂ than by car, and six times less than by plane.
From start to finish, the journey can take just 4 hours and 10 minutes on the fastest high-speed services, with around 54 trains running on this popular route each day. When travelling on this route, you’ll hop on a train at London Kings Cross station operated by either London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Avanti West Coast or Lumo.
Once you’ve settled in your comfortable seat, you can sit back, relax and take advantage of all the benefits of train travel. Unlike flying and driving, you can charge your devices using the power sockets and connect to the free WiFi to do some work, catch up on your favourite TV show or interact with your friends on social media. Alternatively, you could read a book or newspaper, or simply enjoy the unparalleled views of the Great British countryside.
Unlike flying, travelling by train allows you to sit back and take in the breath-taking scenery. From Central London, you’ll travel through the outskirts of the city, through the heart of England and over the border into Scotland. Make sure you get a window seat to take advantage of spectacular views of the rolling hills, idyllic villages and towering peaks.
If you prefer to travel in style, why not upgrade to First Class? You’ll enjoy all of the usual onboard amenities, as well as a few additional benefits. Upgrade to First Class with LNER or Avanti West Coast, and you’ll enjoy complimentary food and drink throughout the journey, as well as access to a First Class Lounge at London Kings Cross station.
Whichever service you choose to travel on, you’ll arrive at Edinburgh Waverley station. As soon as you’ve jumped off the train and exited the station, you’ll find yourself perfectly positioned in the heart of the capital. From here, you can start exploring everything Edinburgh has to offer straight away!
Travel from London to Edinburgh on the Caledonian Sleeper night train
If you’d like to maximise your time in Edinburgh, you could take the Caledonian Sleeper night train. Running six nights a week, the Caledonian Sleeper’s Lowlander route takes you from London Euston station to Edinburgh Waverley station. Taking a sleeper train is a unique experience, as you go to sleep in England and wake up feeling refreshed, in the heart of the Scottish capital. For a truly special experience, upgrade to First Class and you’ll enjoy a complimentary breakfast, en-suite with shower and toilet, access to the station lounge and more.
Flying from London to Edinburgh
When travelling from London to Edinburgh, plane is the fastest mode of travel. However, it’s worth taking into consideration flying is the least environmentally friendly option – in fact, a single journey emits six times more CO₂ than taking the train.
There are three airlines to choose from when flying from London to Edinburgh, including British Airways, Easyjet and Ryanair. With each airline, you’ll have to make your way out of Central London to get to the airport. With British Airways, you can fly from Heathrow, London City Airport or Gatwick. With Easyjet, you can fly from Gatwick, Luton or Stansted, and with Ryanair you will fly from Stansted.
Although flight times are usually between 60 and 90 minutes, you must also factor in travelling to the airport, as well as the time it takes to go through check-in, security and baggage control. Most airlines recommend you arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight. After you’ve landed, you will need to travel from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre, which takes around 30 minutes. Once you consider all these factors, the total travel time from one city centre to the other is around 4 hours.
Taking a coach from London to Edinburgh
If you’re looking for a fuss-free, cost-efficient way to travel, you can take the coach from London to Edinburgh. Although it emits the least CO₂, coach travel takes a lot longer than train or plane.
On average, the coach takes approximately 10 hours and 5 minutes to get from London to Edinburgh, although the fastest services will take you there in 9 hours and 10 minutes. However, it’s worth noting that journey times vary depending on traffic conditions along the route.
National Express will pick you up from London Victoria Coach Station and take you all the way to Edinburgh Coach Station, situated in the city centre. Depending on which service you find yourself on, you could stop at various points along the journey, including Milton Keynes, Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne. On board, you’ll enjoy amenities such as power sockets, WiFi, air conditioning, luggage storage and toilets.
Driving from London to Edinburgh
If you have a car, or plan on hiring one, you could drive from London to Edinburgh. However, driving from London to Edinburgh emits three times more CO₂ than taking the train. Driving gives you a lot of flexibility, as you can leave from anywhere at any time you like and can stop anywhere along the way. Nevertheless, it is a 400-mile drive from London to Edinburgh, and on a good day without any stops, you’re looking at a 7-hour drive.
As you are driving, you won’t be able to sit back and enjoy the views or enjoy onboard amenities such as free WiFi or a catering service. Also, you will have to factor petrol prices into the overall cost of the journey. Another issue to consider is that London and Edinburgh are two of the UK’s busiest cities, therefore driving can be difficult and parking can be very expensive.
What is the best way to get from London to Edinburgh?
There’s no doubt about it – the train is the best way to get from London to Edinburgh!
Not only is it one of the quickest ways to travel, the train emits significantly less CO₂ compared to other modes of transport, such as plane and car. According to research, taking the train to Edinburgh emits around 22.1kg in CO₂, whereas the car emits 72.9kg and the plane emits an enormous 154.1kg in CO₂.
If you’re planning a trip from London to Edinburgh and want to choose a sustainable option, choose train!
Fact: By choosing to travel from London to Edinburgh by train instead of car or plane, you save a whopping 67% and 86% of CO₂ respectively. We think that's pretty amazing!
Things to do in Edinburgh and Scotland
Whether you're travelling for work or leisure, Edinburgh is a fantastic place to visit all-year-round! Combining a historic Old Town with a elegant Georgian New Town, Edinburgh is undoubtedly one of the UK's most beautiful cities. Also, if you'd like to see more of Scotland, it's the perfect hub to explore other parts of the country such as Glasglow, the Highlands or the Cairngorms.
Reviewing London Kings Cross to Edinburgh by train
Brian Heard | Travel writer
Travelling the line made famous by the Flying Scotsman
Leaving King’s Cross station, the train plunges into the Gas Works and Copenhagen Tunnels (the latter being named from the area above it called Copenhagen Fields, which was the site of the Ambassador of Denmark's residence in the 17th century).
After a few minutes look to the right-hand side for the Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal Football Club and currently the third-largest stadium in the UK.
After speeding through some north London suburbs and countryside, the train passes through the centre of Peterborough. The Peterborough Cathedral can be seen on the right-hand side after crossing the River Nene.
A few miles south of Grantham the train passes the spot where, in 1938 the world speed record for steam trains was set when the London and North Eastern Railway locomotive ‘Mallard’ reached 126 mph on 3rd July, a record which still stands. Watch out for the commemorative sign on the right-hand side of the train.
The first stop on the journey is York, reached 1 hour and 53 minutes after leaving London. York is well worth a visit not least as it’s the home of the famous National Railway Museum, the magnificent cathedral and the well-known ‘Shambles’ an old street dating back to the 14th century.
About 7 miles north of York you can see the famous London to Edinburgh Half Way sign.
At Durham, the train crosses a viaduct giving superb views of Durham city, castle and cathedral on the right-hand side.
3 hours out of Kings Cross the train slows and crosses the River Tyne ready to make its next stop at Newcastle Central Station, giving a good view on the right of the numerous Tyne bridges.
Leaving the imposing Newcastle Central Station, the railway runs high above much of the tightly-packed city centre, giving glimpses of the banks of the Tyne to the south. The surroundings change to rolling farmland and woodland as the train follows the line to Alnmouth, from where coastal views of the North Sea can be seen on the right. In a short while, the distinctive shape of Holy Island and Lindisfarne Castle is visible out to sea on the right-hand side.
The line follows the coastline even more closely on the approach to Berwick upon Tweed, where the train slows for a sweeping curve leading to the Royal Border Bridge, a twenty-eight-arch structure across the Tweed which is 2,160 feet long and 120 feet high. Taking just over 40 minutes from Newcastle the train makes its penultimate stop in Berwick-upon-Tweed, which has changed hands many times in its history between England and Scotland (it's just 2 and a half miles inside the English border).
From Berwick-upon-Tweed, the line heads north along the cliff tops overlooking the North Sea, soon passing the historic lineside indicators marking the English/Scottish boundary, until it veers inland to avoid some difficult terrain, then back to the coast as far as the town of Dunbar. From here it is possible to see Bass Rock, 350 feet high and home to a large colony of gannets.
The line then heads inland, directly towards Edinburgh, soon allowing glorious views across the Forth towards the hills of Fife on its north shore. The suburbs of Edinburgh are soon reached, and the distinctive shape of Arthur’s Seat can be seen to the left. Look out for Meadowbank Stadium on the right just before the train slows for the final approach through the tunnel under Calton Hill before finally coming to a final stop at Edinburgh Waverly station.
You can then say that you have travelled in the tracks of the famous “Flying Scotsman”.
Brian's top tip:
When booking your train ticket, reserve a seat on the right-hand side of the train on the way to Edinburgh so you can enjoy the fantastic views available on this line.
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* CO₂ calculations are based on:
Plane = Domestic flight with radiative forcing 0.24455 kg CO₂/passenger km
Car = average petrol car 0.17363 kg CO₂/km / 1.5 (average loading for cars based on DFT statistical data set for vehicle mileage and occupancy) = 0.1157533 kg CO₂/passenger km
Train = National Rail 0.0351 kg CO₂/passenger km
Conversion factors are all scopes published by the UK Government
**Average savings on fares booked prior to day of travel vs full price fares on day of travel in the UK. Subject to availability. Excludes coach.
Prices and flight times collected from Skycanner and Kayak on 19/07/22