How to Get Here
There is a range of travel options for those planning a visit to the Scottish capital - and you'll find comfortable day and night connections with most major UK cities.
Train
It’s easy, straightforward and environmentally-friendly to get to Edinburgh by train.
London is just 4 hours 30 minutes away, Manchester 3 hours away and Newcastle, and Aberdeen around 2 hours away. From Inverness to Edinburgh is about 3 hours 30 minutes, while Glasgow is only a 50 minute train journey and trains leave there every 15 minutes for Scotland’s capital.
For more information on travelling by train and to book tickets from within the UK, visit ScotRail and LNER. And if you're looking for ways to make your festivals budget stretch further, check these tips on getting bargain train tickets.
A single rail connection in London also makes Edinburgh accessible for Eurostar travellers in continental Europe.
Coach
Looking for the cheapest and most eco-friendly way to visit Edinburgh?
There are a number of coaches to Edinburgh that operate throughout the UK. Journey times from London can be around 10 hours, well worth the carbon and money savings with fares starting at just £18 return.
Manchester is only 7 hours by coach, Aberdeen 3.5 hours and Newcastle under 3 hours away. Services operated by National Express and Megabus.
Car
Edinburgh is serviced by excellent road links from north, south, east and west, so it's a straightforward drive from almost anywhere in Scotland or the rest of the UK. As much as possible though, we would always encourage the use of public transport to get here.
Driving from Aberdeen in the north takes just over 2 hours, Glasgow in the west is around 1 hour's drive, and from England, expect drive times of around 2 and a half hours from Newcastle, 4 hours from Manchester and York, 5 and a half from Birmingham and 8-10 hours from London, depending on the number of stops.
Wherever you're travelling from, consider using money and carbon-saving sharing services such as Blablacar or GoCarShare. If you’re renting a car to make the trip to Edinburgh’s Festivals most car rental companies have drop off and collection points in the city.
Air
To lower the high carbon cost of air travel, we recommend taking a direct long-haul flight to Edinburgh or alternatively, flying direct to the UK and then travelling to Edinburgh by train.
As one of Britain’s fastest growing airports, Edinburgh Airport has grown to accommodate over 12 million passengers on over 180 routes to 130 destinations, including over 40 daily flights to London. For the best advice on cheap flights to Edinburgh, visit Skyscanner.
Many of these airlines are low cost carriers flying to Europe providing affordable travel to those who book early enough. Edinburgh Airport is 8 miles (12km) from the city centre and there are regular bus and shuttle services as well as taxi services into the city.
To get from the airport into the heart of Edinburgh, follow the clear signage to the Tram stop, or the Airlink bus stop. You can purchase tickets in advance online or once you get to the airport (there is a ticket selling booth outside the terminal, alongside the bus lane). For more information on transport links between the airport and city centre visit Edinburgh Airport.