Edinburgh, Scotland Hotels and City Guide

Edinburgh - Getting There

Getting to Edinburgh by Air

You can fly to Edinburgh from London, many major cities in Europe, as well as New York, Toronto and Orlando. The airport is located 7 miles from the city and is easily reached either by the public Lothian bus service (number 35) or the dedicated Airlink Express service, which runs from outside the terminal building into Edinburgh city center. If you require more detailed information on Edinburgh Airport, please see our dedicated Edinburgh Airport Guide.

Getting to Edinburgh by Rail

Edinburgh has two main train stations: Waverley in the city centre and Haymarket in the West End.

Both stations operate security barriers so you need to buy your tickets before boarding the train. There are other stations in the area which operate local and fast express services; tickets for these trains can be purchased at the station you're travelling from or on board the train. It may cheaper to buy your ticket at the station (platform 14 at Waverley) rather than on the train.

The following companies provide more information on trains to Edinburgh:

First Scotrail - 08457 48 49 50
National Rail Enquiries - 08457 48 49 50
Traveline - 0871 200 22 33

The main terminus in Edinburgh is Waverley train station (Waverley Bridge), located in the heart of the city. Trains arriving from, and departing to the west also stop at Haymarket train station which is more convenient for the West End. You can buy tickets, make reservations and get travel information at the Edinburgh Rail Travel Centre (4.45am-12.30am Mon-Sat, 7am-12.30am Sun) in Waverley station. For fare and timetable enquires, phone the National Rail Enquiry Service (0845 748 4950) or check the timetables at www.firstscotrail.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk. Buy tickets online at www.thetrainline.com.

Waverley Station is a major hub for the Scottish rail network, operated by First Scotrail. There is an hourly service to Aberdeen, and two hourly to Inverness. Shuttle trains to Glasgow (Queen Street) run every 15 minutes throughout the day, dropping to 30 minutes on evenings and Sundays, and the journey takes 45-50 minutes. Some services run to Glasgow Central instead, but run via Lanarkshire with many more stops. Certain National Express East Coast trains originating from London also continue to Glasgow Central - again your ticket will be valid on these services but the journey will take slightly longer than the shuttle.

The vast majority of train services to Edinburgh from London (and most of eastern England) are operated by National Express East Coast. An hourly service leaves from London Kings Cross station throughout the day until 6pm. Journey time is between 4hrs 20min and 5 hours. The cheapest tickets are for a fixed train time bought 2-8 weeks in advance, and the flexible Saver Ticket is not valid at some times to/from London.

Virgin Trains operate a once daily service from London Euston via the West Coast route but at a much slower journey time of 5 hrs 20 mins.

For a different travel experience from London, try the Caledonian Sleeper service, which runs every night from London's Euston Station except Saturdays. The journey takes approximately 8 hours. If you are travelling alone you may have to share the sleeping compartment with a stranger of the same sex. Tickets can be booked in the usual manner at any main line railway station in Britain, and the cost of a return journey to Edinburgh from London varies from around £100 for two one-way "Advance" tickets rising to the full open return fare of £165. You can also travel for around £23 one-way in a seated carriage or £95 return (full fare). BritRail passes can be used to reserve tickets on the sleeper trains.

However, heavily discounted one-way tickets on the Caledonian Sleeper known as "Bargain Berths" are available for £19, £29, £39 or £49 depending on how early you book, but confusingly these cannot be bought from a railway station in the normal way - they can only be purchased from the First ScotRail website and you will be emailed an e-ticket (similar to an airline) which you must print out and show to the conductor at the platform before getting on the train.

Trains to other English cities are operated by Arriva Cross Country (services via York, Birmingham and central England to the south coast and West Country) and Trans-Pennine Express (services to Manchester via Carlisle) from Waverley.

The "charged by the piece" left luggage service at Waverley station is far more expensive than the storage lockers a few blocks away at the Bus station on St Andrew square.

Getting to Edinburgh by Road

Though useful for day trips beyond the city, a car in central Edinburgh is more of a liability than a convenience. Private vehicles are not allowed on Princes Street, there is restricted access on George Street, St Andrew Square and Charlotte Square, many streets are one-way or blocked off, and finding a parking place in the city centre is like striking gold.

There's no parking on main roads into the city from 7.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Saturday. On-street parking in the city centre is controlled by self-service ticket machines from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Saturday, and costs £1.60 per hour, with a two-hour maximum. If you break the rules, you'll get a fine, often within minutes of your ticket expiring - Edinburgh's parking wardens are both numerous and over zealous. The fine is £60, reduced to £30 if you pay up within 14 days. Cars parked illegally will be towed away. Finding parking can be difficult, though there are several multi-story car parks in the city centre, Castle Terrace for the West End, St James Centre at the East End (access from York Place), St James Centre, Greenside Place, New Street and Morrison Street. For visitors arriving from the M8, follow directions for Edinburgh Airport to reach Ingliston Park and Ride; this facility is half a mile from the airport terminal. Motorcycles can be parked free at designated areas in the city centre.

By road, Edinburgh can be reached most immediately from the M8 (west from Glasgow), M9 (north-west from Stirling), A90/M90 (north from Perth and Dundee), the A1 (south-east from Newcastle upon Tyne and north-east England) and A701/M74 (south-west from Carlisle and north-western England).

From London the fastest route to Edinburgh is the M1 motorway, followed by the A1(M) and the A1 - a journey of 398 miles and approximately 8-9 hrs driving time.

Inter-city bus companies
The city is served by the major inter-city bus companies from around Scotland and England. Most long distance services start and end in the Bus Station in St Andrew Square.

Hotels in Edinburgh, Scotland