Transport Options

Whether you’re coming from overseas or elsewhere in the UK, getting to Edinburgh couldn’t be easier. Explore this page to find which mode of transport would be best for you. 

By train  

Edinburgh’s two major railway stations, Edinburgh Waverley and Edinburgh Haymarket, operate regular services to other parts of Scotland and the UK on a frequent basis. 

LNER provide links from Edinburgh to London, Newcastle, York, Leeds and Aberdeen.  Rail travellers can travel to London in approximately five hours. 
 
TransPennine Express has services into Edinburgh from Manchester Airport, Manchester, Preston, Leeds, York and Newcastle. Save over 50% on train travel to Edinburgh when you book in advance. 

Virgin Rail operates a service on the west coast to London via Lockerbie, Preston, Birmingham and Coventry. 

Caledonian Sleeper is a popular overnight service operating between Edinburgh and London (Euston) every night (except Saturday). With a range of accommodation types, guests can wake up in Edinburgh refreshed and ready to start their day. 

Scotrail operates a full schedule of trains throughout Scotland.

Other useful links: 

National Rail Enquiries 
Traveline Scotland 

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By plane 

Edinburgh Airport lies 8km to the west of Edinburgh and welcomes millions of visitors every year. Visitors can get to and from the airport by bus, tram, car and taxi. Subject to the time of day and mode of the transport, journey time from the airport to the city centre can take between 25 to 45 minutes.  

Glasgow Airport and Newcastle Airport are also well connected to Edinburgh via coach and train services.  

Find out more about travelling to Edinburgh by plane on our Flights to Edinburgh page.

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By car 

An extensive road network links Edinburgh to the rest of Scotland and UK making access to Scotland’s capital easy by car. 

Travelling west, Edinburgh to Glasgow can take just over an hour along the M8 and travelling northwards, it will take approximately 2.5 hours to reach Aberdeen and 3.5 hours to arrive in Inverness. Newcastle is approximately a 2.5 hour drive and Manchester and Birmingham, 4 and 6 hours respectively. 

Useful tools to plan your journey by road: 
 
AA Route Planner 
RAC Route Planner 

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By coach and bus 

Edinburgh Bus Station is located in the city centre and offers a economical way to travel to and from Edinburgh. Coach services duplicate many train routes, often with much cheaper ticket prices. Coach services to Scotland are operated by National Express, which runs routes to Edinburgh. 

Megabus cover routes including, Edinburgh. On some overnight services, passengers have their own berth as well as a standard seat for greater comfort during their journey. Full details of coach routes and timetables of services running to Scotland can be found on the Traveline website.

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Cruise links

Lots of cruise ships dock near Edinburgh every year, and there are plenty of links to get you from your ship right into the city centre. 

SOUTH QUEENSFERRY

Most of the larger ships dock in South Queensferry, offering a fantastic view of the Forth Bridges on your arrival. To get into town from Hawes Pier, simply hop on the Lothian Buses X99 (running May to September). The journey will take around 45 minutes.

LEITH

Many cruise ships also dock at Leith, which is very well connected to Edinburgh city centre. Head to Ocean Terminal (5 minute’s walk from port) and you can either get Lothian Buses 22 or 300 to the city centre or glide your way through the city with Edinburgh Trams.

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Accessible Transport

If travelling into and out of Scotland capital city by plane, Edinburgh Airport have a range of services available which aim to provide passengers with a seamless journey, including a departure lounge which is fully accessible for wheelchair users and passengers with reduced mobility. They were also the first UK airport to introduce SignLive, a video remote interpreting service which provides a way to communicate with Deaf and/or without speech customers by connecting with an online BSL interpreter via smart handheld devices. Once landed, choose to travel into the city with Lothian Buses Airlink 100 or Skylink 200 or 400 services, all of which have a dedicated wheelchair space, or Edinburgh Trams, which are suitable for wheelchair users and certain mobility scooters.

Edinburgh has two railway stations – Edinburgh Waverly and Haymarket Station. Passenger Assist is offered at both stations. Induction loops, tactile warning strips along platform edges and accessible toilets are available.

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