Flights to Edinburgh, Trains to Edinburgh, Transport, Travel

Visitors to Scotland’s capital are served with two major railway stations, an airport providing UK and international flights to Edinburgh and an extensive road network.

Flights to Edinburgh

Edinburgh Airport lies 8km to the west of Edinburgh and is the third biggest city in the UK in terms of airport passenger numbers, following London and Manchester. Visitors can get to and from the airport by bus, car and taxi. Subject to the time of day, the average journey time can take approximately 25 minutes.

A regular airport bus is operated by Airlink 100 and runs every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day departing from Waverley Bridge. Tickets can be bought at the airport information desk, at the bus stop, from the driver or online. Full airport bus details are available to view at: http://www.edinburghairport.com/transport-links/buses-and-coaches

Capital Magazine

We are delighted to welcome you to Capital Magazine, brought to you in association with Edinburgh Airport. Capital offers exciting content, a fresh and contemporary look at what is going on not only in and around Edinburgh but also the rest of Scotland. Providing an insight into both the leisure and the business sectors, Capital is your perfect accompaniment to inspire and inform.

Read the latest issue of Capital Magazine >

Trains to Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s two major railway stations, Waverley and 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. For more information and to book visit sleeper.scot.

Scotrail operates a full schedule of trains throughout Scotland. Visit Scotrail’s website for full details.

Road Transport

An extensive road network links Edinburgh to the rest of Scotland and UK making access to the 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

Motorhome parking

If you choose to bring your motorhome to Edinburgh, there are several places where you can park outside the city centre. Wallyford Park and Ride, to the east of the city, allows motorhome parking and has lots of bus and rail connections into town. Private site such as Mortonhall Caravan & Camping Park to the south and Edinburgh Caravan and Motorhome Club Site to the north provide further options, with fast public transport connections into the heart of the city.

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. Find out more information and take a look at the timetable here.

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 get Lothian Buses 22 or 300 to the city centre and Royal Mile.

Car Hire

We have partnered with Expedia to give you access to great booking rates for car hire. Book your car hire with confidence:

- 30 suppliers
- 80 countries
- 24 hour call centre
- No credit car fees
- Free cancellation

Book your car hire today with Expedia.

Visas

For those visiting the UK from overseas, the Home Office website provides useful information on the types of visas available. Further information is available on their website . . .

Consulates

Many of the foreign consulates based in Scotland are located in Edinburgh, whilst Embassies and High Commissions are largely based in London.

Edinburgh's consulates work to promote contacts between their countries and Scotland, and to support their citizens who are temporarily or permanently resident in the Scotland. For UK Residents wishing to travel they often help with arrangements for visas.

Consulates can also fulfil a crucial role in public diplomacy, in facilitating cultural and academic links, and in promoting trade - assisting companies to invest and to import and export goods and services both inwardly to their home country and outward to their host country.

Getting Here