Edinburgh to Hadrian's Wall day trip?

The best part of Hadrian's Wall is hiking along it. It would be worth your money to rent a car for the day. It is not that hard to drive in the UK once you get over being on the left. Some of the C roads are so small you have to go down the middle anyway. Driving gives you the chance to see the countyside and take wonderful side trips. Distances seem smaller to us from the US. You can make good time on the A roads (Freeways). If you are going to drive, be sure to stop in the Borders to see many ruined Abbies and Stirling Castle and Sir Walter Scott's house. You might be able to get a tour to do this if you like being in a group. You really need more than a day.

Since you said you would not be driving, I would suggest you take the train to Newcastle and catch the Hadrian's Wall bus. There are many stops where you can get off the bus, explore the wall, then get back on the bus headed back to Newcastle. Info here: http://www.hadrians-wall.org/page.aspx/Interactive-Map/Hadrian%27s-Wall-Country-Bus

You've inquired about planning a day trip from Edinburgh to Hadrian's Wall without a car. IMHO - Do an overnighter or don't even bother. Arrival by car would take at least 2 1/2 hours to get to the heart - by trains and/or buses??? As Kathleen states; part of the reason for seeing the wall is to walk along the trail, visit the Roman fort, visit the site & museum at Vindolana, etc. If you'll only have enough time to stop at a few spots and take photos before returning to Edinburgh - save it for another trip. What about the Antonine Wall? Less well known but also much closer to Edinburgh.

Hi Bubba, I longed to visit Hadrian's Wall when I made my first trip to Edinburgh in 2008. I knew I wouldn't be driving and also worried about learning to take the trains and buses (none of those in my rural area for background experience). Instead, I took this tour: http://www.heartofscotlandtours.co.uk/roslynandborders.php?prod=Rosslyn I turned my photos into a video, viewable at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VMGMtRZsJI The stop in Melrose was mostly for lunch purposes. To see the Abbey, you'll want to grab something quick (I squeaked in a 10-12 minute visit after a longish lunch, would probably just grab a sandwich on a repeat tour). At the Wall, the choices were to visit Housteads or walk up a "wee steep bit." You can see how "wee" at about 1:40 into the video. You walk up essentially a stone stair case! One person on the tour voiced a complaint of the short stops, but it's a fair distance from Edinburgh. A tour can either visit closer places with longer visits or shorter visits while traveling further afield. Let me know if you've any questions. Cheers!