London to Edinburgh

awesome

train

Either one can be cheap if you book ahead and not so much if you don't. Train is easy and direct, taking about 5 hours between city centers; see www.nationalrail.co.uk.

There are more trains than flights between London and Edinburgh each day. The train runs city centre to city centre, but you will have to get to the rail station from wherever you are based. Planes are obviously quicker, but you have to get to and from the airport plus you have to be there at least an hour before your flight, plus it takes time to deplane and leave the airport.

Try dummy bookings for your travel dates for both options to see which option is cheapest. It’s best to book trains 11 weeks in advance and flights months in advance.

I am seeing Advance fares as low as 34 pounds from London to Edinburgh on dates in late March, 11 weeks out. That is for the direct train that takes less than 5 hours, a few as little as 4 hours 19 minutes. It is a very pleasant journey by train.

I love train travel in the UK, so I would say train.

We made the journey by train in 2015 and loved it. We took snacks, played cards, and relaxed we we planned what we wanted to see in Edinburgh. The ride was about 4.5 hours and was very scenic.

The key is where in London you’re starting from. If you’re in central London, an easy distance from Kings Cross, definitely train.

If you happen to be in the outskirts of London nearer an airport, flying would make more sense.

But I would always veer towards the train as it takes you right into the very heart of Edinburgh.

Take the train. It is a great relaxing trip. You see some great countryside and it ends right in the heart of Edinburgh. Waverly Station in Edinburgh is easy to navigate and is a short walk to any of the hotels in the city center.

One more vote for the train. And if you choose the east coast route (which you should), the northern part of it has some nice scenery.

For the train (definitely the best way to go, unless, as said above, you're closer to an airport than to central London), the cheapest fares are Advance fares (with a capital A). These are not just any fare bought in advance, but specific fares that go on sale roughly 11 weeks before travel. They're non-refundable and you must take the exact train you booked, but in exchange, you can save a fortune. If you don't see Advance fares for your travel dates, you may be too early - keep looking every day or two.

To find all fares in the UK, use http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Something else to consider is the sleeper train. I think it looks like a lot of fun, and it's cheaper than the day train, plus you then avoid having to pay for an extra hotel night. https://www.sleeper.scot/

Edited to add: I see you're staying with friends, so you may not care about the "no hotel" part, but I still think it looks fun. :)

A sleeper berth (or even a couchette, if they exist on the Caldedonian Sleeper) on a night train is normally much, much more expensive than a daytime ticket. Someone said recently that Advance tickets from London to Edinburgh can be as little as ₤18.

Another vote for the train, which we did in 2016. Unless you're staying in Luton or something!!

I am attending a conference in Edinburgh in June and need to get from there to London for the weekend before heading back home to Dallas out of LHR on Sunday. I never really considered anything but the train for the reasons articulated here. Just wanting to get the best deal and it looks like I can leave on Thursday at 4:30PM and arrive at Kings Crossing before 9PM for under $100US.