Travel from Bristol to Edinburgh by Coach

How to get to Edinburgh from Bristol with National Express buses

Updated January 2010

You can get from Bristol to Edinburgh (or Edinburgh to Bristol) by taking the National Express coaches. The journey is 11 hours and 30 minutes long for the direct buses. Travelling by National Express is a cheaper way to get from Bristol to Edinburgh with economy apex return tickets (their very cheap tickets) starting at £59.10. Also check the Bristol - Edinburgh flights page for quicker travel.

Tickets and timetables for Bristol - Edinburgh coaches.

There are up to 3 coaches a day between Bristol Bus Station (Marlborough St) and Edinburgh Bus Station (St. Andrew's Square). There is only one direct Bristol - Edinburgh bus a day (each way) while the other coaches are all indirect National Express services via Birmingham. National Express is the only coach company operating services between Bristol and Edinburgh.

Direct overnight buses between Bristol and Edinburgh (11 hour and 30-45 minute journey)

	Weekdays					Weekend
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Bristol to Edinburgh (NX336, overnight) (departs at 20:00, arrives at 07:30)	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	Book bus ticket

	Weekdays					Weekend
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Edinburgh to Bristol (NX336, overnight) (departs at 21:30, arrives at 09:15)	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	Book bus ticket

NOTE: the schedule of buses may change without notice. Please double check with the National Express for the latest travel times for getting to Bristol or Edinburgh.

There are no early morning, daytime or late evening direct coaches between Bristol and Edinburgh other than the National Express services listed above. See below the section on non-direct buses.

Instant fares for cheap flights from Bristol to Edinburgh and Edinburgh to Bristol.

All Edinburgh - Bristol buses (National Express) with service times

Direct buses

Daytime coaches

There are no direct daytime buses btween Edinburgh and Bristol.

Overnight coaches

• There is only one direct overnight bus from Edinburgh to Bristol (bus service NX336) which departs St Andrews Bus Station at 21:30 and arrives at Bristol Bus Station at approx 09:15.
• There is only one direct overnight bus from Bristol to Edinburgh (bus service NX336) which departs Bristol Bus Station at 20:00 and arrives at St Andrews Bus Station at approx 07:30.

Indirect buses

Daytime coaches

• There are up to 2 indirect daytime coaches from Edinburgh to Bristol (1 change in Birmingham). The earliest indirect bus departs St Andrews Bus Station at 06:45 while the last daytime bus leaves at 09:15.
• There are up to 2 indirect daytime buses from Bristol to Edinburgh (1 change in Birmingham). The earliest indirect bus departs Bristol Bus Station at 07:30 while the last daytime bus leaves at 11:25.

Overnight coaches

There are no indirect overnight buses btween Edinburgh and Bristol.

How long does it take to get from Bristol to Edinburgh by bus

The direct buses take 11 hours and 30-45 minutes but the the non-direct Bristol to Edinburgh bus services to St Andrews Bus Station or Bristol Bus Station include waiting times in Birmingham of 25-40 mins. Given the choice, always go for the direct coach services. Having said that, one of the indirect buses connecting Bristol to Edinburgh takes less (with waiting times included) compared to the direct coach (it's up to 2 hours quicker).

How much does the bus ticket from Bristol to Edinburgh cost

The Bristol - Edinburgh route is not a National Express funfare route where very cheap bus fares are available. However, going by bus to Edinburgh or Bristol can be cheaper than travelling by train, especially when you're travelling on relatively short notice (within a matter of weeks).

Make sure to book in advance for travel on busy periods like Bank Holidays, Half-Term, Christmas Holidays and New Year's.

National Express bus fares between Bristol and Edinburgh

The cheapest National Express tickets for the Bristol coach are Economy tickets but you need to book these in advance.

Single fares

• Economy single ticket: £63.30
• Standard single ticket: £63.30

Return fares

• Economy Apex return ticket: £59.10
• Economy return ticket: £69.60
• Standard advance return ticket: £72.80
• Standard return ticket: £82.30

Book Bristol - Edinburgh direct coach tickets

NOTE: Ticket prices may change without notice. Please double check with the National Express for up to date coach fares.

Where does the bus between Bristol and Edinburgh stop

Stops for direct buses

This direct Bristol to Edinburgh overnight bus goes via Birmingham, Manchester (coach station and Manchester airport), Preston, Lancaster and Glasgow. You can buy tickets for travel from any of these stops in Scotland or England to Bristol or Edinburgh.

Full itinerary: Bristol, Birmingham, Hanley (Stoke-On-Trent), Manchester (coach station and Manchester airport), Salford, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, Glasgow, Edinburgh.

Stops for buses changing in Birmingham

Bristol, Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Worcester, Birmingham (change at bus station), Wolverhampton, Carlisle, Glasgow, Edinburgh; or

Bristol, Worcester, Birmingham (change at bus station), Penrith, Carlisle, Glasgow, Edinburgh.

National Express coach services - Web links

Bus Tickets, Timetables and Journey Planner
Use the form to get timetables and tickets for coach trips from Bristol to Edinburgh or Edinburgh to Bristol and anywhere else in the UK. Alternatively, you can buy your ticket from St Andrews bus station or Bristol coach station. Remember that the cheapest Edinburgh - Bristol bus tickets are available ONLY online.

Address of Bristol Bus Station

National Express Coach Station in Bristol
Marlborough Street
Bristol
Postcode: BS1 3NU
Tel: +44 (8456) 064 446

Address of Edinburgh Bus Station

National Express Coach Station in Edinburgh
St Andrew's Square
Edinburgh
Scotland
Tel: +44 (131) 5556363
Tel: +44 (131) 2253858

No exact postcode has been found for St Andrew's Bus Station in Edinburgh

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Origin of 'Edinburgh'

Tourists have problems with the name of Edinburgh. There are hundreds of ways people write it and the most common writings include 'edinburg', 'edinborough', 'edimburgh', 'edinbourgh', 'ediburgh', 'edinbugh', 'edinboro', 'edingburgh', 'edinbrugh', 'edimburg', 'edinburugh', 'edingurgh', 'edinbrough', etc.

According to the Scottish Place Names dictionary, the name Edinburgh means 'Fort of the Rock Face'. The 'edin' part comes from Scottish Gaelic and means 'rock face', while 'burgh' comes from Old English meaning stronghold.

Some more obscure (and quite funny) ways of writing Edinburgh include: edinburough, edingburg, edinbourg, edinburh, edinurgh, edenburg, edinbough, edinbourough, edinbrgh, edingborough, edenburgh, edinberg, edinborgh, edinborugh, edinburge, edinburhg, edingbourgh, etc.

Edinburgh is spelt Edimburgo in Spanish and Italian and Édimbourg in French.

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