Edinburgh Train Tickets
Finding cheap train tickets
Updated September 2011
Train travel from and to Edinburgh is excellent in terms of comfort and speed. Unfortunately, buying the right type of train ticket can be quite tricky. British rail operators have a complicated fare system and finding the cheapest possible ticket can be unnerving, to say the least.
Flights and buses from London to Edinburgh may be cheaper:
- Coaches: London to Edinburgh by luxury coach with prices starting from £12 for single journeys - the cheapest way to travel to Edinburgh (see our Megabus and National Express coaches in-depth guide.).
- Cheap flights: Edinburgh to London with prices from around £50 return.
Just need to find cheap train tickets between London and Edinburgh?
Please see our London Train to Edinburgh travel page for tickets and train times.
Instant fares for cheap flights from Edinburgh to London.
You have the following options for train tickets:
- Single or Return tickets - The price for two single tickets -- full fare -- does not always exceed that of a return ticket. In fact, sometimes two singles may be cheaper than a return ticket. Return tickets are cheapest when you specify the return date, especially if you return on the same day.
- On or Off Peak tickets - On Peak trains are those running before 9:30am and between 6 and 7pm. Most trains are very busy at this time of the day. On peak rail tickets are significantly more expensive than off peak ones.
- Buying tickets in advance - The earlier you buy your tickets (preferably 8-12 weeks in advance) the cheaper the train fare. This is particularly recommended on longer journeys like Edinburgh to the Highlands or to London.
Cheap day return train tickets - Web links
The best possible tools to find cheap train tickets are the Cheap Ticket Alert Service.
To get the cheapest train fares from and to Edinburgh always travel during off peak times, get return tickets and always make reservations and buy tickets as early as possible for longer train journeys.
Cheap day tickets for Edinburgh trains
Cheap day return tickets are for off-peak day trips from Edinburgh with return on the same day. Destinations include Stirling, Glasgow, Falkirk, Linlithgow, North Berwick and others. This is usually the best possible fare for day train trips from Edinburgh to other places in Scotland.
Cheapest Edinburgh London train tickets
Prices for London Edinburgh trains range from £16.50 for a single ticket to £293 for first class travel. This means that the cheapest possible train ticket for travelling from London to Edinburgh is £33 for a return ticket (comprised of two singles). The rail operator to use is National Express East Coast (NXEC) operator which replaced GNER.
Booking train tickets
You can buy your tickets by phoning the train operators or by booking online at TheTrainLine. Avoid buying train tickets through a foreign agent to get the best possible fare discount. See our article on how to use TheTrainLine for buying tickets.
Online ticket booking for Edinburgh trains - Web links
Online tickets at TheTrainLine
Online booking for all Edinburgh trains, including the Caledonian Sleeper.
Suggestions for overnight and 2-day rail short breaks from London to Edinburgh.
- Day train trip pass to Edinburgh - A quick day trip to see Edinburgh's most famous attractions.
- Train 2-day break pass to Edinburgh - Two days and one night short break by train from London to Edinburgh.
