Edinburgh Train Tickets

Finding cheap train tickets

Train travel from and to Edinburgh is excellent in terms of comfort and speed. Unfortunately, buying the right type of 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.

You have the following options for train tickets:

• Single or return tickets - The price for two single tickets -- full fare -- always exceeds that of 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 or not - The earlier you buy your tickets the cheaper the train fare. Advance tickets come with seat reservation. This is particularly recommended on longer journeys like Edinburgh to the Highlands or to London.

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 in advance 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 and North Berwick. This is usually the best possible fare for day train trips from Edinburgh to other places in Scotland.

Cheap day return train tickets - Web links

Cheap day tickets from Edinburgh
Prices for all cheap return train tickets for services between Edinburgh and Lothian, Fife and Central Scotland.

Apex tickets for Edinburgh trains

Apex tickets can save you up to 50% on train journeys from Edinburgh to places in Scotland if booked at least 2 days in advance. Apex tickets are very popular with tourists going to Fort William, Inverness, Mallaig and Oban.

Apex return tickets from Edinburgh - Web links

Apex tickets from Edinburgh
Prices for all apex return train tickets for services from Edinburgh.

Cheapest Edinburgh London train tickets

Prices for London Edinburgh trains range from £17 for a single ticket to £293 for executive first class travel. The best value tickets for travelling from London are GNER's Standard Class Off-Peak tickets at £25 and £39 for a closed return -- where you specify the return date. Tickets of £25 are available on fewer trains so book early to get the best fare.

Standard Off-Peak train tickets have little flexibility. To get this fare you must book at least 7 days in advance, your return journey must be made within 1 month and no changes or refunds are possible once ticket booking has been made.

The Apex ticket of £54 for the London to Edinburgh train has a bit more flexibility than the Standard Off-Peak. It may be possible to change the reservation and get a refund for part of the fare if you don't travel by train at all.

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, excluding the Caledonian Sleeper.

Telesales phone numbers

First Scotrail: +44 08457 550 033

GNER: +44 08457 225 225

Virgin Trains: +44 08457 222 333

Rail passes

Rail Europe put together two passes for 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.

>> Back to Edinburgh Train Travel guide index