How to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh

Sun, Oct 25
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Aberdeen to Edinburgh

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Aberdeen to Edinburgh among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of €15 For those with little time, consider booking a train, which has an average total journey time of 3h 4m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.0 - 0.1kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €15, while a train costs an average of €38.

Distance: 149 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Driving

€38

Average price

€15

Average price

Cheapest

€72

Average price

(fuel + tolls)

3h 4m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 34m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 7m

Average total duration

3h 37m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

2h 37m

Average total duration

(door-to-door)

0.0 - 0.1kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

-

CO2 emissions

Scotrail

Most popular train company

FlixBus

Most popular bus company

Your own car or car rental

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Compare ways to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh

Compare the available ways to get from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, with the key details around price, speed, convenience, and direct service.

The cheapest way to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is a bus with an average price of €15.

This is compared to other travel options from Aberdeen to Edinburgh:

A bus is €23 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh costing on average €38.

The fastest way to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is by train with an average journey time of 3h 4m.

Other travel options to Edinburgh take longer:

Bus takes on average 4h 7m.

It's helpful to compare your options as there are 2 ways to travel between Aberdeen and Edinburgh including taking a train and bus.

Travel options
from Aberdeen to Edinburgh

How to get from Aberdeen to Edinburgh by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

The best way to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

  • FlixBusFlixBus
    9:30 PM3h15
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    12:45 AMEdinburgh, Bus Station
    €131One-way
    0 transfers

Cheapest

  • FlixBusFlixBus
    9:30 PM3h15
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    12:45 AMEdinburgh, Bus Station
    €131One-way
    0 transfers

Fastest

  • CrossCountryG00666
    9:20 PM2h16
    Aberdeen station (ABD)
    11:36 PMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    €171One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • London North Eastern RailwayC02068
    1:47 PM2h35
    Aberdeen station (ABD)
    4:22 PMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    €171One-way
    0 transfers
  • ScotrailC14917 · C14664
    6:28 PM3h10
    Dyce (Aberdeen Airport) (DYC)
    9:38 PMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    €201One-way
    1 transfer
  • ScotrailC14658
    8:08 PM2h34
    Aberdeen station (ABD)
    10:42 PMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    €201One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    6:00 AM3h20
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    9:20 AMEdinburgh, Bus Station
    €131One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    5:30 PM3h20
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    8:50 PMEdinburgh, Bus Station
    €131One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    3:30 PM3h25
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    6:55 PMEdinburgh, Bus Station
    €131One-way
    0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights

Compare train and bus prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.

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How to Travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh

One of Scotland's most popular business routes, the trip south from Aberdeen to Edinburgh offers a choice of train or bus travel, with direct connections seven days a week. Train journeys offer the fastest route to the capital, taking around two hours and 30 minutes on average to reach Edinburgh. Bus journey times for the road trip south take a little over three hours for most direct services and longer for indirect connections. 

What is the Cheapest Way To Get from Aberdeen to Edinburgh?

The bus usually offers the lowest priced fares for travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, but occasionally rail fares booked well in advance can be the more economical option. National Express and budget bus company Megabus both provide direct bus and indirect services to Elder Street terminus in Edinburgh, with the fastest bus taking three hours to reach the capital. London North Eastern Railway and Cross Country Trains provide some daily direct trains from Aberdeen to Edinburgh Waverley, although Scotland's national rail operator Scotrail provides the majority of direct connections on this line, with journey times averaging about two hours and 30 minutes. 

What is the Fastest Way to Travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh?

Scotrail's direct late-morning train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh Waverley offers the fastest travel option to the capital, taking two hours and 21 minutes to cover the 120-mile route southwest, with other direct train journeys taking about ten to 15 minutes longer. The fastest direct bus connection to Edinburgh is a direct Megabus service taking just under three hours. Other Megabus indirect services with a change at Dundee Seagate Bus Station take about ten minutes longer. National Express indirect services via Perth or Glasgow take around five hours to reach Edinburgh. 

Find and Book with Omio the Best Tickets from Aberdeen to Edinburgh

The Omio travel booking platform allows passengers to make a comprehensive comparison between rail and bus fares, departure times, and journey durations, and book the best option for their trip to Edinburgh from Aberdeen.

Travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh by Train

Travellers heading to the capital by train can choose services from London North Eastern Railway, Cross Country Trains, and Scotland's national rail operator Scotrail. Weekday and Saturday timetables feature departures roughly every hour from early morning to mid-evening, with average journey times of around two hours and 30 minutes. There is a reduced schedule on Sundays, with no early morning services, direct trains every two hours from late morning to early evening, and journey times that are about 15 minutes longer. Trains from Aberdeen stop at Haymarket station in the west of Edinburgh before arriving at the central Waverley Station. 

Travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh by Bus

Passengers opting for bus travel to Edinburgh can use direct services with the budget bus company Megabus. Their daily schedule offers hourly departures from Aberdeen Guild Street terminus to Edinburgh from early morning to mid-evening. Most departures are direct and take around three hours, while some indirect connections via Dundee Seagate Bus station only take about ten minutes longer. National Express provides indirect buses to the capital from Aberdeen, via Perth or Glasgow, with journey times ranging from four hours and 45 minutes to five hours. Bus services from Aberdeen arrive at Elder Street in the centre of Edinburgh. 

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FAQs: Travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh

Travel to Edinburgh easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Aberdeen to Edinburgh.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Aberdeen and Edinburgh including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is a bus with an average price of €15.

This is compared to other travel options from Aberdeen to Edinburgh:

A bus is €23 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh costing on average €38.

The fastest way to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is by train with an average journey time of 3h 4m.

Other travel options to Edinburgh take longer:

Bus takes on average 4h 7m.

The Aberdeen to Edinburgh distance is approximately 149 km.
The average frequency per day from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is:
  • Around 40 buses per day.
  • Around 7 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Aberdeen and Edinburgh as scheduled services by train and bus can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Aberdeen to Edinburgh:
  • Flights mostly depart from Aberdeen Airport and arrive in Edinburgh Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Aberdeen station (ABD) and arrive in Edinburgh Waverley (EDB).
  • Buses mostly depart from Aberdeen, Guild Street and arrive in Edinburgh, Bus Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with London North Eastern Railway, Scotrail, CrossCountry to go to Edinburgh by train.
  • Travel with FlixBus to go to Edinburgh by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Aberdeen to Edinburgh with the following travel companies:
  • 6 direct trains per day with London North Eastern Railway, Scotrail, CrossCountry.
  • 10 direct buses per day with FlixBus.
Omio customers who travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh often also extend their vacation to go to London, Glasgow, Paris, Inverness, Manchester. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Edinburgh and these popular destinations at a great price.
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