Travel Information
Compare bus and train 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 prices starting from €8. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 2h 44m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.0 - 0.1kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €8, and a train costs an average of €10.
Distance: 149 km
Compare train with
Most popular Train | Bus |
|---|---|
€27 Average price | €11 Average price Cheapest |
3h 14m Average total duration Fastest 2h 44m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 3h 49m Average total duration 3h 19m Onboard + 30m Additional time* |
0.0 - 0.1kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 0.1 - 0.4kg CO2 emissions |
![]() Most popular train company | ![]() Most popular bus company |
Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
Travel optionsfrom Aberdeen to Edinburgh
How to get from Aberdeen to Edinburgh by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
FlixBus9:00 AM3h25Aberdeen, Guild Street12:25 PMEdinburgh, Bus Station€151One-way0 transfers
Cheapest
FlixBus8:00 AM3h30Aberdeen, Guild Street11:30 AMEdinburgh, Bus Station€141One-way0 transfers
Fastest
Y385849:05 AM2h18Aberdeen station (ABD)11:23 AMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)€641One-way0 transfers
Other options
Y118389:52 AM2h33Aberdeen station (ABD)12:25 PMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)€301One-way0 transfers
C747268:20 AM2h34Aberdeen station (ABD)10:54 AMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)€281One-way0 transfers
Y3858611:01 AM2h22Aberdeen station (ABD)1:23 PMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)€641One-way0 transfers
FlixBus11:30 AM3h30Aberdeen, Guild Street3:00 PMEdinburgh, Bus Station€141One-way0 transfers
FlixBus1:30 PM3h30Aberdeen, Guild Street5:00 PMEdinburgh, Bus Station€141One-way0 transfers
FlixBus · FlixBus9:00 AM4h11Aberdeen, Guild Street1:11 PMEdinburgh, Drum Brae South€201One-way1 transfer
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 bus and train 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.

This is compared to other travel options from Aberdeen to Edinburgh:
A bus is €2 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh costing on average €10.
Other travel options to Edinburgh take longer:
Bus takes on average 3h 14m.
- Around 53 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 bus and train can vary by season or day of the week.
- 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.
- Travel with Scotrail, London North Eastern Railway, CrossCountry, Caledonian Sleeper, Cross Country, ScotRail to go to Edinburgh by train.
- Travel with Megabus, FlixBus, National Express, Scottish Citylink, Ember to go to Edinburgh by bus.
- 6 direct trains per day with Scotrail, London North Eastern Railway, CrossCountry, Caledonian Sleeper, Cross Country, ScotRail.
- 18 direct buses per day with Megabus, FlixBus, Scottish Citylink, Ember.
Travelling from Aberdeen to Edinburgh: related information
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