How to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh

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.