How to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh

Mon, Apr 27
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Megabus
London North Eastern Railway
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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

Scotrail

Most popular train company

Megabus

Most popular bus company

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

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
    9:00 AM3h25
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    12:25 PMEdinburgh, Bus Station
    151One-way
    0 transfers

Cheapest

  • FlixBusFlixBus
    8:00 AM3h30
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    11:30 AMEdinburgh, Bus Station
    141One-way
    0 transfers

Fastest

  • ScotrailY38584
    9:05 AM2h18
    Aberdeen station (ABD)
    11:23 AMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    641One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • London North Eastern RailwayY11838
    9:52 AM2h33
    Aberdeen station (ABD)
    12:25 PMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    301One-way
    0 transfers
  • CrossCountryC74726
    8:20 AM2h34
    Aberdeen station (ABD)
    10:54 AMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    281One-way
    0 transfers
  • ScotrailY38586
    11:01 AM2h22
    Aberdeen station (ABD)
    1:23 PMEdinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    641One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    11:30 AM3h30
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    3:00 PMEdinburgh, Bus Station
    141One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    1:30 PM3h30
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    5:00 PMEdinburgh, Bus Station
    141One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
    9:00 AM4h11
    Aberdeen, Guild Street
    1:11 PMEdinburgh, Drum Brae South
    201One-way
    1 transfer

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

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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 bus and train.
The cheapest way to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is a bus with an average price of €8.

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.

The fastest way to travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is by train with an average journey time of 2h 16m.

Other travel options to Edinburgh take longer:

Bus takes on average 3h 14m.

The Aberdeen to Edinburgh distance is approximately 149 km.
The average frequency per day from Aberdeen to Edinburgh is:
  • 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.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Aberdeen to Edinburgh:
  • 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 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.
Yes, there are direct services available from Aberdeen to Edinburgh with the following travel companies:
  • 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.
Omio customers who travel from Aberdeen to Edinburgh often also extend their vacation to go to London, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester, Paris. 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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