Belfast to Edinburgh

General Information about the journey from Belfast to Edinburgh

Travellers wishing to reach Edinburgh from Belfast have many transport options to choose from for their journey. The fastest and simplest option is to take a flight from Belfast International Airport, as the flight takes less than an hour. However, travellers preferring to make the journey over land can choose from bus and train services which can take anything from 7 to 20 hours to complete.

Buses from Belfast to Edinburgh

There are regular bus services to Edinburgh, which involve transferring to a Stena Line ferry to cross the Irish Sea. Citylink buses regularly depart from Belfast Europabus Centre at several points during the day. The entire journey takes up to 7 hours 35 minutes to complete. Alternatively, National Express runs coaches three times per day from Belfast Europabus Centre, using the same ferry crossing, which reaches Edinburgh within 7 hours 30 minutes.

Trains from Belfast to Edinburgh

Travellers preferring to travel to Edinburgh by train can reach the Scottish capital within 9 hours, but this option involves multiple transfers between a variety of transport services. Travellers must first travel from Belfast Central Station to Belfast Port by train before taking a ferry crossing from Belfast Port to Cairnryan Port to cross the Irish Sea. To complete the journey, travellers must take a bus from Cairnryan Port to Ayr and then transfer to a train service to make the last leg of the journey from Ayr to Edinburgh. Depending upon the departure time chosen, the entire journey can take up to 20 hours 30 minutes.

Flights from Belfast to Edinburgh

The fastest and most economical option to reach Edinburgh is to take a short flight from Belfast International Airport to Edinburgh Airport. The flight only takes 50 minutes with direct airlines such as Easyjet and Flybe, which also offer low-cost tickets.