How to travel from Edinburgh to Inverness

Sat, Feb 21
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Edinburgh to Inverness

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Edinburgh to Inverness among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €10. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 3h 46m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.2kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €10, and a train costs an average of €26.

Distance: 181 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus

€56

Average price

€16

Average price

Cheapest

4h 16m

Average total duration

Fastest

3h 46m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 20m

Average total duration

3h 50m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.2kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.2 - 0.5kg

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 Edinburgh to Inverness

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

FlixBusFlixBus
09:10AM4h10
Edinburgh, Bus Station
01:20PMInverness, Bus Station
191One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
10:50AM4h20
Edinburgh, Bus Station
03:10PMInverness, Bus Station
141One-way
1 transfer

Fastest

LNERC41115
04:33PM3h35
Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
08:08PMInverness station (INV)
371One-way
0 transfers

Other options

ScotRailY39145 · Y38782
09:39AM3h46
Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
01:25PMInverness station (INV)
711One-way
1 transfer
ScotRailY39158 · Y38802
11:35AM3h54
Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
03:29PMInverness station (INV)
711One-way
1 transfer
ScotRailY39179 · Y38789
02:41PM3h45
Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
06:26PMInverness station (INV)
711One-way
1 transfer
FlixBusFlixBus
07:10AM4h05
Edinburgh, Bus Station
11:15AMInverness, Bus Station
191One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
10:50AM6h10
Edinburgh, Bus Station
05:00PMInverness, Bus Station
141One-way
1 transfer
FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
07:10AM6h10
Edinburgh, Bus Station
01:20PMInverness, Bus Station
141One-way
1 transfer
British AirwaysBA1447 · BA1424
01:10PM5h50
Edinburgh Airport
07:00PMInverness Airport
4741One-way
1 transfer
Cityflyer (British Airways 2)BA8715+British AirwaysBA1424
10:50AM8h10
Edinburgh Airport
07:00PMInverness Airport
5321One-way
1 transfer
British AirwaysBA1443 · BA1424
11:00AM8h00
Edinburgh Airport
07:00PMInverness Airport
5381One-way
1 transfer

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

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FAQs: Travel from Edinburgh to Inverness

Travel to Inverness 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 Edinburgh to Inverness.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Edinburgh and Inverness including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Edinburgh to Inverness is a bus with an average price of €10.

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

A bus is €17 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Edinburgh to Inverness costing on average €26.

The fastest way to travel from Edinburgh to Inverness is by train with an average journey time of 3h 28m.

Other travel options to Inverness take longer:

Bus takes on average 4h 5m.

The Edinburgh to Inverness distance is approximately 181 km.
The average frequency per day from Edinburgh to Inverness is:
  • Around 28 buses per day.
  • Around 6 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Edinburgh and Inverness 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 Edinburgh to Inverness:
  • Trains mostly depart from Edinburgh Waverley (EDB) and arrive in Inverness station (INV).
  • Buses mostly depart from Edinburgh, Bus Station and arrive in Inverness, Bus Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Edinburgh to Inverness, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with ScotRail, LNER, Caledonian Sleeper, ScotRail to go to Inverness by train.
  • Travel with Megabus, FlixBus, Scottish Citylink, Park's of Hamilton to go to Inverness by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Edinburgh to Inverness with the following travel companies:
  • 3 direct trains per day with ScotRail, LNER, Caledonian Sleeper, ScotRail.
  • 8 direct buses per day with Megabus, FlixBus, Scottish Citylink, Park's of Hamilton.
Omio customers who travel from Edinburgh to Inverness often also extend their vacation to go to London, Glasgow, Fort William, Aberdeen, Portree. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Inverness and these popular destinations at a great price.
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