London & Edinburgh by Train
England to Scotland up the East Coast line, castle to castle.
- Rail journey
- 5–7 days
- Balanced pace
- Rail journeys
- History & culture
Pair London with Edinburgh on one of Britain’s great rail routes: about four and a half hours up the East Coast Main Line, with the North Sea out of the window past York and Berwick. Two capitals, two very different characters.
Why it works
The train beats flying here on real door-to-door time and drops you under the castle in the middle of Edinburgh. It is the natural first taste of Scotland.
The route
Explore this journey — start at Edinburgh →Your itinerary
-
-
-
→ Onward Edinburgh → Lake District
-
→ Onward Edinburgh → Scottish Highlands
-
→ Onward Edinburgh → Belfast
Booking links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, never at extra cost to you.
Make it yours
- Continue into the Scottish Highlands
- Break the journey in York
- Do it in August for the Edinburgh festivals
Plan each destination
More trip inspiration
Rail journey · 7–10 days
Tuscany Without a Car
Florence, Lucca, Pisa and Siena, all reachable by train and bus.
Florence → Tuscany
Rail journey · 12–16 days
Italy Without Flying
Milan → Florence → Rome → Naples, all by fast train.
Milan → Florence → Rome → Naples
Rail journey · 5–8 days
French Riviera by Rail
Short coastal train hops between Nice, Cannes and the Côte d’Azur.
Nice → Cannes → French Riviera