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Buy tickets from a train operator at the official price with no booking fee. Tip: For faster booking, enter KGX to EDB Bookings open 8-12 weeks ahead. If you select E-ticket you can show the ticket on your phone or laptop. What's are Advance, Off-Peak & Anytime fares? Can't find cheap fares? See the advice here If you prefer, you can collect your tickets from the self-service machines: Touch collect tickets on the screen, insert your credit card, enter the reference & tickets will print. You need the original credit card.
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Route of the Flying Scotsman
An LNER train links London & Edinburgh at up to 125mph almost every 30 minutes through the day, 393 miles in 4 hours 20 minutes, city centre to city centre with zero check-in. Flying takes 4 hours, by local train to the airport, airport security, flight, then a tram - the train is less hassle, cuts CO2 emissions by 84%, and is a genuine travel experience. This page helps you buy the cheapest tickets and get the most from the journey.
Lo-cost Lumo trains: In addition to the frequent LNER service, lo-cost Lumo trains started in October 2021, Lumo run up to 5 trains per day each way from £19.90.
Train times
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LNER trains leave London Kings Cross for Edinburgh Waverley almost every half-hour 07:00-19:00. Fastest journey 4 hours, typical journey time 4h20.
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Lo-cost Lumo trains run up to 5 times per day each way, typical journey time 4h32.
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Check train times for both operators at any train operator website such as tfw.wales or www.lner.co.uk or use www.thetrainline.com. Booking for British trains usually opens up to 3 months ahead.
There's also an overnight sleeper between London & Edinburgh, see the Caledonian Sleeper page.
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Route map: See map of the UK train network. The East Coast Main Line from London to Edinburgh goes via Peterborough, York, Newcastle & Berwick-Upon-Tweed. One or two trains link London Euston with Edinburgh via Milton Keynes, Crewe & Carlisle, but these take longer.
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Station location maps: London Kings Cross. Edinburgh Waverley.
How much does it cost?
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Advance fares, no refunds, specified train only
Lumo starts at £19.90 each way, standard class.
LNER starts at £32.80 each way, standard class.
LNER starts at £80.60 each way in 1st class.
Advance fares are only good for the specified train, no refunds, limited changes, price varies depending how far ahead you book & how popular that date, day or time is, just like air fares.
Tip: As soon as Advance fares approach or exceed £90, see my workaround below.
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If you want a flexible fare
Anytime fare good for all operators = £199.60 each way, good for any train you like.
Anytime fare only good for Lumo = £88 each way, any day, any date, good for any Lumo train.
Anytime tickets have unlimited availability & a fixed price, they cannot sell out. You can use them with or without a reservation on any train on which they are valid
Tip: Unfortunately, there is no longer any flexible off-peak fare between London & Edinburgh, but if you'd like flexibility at a more affordable price, see the workaround below.
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LNER have abolished the Super Off-Peak fare
In February 2024, LNER abolished the popular £91.20 semi-flexible Super Off Peak fare, which was refundable, was good for any off-peak train on weekdays and any train at all at weekends, good for any operator or permitted route, and allowed stopovers.
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They've replaced it with a far more restrictive Advance 70 minute flex fare
They replaced it with a restrictive '70 minute flex' fare, only good for the specific train you book or another LNER train up to 70 minutes before or 70 minutes after it. No refunds, no stopovers allowed, only valid on LNER trains.
It's becoming clear that this means higher prices and vastly reduced flexibility. The 70 minute flex fare is dynamic like other Advance fares, and at short notice or on busy dates it's often more expensive than the Super Off-Peak fare it replaced. Regular Advance fares have become more expensive as a result, too. On a Monday next month, I'm seeing £101 Advance fares and £121 Advance 70 minute flex fares (no refunds, limited validity, no break of journey etc) on trains where an £91 Super Off-Peak fare would always have been available (and refundable, stopovers allowed, good for any off-peak train, and so on).
If LNER fares between London & Edinburgh get anywhere neat £90 one-way, I suggest using the workaround below.
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The workaround: Buy a Super Off-Peak ticket from/to Finsbury Park instead of London.
Super Off-Peak fares no longer exist between Edinburgh & London, but they still exist between Edinburgh and local stations in the London area such as Finsbury Park. So if you want a Super Off-Peak fare for its superior flexibility, refundable if your plans change and often a cheaper price, you can buy one between Finsbury Park & Edinburgh and use it between London & Edinburgh (no need to go anywhere near Finsbury Park!)
1. Go to www.lner.co.uk.
2. Northbound, run an enquiry from Finsbury Park to Edinburgh. Southbound, run an enquiry from Edinburgh to Finsbury Park.
Tip: Use station code EDB for Edinburgh and FPK for Finsbury Park, saves typing.
3. In the search results, click Filters, click Route options and under Go via enter London Kings Cross.
You'll then see journeys between Finsbury Park & Edinburgh involving a Finsbury Park-London train and a London-Edinburgh train. If you click to see journey details, you can see the timings of the London-Edinburgh train that you'll get a seat reservation for, that's the only bit that matters.
4. Go head and buy a Super Off-Peak fare for £91.20.
Break of journey is allowed with this ticket type, so it is perfectly legitimate, I repeat, perfectly legitimate to book from Finsbury Park to Edinburgh and get on in London, or buy from Edinburgh to Finsbury Park and finish in London. Absolutely no need to go anywhere near Finsbury Park!
Whichever train you buy the ticket for (and get a reserved seat for), you can use that same ticket freely on any other train that day which has the same £91.20 Super Off-Peak fare shown against it. Far more flexible than LNER's restrictive Advance 70 flex! All clear?
The £91.20 price doesn't vary, availability is unlimited, you can always buy at this price and use any off-peak train. So if LNER want £125 for a restrictive non-refundable London-Edinburgh Advance fare, simply buy a flexible, refundable, Super Off-Peak to/from Finsbury Park for £91.20 instead and use it between London & Edinburgh. Simples!
Super Off-Peak tickets are good for any off-peak train (meaning any train all day at weekends), good for any operator, by any permitted route. The refundability alone could save you hundreds of pounds if your plans unexpectedly change compared to LNER's new fares.
On Mondays-Fridays these Super Off-Peak tickets are good for any northbound train except those due to leave London before 09:06 or from 14:59 to 18:59 (18:15 on Fridays). They are good for any southbound train except those due to arrive in London before 11:17.
You can use this fare with or without a reservation on any train on which it is valid (time restriction correct when written, check when you buy).
Incidentally, LNER have discontinued Off-Peak fares between London and all stations Newcastle-Edinburgh inclusive, not just Edinburgh. This workaround works for any such journey, such as London-Newcastle or Berwick-London.
How to buy tickets
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Buy tickets at any train operator site such as tfw.wales and pay the official price with no booking fee.
Tip: For faster booking, enter KGX to EDB. International payment cards no problem. Select E-ticket to show the ticket on your phone, tablet or laptop. Or collect from ticket machines at Kings Cross, Edinburgh & most other British stations. You'll find train seating plans here. Train operators' own websites such as tfw.wales sell tickets for all routes & all operators at the official prices with no booking fee.
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You can also buy at independent retailer www.thetrainline.com, with small booking fee, international credit cards no problem.
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Tip: If you see no fares under £190 and you're looking 8-12 weeks ahead, wait! The 8-12 week trap explained. To see how far ahead booking for LNER is currently open, and to set up an email alert when booking opens, see www.thetrainline.com/ticketalert.
What are the trains like?
LNER's Azuma trains
Train operator LNER introduced new 125 mph Azuma trains in 2019-2020, replacing older Mk4 carriages from the 1990s. The Azumas are electric, although some are hybrids with diesel engines so they can run on unelectrified lines such as Edinburgh to Aberdeen & Inverness See Azuma video. LNER is the main government-contracted operator between London & Edinburgh.
LNER Azuma train at London Kings Cross.
Lo-cost Lumo trains
Lumo is a new open-access operator (an operator running trains on a fully-commercial basis with no government contract). They started lo-cost train service between London & Edinburgh on 25 October 2021 with 2 trains per day each way, ramping up to 5 per day in early 2022. The trains are all standard class (no first class) with power sockets & USB ports at all seats, free WiFi and good legroom. There's plenty of space for luggage, a refreshment trolley and LumoEats, the ability to pre-order food & drink online from known brands like M&S for delivery to your seat. It's a really smart train - the only thing lo-cost is the price. I travelled from London to Edinburgh on Lumo's press & media preview train on 21 October 2021, see the video here.
Lumo class 803 train, similar to LNER's Azumas but with a different all-one class interior.
One-class seating on Lumo. Larger photo.
London Kings Cross station
Kings Cross station, showing Cubitt's elegant facade of 1852 which faces the Euston Road. The ugly 1970s extension which sat in front of it for 40 years has been removed, opening up the area as a pleasant square occasionally now used for a farmers' market. More information on the station's history. You can find a plan of the station at www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations, enter KGX.
A 'flying saucer' housing a spacious new concourse has been built alongside the original station, on the left hand side as you look at Cubitt's original facade. This photo was taken from the balcony where you'll find various food outlets. The ticket office is on the right. The Harry Potter trolley is almost dead centre in the photo, and the excellent Parcel Yard pub is at the back.
Access to/from the platforms is though automatic ticket gates, so have your ticket handy. In this photo the gates are just out of shot to the right, go through them and walk behind the buffer stops to the platform for your train.
Above left, one of the station clocks, on the platforms inside the trainshed.
Above right, Harry Potter fans can have their photo taken on the concourse. Though JK Rowling was thinking of Euston when she came up with platform 9¾, as explained here.
An LNER Azuma train at Kings Cross platform 2, under one of the station's two magnificent arched roofs.
First class lounge
Anyone with a 1st class ticket over £10 for travel via the East Coast route can use the LNER first class lounge with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & soft drinks. The door to the lounge is to the left of the blue neon glow (actually a row of ATMs) in the centre of the concourse photo above. The lounge is upstairs, accessed via a lift. The lounge was refurbished again in July 2019, this photo is courtesy of Douglass Scott.
The Parcel Yard pub
If you can't get into the 1st class lounge, head for the excellent Parcel Yard pub at the back of the concourse, a great place to have a meal or beer while waiting for your train. Or for a special meal, the excellent upmarket Rails Restaurant is located on the first floor of the Great Northern Hotel, with an entrance directly off the new Kings Cross station concourse.
What to see on the journey
1. Kings Cross. The train leaves Kings Cross and immediately plunges into the short Gasworks & Copenhagen tunnels, then out into the suburbs.
4. Suburbs, countryside & the Welwyn bottleneck. Suburbia soon gives way to open country, woods & fields as the train powers on at 125 mph. It's a 4-track main line, but all trains have to squeeze onto just two tracks to cross the Welwyn Viaduct, which is something of a bottleneck! The woods and fields eventually give way to the flat Cambridgeshire fenlands.
5. Peterborough (above left). As you approach Peterborough & cross the River Nene 76 miles from Kings Cross, look out for the squat towers of Peterborough cathedral which are just visible over the city roofs on the right hand side of the train.
6. Mallard sign (above right). On 3 July 1938 on a stretch of the London-bound track, LNER A4 locomotive Mallard set the world speed record for steam trains, 125.88 mph, a record which still stands today. Look out for this sign on the right half way between Peterborough & Grantham.
7. York station, 188.5 miles from London - if you want to break up the journey, this is the place for a stopover - see travel tips. The two towers of York Minster are just visible over the top of the station's beautiful 19th century roof. York is also home to the National Railway Museum, www.nrm.org.uk.
8. Half way! The famous London to Edinburgh Half Way sign, on the right around 7 miles north of York.
9. Durham. At Durham the train crosses a viaduct giving superb views of Durham city, castle & cathedral on the right hand side.
10. Angel of the North. As the train approaches Newcastle, the Angel of the North is just visible high up on a hill on the right hand side It's a 66 feet high contemporary steel sculpture by Sir Antony Gormley. erected in 1998. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_the_North.
11. Newcastle upon Tyne. The train slows & rumbles across the River Tyne into Newcastle Central, 268 miles from London.
12. Alnmouth (above left), on the Northumberland coast.
13. Lindisfarne castle just visible through the haze, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne.
14. Royal Border Bridge. The train races across the Royal Border Bridge over the River Tweed approaching Berwick. Designed by Robert Stephenson, this impressive 659m-long viaduct was opened by Queen Victoria in 1850. As you can see above the best views as you curve onto the bridge are from the right hand side of the train when going north. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Border_Bridge.
15. The River Tweed (above left). Just beyond these bridges, the Tweed flows into the North Sea.
16. Berwick (above right), where part of the castle was demolished to make way for the station.
17. Hello Scotland! 2½ miles north of Berwick the train crosses the England-Scotland border, marked by a colourful wooden board with English & Scottish flags next to the track on the right hand side. Blink and you miss it! The train is now rolling along the lovely Scottish coast right by the cliffs with the sea breaking on the rocks below.
Scottish coastline between Berwick & Edinburgh: Although not taken from the train, this photo shows the short but lovely coastal section just north of the Scottish border. That's a Lumo train, not just any Lumo train but Lumo's inaugural press preview train to Edinburgh on 21 October 2021. The author is on board in the second car from the rear! Courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.
18. Ayton Castle (above right) in the Scottish borders.
19. Edinburgh. The train rolls in to Edinburgh Waverley, 393 miles from London.
When you walk up the steps from Edinburgh Waverley station onto Princes Street, you're greeted by this view. Edinburgh Castle seen from Princes Street on a late October afternoon. And you got here on the route of the Flying Scotsman.
Edinburgh Waverley station
Edinburgh Waverley station sits below Princes Street in the narrow valley between Edinburgh's old and new towns.
LNER 1st class lounge. 1st class passengers can use the lounge at Edinburgh with any kind of first class ticket valid on LNER, including Advance tickets. Lounge photo courtesy of @gawuffy.
Video: London to p by train
The video shows a journey with LNER. If you plan on using Lumo, see the Lumo video here.
Travel tips
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1st or standard class? Standard class is absolutely fine. First class is usually priced for business travel, but if you pre-book you can find some affordable first class Advance tickets. First class gets you wider seats with more legroom, fewer families & kids and more businessmen & laptops. You'll get complimentary food and wine served at your seat on weekdays, although just tea, coffee, sandwiches & biscuits at weekends. Another advantage of first class is that you can choose a solo seat if you're travelling alone or a face-to-face table for two, by far the nicest arrangement for couples. You also get access to LNER's first class lounges at London Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley.
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Train seat maps: You'll find seat maps here for the Azuma trains used on almost all London-Edinburgh departures, and for the few remaining InterCity 225 electric trains. The first class cars K, L & M are usually at the London (south) end of the train.
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Sit on the right hand side of the train going north, left hand side southbound, if necessary ignoring your seat reservation and simply sitting in any unreserved seat. All the best views - meaning the coastline, the lineside signs and Royal Border Bridge - are on this side.
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Stop off in York on the way? The obvious choice for a stopover between London & Edinburgh is York. It's a fabulous city to visit, home to the UK's National Railway Museum, www.nrm.org.uk. You can leave your luggage at a left luggage facility near the station, leftluggageyork.co.uk.
For an overnight stop, the top choice is the Principal Hotel, York, formerly the York Royal Station Hotel built in 1878 by the North Eastern Railway and set in its own grounds adjacent to York station. The Standard rooms are mostly in a modern annexe called The Sidings, but if you book a Superior grade room or above you'll be in either the original building from 1878 or the Klondyke wing added in 1896.
You cannot break your journey with the cheapest Advance tickets, so simply buy two separate tickets, London-York and York-Edinburgh for the specific trains & dates you want. The more expensive Off-Peak & Anytime tickets do allow stopovers, but check carefully that the ticket you buy covers you for what you want to do. Buying separate tickets is a safer bet for newbies. To see where else you might stop off, see this excellent map of the UK train network.
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Which platform for your train at Kings Cross? Trains to Edinburgh leave from platforms 0 to 8 in the main trainshed, they don't go from suburban platforms 9-11. There may not be a platform 9¾, but there really is a platform 0, on the far eastern side of the station beyond platform 1. Trains typically board 15-30 minutes before departure. There's a plan of the station at www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations, enter KGX.
Tip: Platform numbers are only posted when they are certain, 10-30 minutes before departure. However, the website www.realtimetrains.co.uk and phone app UK Live Trains show the planned platform before the actual platform is posted, unlike the station departure boards (and most official apps) which keep you guessing until the last moment. If you know in advance what platform your train is expected to use, it reduces stress and you can position yourself ready near that platform. Just remember that the actual platform sometimes differs from planned!
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First class lounge at Kings Cross: If you have a first class ticket you can use the LNER lounges at Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley before departure or after arrival, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.
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A beer or meal at Kings Cross station: The Parcel Yard pub on the north side of the concourse makes an excellent departure lounge if you can't use the first class lounge. They serve food, too. For a really special meal, the excellent Rails Restaurant is on the first floor of the Great Northern Hotel on the south side of the concourse.
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Luggage & bikes: You can take whatever luggage you like within reason, there are no weight limits and no-one will measure your bags, just remember you have to handle them yourself, taking your bags onto the train and putting it on the luggage racks, see the photo above. The overhead racks above your seat take anything up to & including backpack-size, the racks at the end of the car inside the entrance doors take larger suitcases. London-Edinburgh LNER trains also carry bikes in a bike rack area, reservation is necessary, see the bike page at www.lner.co.uk.
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WiFi & power sockets: There's free WiFi & power sockets at all seats in both classes.
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Complimentary food & drink in first class: Complimentary food & drink is served in 1st class, meaning tea, coffee, juice, sandwiches, bacon rolls and (on weekdays) a selection of one or two hot dishes. Complimentary red & white wine and beer are offered after 11:00.
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Food & drink in standard class: There's a buffet counter serving tea, coffee, beer, wine, snacks, which you take back to your seat. Or you are free to bring your own food & drink. There are plenty of food outlets at stations to stock up for the journey.
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Have food & drink delivered to your seat: Why trek to the buffet car? In standard class, you can order food & drink from the buffet counter menu to be delivered to your seat. 1. Use the camera on your phone to scan the QR code on the seat back in front of you, it will prompt you to open the link in a browser. 2. It knows which train you are on, simply select your carriage letter and enter your seat number. 3. Make your food & drink selection and it will be delivered to your seat. Payment only leaves your account once the food order has been delivered.
Have food & drink delivered to your seat: 1. Scan the QR code. 2. Enter car & seat. 3. Order!
A bit of history
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The East Coast Main Line as railwaymen call it, was built around 1850 by three railways working together: The Great Northern from London to just north of Doncaster, the North Eastern Railway from there to Berwick, and the North British Railway from Berwick to Edinburgh. All three railways became part of the LNER (London & North Eastern Railway) in 1923 when Britain's many small railway companies were grouped into the Big Four regional companies, the LNER, LMS, GWR & Southern. The Big Four were nationalised in 1948, becoming British Railways, shortened to British Rail in the trendy 1960s. Privatisation in 1995 has seen several companies run the East Coast franchise, and was operated by Virgin Trains East Coast, 90% owned by Stagecoach, 10% by Virgin Group, until June 2018. It's now for the moment run by a government-owned company and rebranded LNER, a nod to the old historic LNER. The line is now electrified, but the InterCity 225 electric trains &InterCity 125 diesel trains inherited from British Rail have now given way to modern Azuma trains. More information at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast_Main_Line.
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The World Steam Speed Record: The LNER ran its famous A3 & A4 steam locomotives on the London to Edinburgh route, and it is the celebrated A4 class Mallard which still holds the World Steam Speed Record, 126mph achieved in 1938 on a section of the same London-Edinburgh line that you travel over today. Today, Mallard can be found in the National Railway Museum at York (www.nrm.org.uk). More information at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4 4468_Mallard.
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The Flying Scotsman is the most famous named train service plying the East Coast route, and perhaps the most famous named train service in Britain. It started life in 1862 as the Special Scotch Express, the premier departure at 10:00 in each direction from both Edinburgh and Kings Cross, at that time a 10-hour journey. Railwaymen had known this train unofficially as the Flying Scotsman ever since the 1870s, and in 1924 the LNER made that name official. The Flying Scotsman has been the premier departure on the London-Edinburgh route ever since, usually with its traditional 10:00 departure time. More recently in 2011 the name was moved to an early morning fast service from Edinburgh to London, with no corresponding northbound train now carrying the famous name - but that could change again, as there are plans to restore the name to a northbound service. Incidentally, don't confuse the named train service Flying Scotsman (meaning a departure, a service) with the A3 class steam locomotive called Flying Scotsman. The locomotive was named in honour of the train! More information at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Scotsman (train)
Hotels in Edinburgh: A tale of two rivals
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Two rival luxury hotels glower at each other from opposite ends of Edinburgh's famous Princes Street, the Balmoral and the Caledonian. Both are 5-star, both great places to stay, and both are - or were - famous railway hotels.
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The Balmoral Hotel: The North British Railway arrived in Edinburgh via the East Coast route and built the North British Hotel on Princes Street adjacent to Edinburgh Waverley station. Today, it is the Balmoral Hotel, with luxury rooms and a refined air, but still handy for travellers arriving at Waverley station, and with an enviable prime location.
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The Caledonian Hotel: Meanwhile, the Caledonian Railway arrived at the other end of Princes Street at its own Princes Street Station. It built its own grand hotel, the Caledonian, directly above the station. Princes Street Station was never as busy as Edinburgh Waverley and in 1965 the Beeching axe fell, the station closed, and the remaining trains were diverted into Waverley. The tracks are now occupied by a car park, the old railway approaches by a roadway. But the hotel remains, and the Caledonian Hotel has expanded onto the ground floor into what was originally the station itself. You can now order a cocktail in a carpeted atrium which was once the cigarette-end-strewn station concourse, pictured below right. The hotel's smaller bar is located in what was formerly the main pedestrian entrance to the station - which explains why it's so narrow!
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I've stayed at both hotels and both are excellent - the Balmoral seems a touch too quiet and rarefied to me, the Caledonian more vibrant and characterful and I love the Galvin Brasserie deluxe, so I'd opt for the Caledonian. But feel free to disagree!
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The Scotsman Hotel: Another hotel of character, the Scotsman Hotel is not a railway hotel, but a newspaper one! Built in 1905, this listed building was home to The Scotsman newspaper until 2001, when they moved to new offices in Holyrood. It's just south of Waverley station. And yes, I've also stayed here, another top choice.
Hotels in London: The Great Northern
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There's a classic railway hotel at Kings Cross, re-opened after years or dereliction refurbished top class standards in April 2013. The Great Northern Hotel was the LNER's London hotel, right next to the station. I can thoroughly recommend it, not least because on each floor you'll find a pantry with complimentary coffee, tea, cake and jelly-babies. The Rails Restaurant on the 1st floor is excellent, too. Check the reviews and book the hotel.
The Great Northern Hotel (on the left) is a classic railway hotel, next to Kings Cross station.
Short breaks to Scotland by train
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Train travel specialist Railbookers arranges short breaks & longer tours from London to Edinburgh & the Highlands, and several packages include the Caledonian Sleeper. Railbookers can arrange trips for almost any date you like, trips can be customised to your own requirements with additional stops or extra nights. Download brochure (UK edition).
- City breaks to Edinburgh by Caledonian Sleeper.
- London - Caledonian Sleeper - Edinburgh - York - London.
- London - Edinburgh - Fort William - Jacobite steam train to Mallaig - Caledonian Sleeper back to London.
- London - Caledonian Sleeper - Inverness - Kyle of Lochalsh - Isle of Skye - London.
- London - Caledonian Sleeper - Inverness - Loch Ness & Glen Urquhart - Edinburgh - London.
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Call to arrange, they have offices in the UK, North America & Australia:
UK 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk,
download brochure.
US call free 1-888-829-4775,
www.railbookers.com.
Canada call free 1-855-882-2910,
www.railbookers.com.
Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526,
www.railbookers.com.au.
New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or
see
website.
