UK rail travel is back on its wheels...a quick and cost-effective way to get to Edinburgh!
UK rail travel has improved significantly over the past few years
. While I grew up at a time when everyone had something negative to say about British Rail and nothing positive, I have only ever had positive experiences.In fact, I've taken the train in both Germany and Japan, famed for their super efficient public transport services and experienced more delays than in the UK.
Times have seemingly changed. If you are already in the UK, taking the train or the bus is well worth considering. Intrigued??
Everyone wants to fly these days. It's quick, relatively cheap and, for some, exciting.
Flying into Edinburgh is certainly both of the above but there are other options and depending on your circumstances these options might just have the edge.
Edinburgh by road and rail has never been easier. Let's fish a little deeper....
Let's say you are in London. You've made the cracking decision to come to Edinburgh for the weekend and you are in the process of deciding how to get there.
You could fly from one of London's airports to Edinburgh. It will take you at least an hour to get to the airport. Of course, you have to be there at least 90 minutes early to check in, go through security etc. Once you've boarded, taken off, and landed in Edinburgh another 90 minutes have literally flown by and you're not even in the city centre.
That's a grand total of at least 4 hours to get from your house to Edinburgh airport. Take the train from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley and you are in the city centre of Edinburgh in 4 and a half hours, refreshed after a relaxing journey through the beautiful British countryside.
No security checks, no queues, no hassle. What's more....trains to Edinburgh from London King's Cross leave every half hour.
If you find yourself in another UK city, the journey may be even shorter. What is the drawback here? Well....as I mentioned on the air travel page, the key is to book in advance.
If you go to the national rail website, check the train timetables and try to book a train from London to Edinburgh leaving today you will probably be charged over 100 for a one-way ticket, as you would for a last minute flight with a low cost airline.
Should you decide to book your train a month in advance you could slash that price right down to around 25 one-way. Bargain.
Factoring in your train fare to get to London Gatwick, Luton or Stansted, it would be very difficult to find a flight to Edinburgh for 25.
Taking the train to Edinburgh from another British city, if booking in advance, is an excellent option.
You have a bum of steel you say? Well if that's the case then taking the bus to Edinburgh is the option for you.
Edinburgh Bus Station is located in the city centre at St. Andrew's Square roughly a two minute walk from Waverley Train Station and Princes Street, the centre of town. See the Edinburgh street map to visualise everything.
Companies such as Megabus and Citylink have great offers on routes all over the UK. Yes, if you are coming to us from the south of England or Wales, bring a cushion to sit on and your mp3 player but you can make massive savings.
While booking in advance is paramount when flying to Edinburgh or taking the train, if you are in no rush to get here, taking the bus is the cheapest option by a country mile.
If you live in the north of England, taking the bus is definitely an option to consider seriously.
UK rail travel is back on its wheels...a quick and cost-effective way to get to Edinburgh!
By: Robbie Leys Universities Australia University Of South Wales Cadiz, Spain rich Tourist Spot A Gateway To Explore Africa Tourist Guide About Spain Tourists Want To Visit The Place At The End Of The Earth A trip to the castles of Rhodes during Rhodes Holidays Enjoy The Royal Elephant Festival Of Kerala Rajasthan Cultural Tour Offering Different Flavors Of Colorful Rajasthan Avoid The Hassle While Shopping For Christmas Presents Tourist Attractions In Khajuraho Revolves Around Temples Architectural Beauty Explore The Mystic Beauty Of India With South India Travel Guide Golfers Boost Spanish Tourism Holiday packages of India