London to Edinburgh transportation
 

Thinking of doing a day trip or maybe staying 1 night in Edinburgh from London (Watford Junction) during our 2 wk trip to the UK.
What is the best mode of transportation to get there?
Thought about using the train so we can see the countryside whilst traveling, but if the plane is significantly cheaper we could do that too.
Has anyone done a coach tour from London to Edinburgh? Would this be a consideration?
Thanks!!

Edinburgh is not a day trip - not for sightseeing anyway. It is 4.5 hours from central London by train. And from Watford Junction it will take 5.5 to 6 hours - each way.

Flying is no better w/ the long drive from Watford Junction to either Heathrow maybe Luton, advance check in, travel into the city from EDI you are talking at least 4 hours.

If you take the sleeper train up from Euston Station you would arrive in Edinburgh early in the AM - so that is a way to make a 'day trip' more feasible. But a sleeper is more expensive and you have to go from Watford J. to Euston.

May I ask <i>why</i> you are staying at Watford Junction???

Our friends live out there.

I'd say a day trip IS perfectly possible in your case - staying in Watford helps enormously in this specific circumstance (probably the only time you could say that!). Get your friends to run you up the M1 in their car to Luton airport, just 20 minutes away in the opposite direction to the morning rush-hour traffic.

Catch the 08:40 EasyJet flight to EDI, and you'll be on the ground at 09:50. As you won't have anything but hand luggage, and don't need to go through immigration etc, you can be off the plane and on the snazzy new tram into Edinburgh city centre within 30 minutes of arrival, which puts you in Princes street by mid-morning.

Spend the day sightseeing and get either the late afternoon 17:55) or evening (20:30) flight back to Luton where your freinds can collect you after work.

Job done.

Gordon, that makes it a very, very long day... If all goes to pklan they won't get to Prince's Street until 11am which is hardly mid morning... Allowing for time back to the airport and check in time, the 17.55 flight won't give very long in Edinburgh. To make it worthwhile it would have to be the 8.30 flight back which is a very long day. To do Edinburgh justicce it really needs an overnight.

for train info - only practical if staying overnight of course - too long for a day trip - check www.nationalrail.co.uk for schedules and advance discounts that are way cheaper than just showing up and paying steep walk-up fares - other sites for general info on trains including the Caledonian Sleeper trains janis talks about (I have taken several times - really nice if you get a private compartment) - check www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

On your other thread you were contemplating touring around by train - if doing several longer trips check out railpasses that let you just hop on any train anytime.

but if really wanting to do a day trip do as Gordron advises above - fly from Luton - probably cheaper than the train - I doubt if there are any one day bus tours from London to Edinburgh and again you have to get from Watford Junction to London.

Yes, it's quite a long day but I have done day trips to several European cities within a 1 hour flying time without batting an eyelid. Provided you are relatively close to the airport at each end (in this case the OP will be practically very close to Luton) it's not that arduous. It goes without saying it would be far better to spend longer in Edinburgh (especially IMO at the expense of London), but if one day's all you've got I say go for it, it's better than not at all.

The OP only plans on a couple of days based in Watford Junction (has other threads) and a couple in Cheltenham. Now, if they were staying several days/maybe a week in Watford Junction they could fit in a day in Edinburgh and see lots in London (and the day trip to Paris they also want)

But as it is they are trying to squeeze a size 10 foot into a size 5 shoe.

Janis speaks wisdom - more can be less and less can be more!

Has anyone done a coach tour from London to Edinburgh? Would this be a consideration?>

do you mean as a day trip - I'm sure that that is not possible but there are no doubt tours that wind their way up to Scotland from London but would be way more expensive than flying or the train.

>>Has anyone done a coach tour from London to Edinburgh? Would this be a consideration?<<
Do you mean a week or more coach tour? Sure there are tons. Mostly 7 - 14 days in length. Wouldn't fit in w/ the rest of your plans, though.

Just London to Edinburgh on an express coach is an 8+hour drive , and it doesn't take a scenic route -- motorways all the way.

I used to live in St Albans which is close to Watford and often used to do day trips to Edinburh albeit for business rather than pleasure. It is perfectly possible to get to and from Edinburgh by train but, as janisj has pointed out it will take at least 4.5 hours each way which doesn't leave a whole lot of time to explore and is not a great journey and is usually more expensive than flying unless at a weekend or booked years in advance.

I would mostly fly from Heathrow or London City depending on whether leaving from home or office. Both airports have lots of flights but are expensive. Luton is easier to access from Watford and has the budget airlines Easyjet and Flybe (I think) but fewer flights.

Forget about a bus to Edinburh. It is simply not a good idea.

Spend a night there, the city is worth it (and so much nicer than Watford :-))

I'll have to check into Easyjet - I think our friends have mentioned that one before.

Check ALL the costs involved with discounted airlines - baggage fees even seat reservation fees - get a bottom line - can be real cheap unless you have a ton of luggage.

Check ALL the costs involved with discounted airlines - baggage fees even seat reservation fees - get a bottom line - can be real cheap unless you have a ton of luggage.

Sure but if a day trip is what is planned (and I'm not sure that is still on the cards or not) then you'd only have hand luggage wouldn't you? No reason for a seat reservation on a 60 minute flight - the UK internal flights are just like getting a bus.

Well yes I forgot that it would be a day trip - and that is the only way IMO to do a day trip to Edinburgh from the London area.

I'll have to check into Easyjet >>

it's one of the main short-haul airlines in Europe. very easy to use website and as said upthread, no need pay to to reserve a seat - they are allocated when you check-in on line. ditto hold luggage - you won't have any, and insurance - no need to take that as you should already have it for the whole of your trip.

it will be a long day, but a fun one.

Go for it!

I appreciate all your help!

What do you plan to do duude?

2nd trip update - 17 days
 

On our 2nd trip in 2019, we landed at LHR and spent 3 nights in Reigate at Reigate Manor. We then went up to Sherwood Forest and spent the night in Edwinstowe. On the way there we stopped in Nottingham for lunch.
We rented a car and drove to Ashbourne and stayed at Casterne Hall. The next night we spent in Lumley Castle, outside Durham.
The next we drove out to Lindisfarne and toured Holy Island, then drove into Edinburgh. Spent 2 nights there.
One of the days we took a coach tour out to the Highlands - so amazing!
We drove down to Liverpool and spent 2 nights there. Did a Beatles tour whilst there.
We drove through Shropshire and stopped for lunch outside Minton, then drove to Cheltenham and stayed 2 nights with family.
We dropped our car in Slough and caught the train back to London. Finished up the trip with 2 days of shopping and seeing some sights.
We loved the flexibility of a car, but it took some concentration to drive.
Thank you all for your input!!