Travelling to Edinburgh

Edinburgh is easily reached by rail, road and air from all main UK and European towns and cities.

By Train

Edinburgh is served by frequent direct train services from London, and is easily reached from other main towns and cities. GNER trains depart from London King's Cross and run up the east coast via Peterborough, York and Newcastle to Edinburgh. The main long-distance direct service to Scotland that doesn't originate in London is on Virgin from Bristol to Edinburgh via Birmingham. Journey times from London can be as little as 4 1/2 hours to Edinburgh.

By Coach

Coach services duplicate many train routes, often at half the price or less. The frequency of service is usually comparable to the train, and in some instances the difference in journey time isn't that great; buses are also reasonably comfortable, and on longer routes often have drinks and sandwiches available on board. Buses run direct from most British cities to Edinburgh.

By Car

The two main driving routes to Scotland from the south are via the east of England on the A1, or via the west using the M6, A74(M) and M74.

The A1, which passes by Peterborough, Doncaster, Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed, gives you the option of branching off onto the A68, which takes the hilly but scenic route over the border at Carter Bar and adds an hour or so to the journey time.

The M6 route, which goes around Birmingham, between Manchester and Liverpool and on to Carlisle, offers at least dual carriageway driving the whole way. Either way, it takes around 8 hours to get from London or Cardiff to Edinburgh, barring roadwork delays and 2 hours less from Birmingham.

By Air

In addition to regular carriers such as British Airways and BMI, Scotland is well served by the budget airlines. There is a 24-hour bus service that connects Edinburgh airport with the city centre.

A city centre map showing the location of the Sheraton Grand may be downloaded below.

RMS Conference 2008 Map (506 KB)

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