About this journey to Edinburgh?

[Sweetpea302]

More of an "Am I being ridiculous" rather than AIBU...

We have been invited to a wedding in Edinburgh over the winter and need to start booking travel for it from the West Country (near Bristol). I have a grand romantic idea that this would be a really lovely journey to make on the train - kick back, eat lots of snacks and watch beautiful countryside and interesting cities as we swoosh past.

I've just looked into travel costs though and its considerably cheaper to fly rather than travel by train, and also takes a fraction of the time. I'm now wondering whether I'm just being a bit ridiculous to even think about spending MORE money for a longer journey? I'm also starting to have visions of endless journeys, train delays and uncomfortable seats...

It would just be me and my fiancé; no children.

Has anyone else done this (or a similar) journey? What would you guys do?

Oh, and if you've made it this far then tips on what to see when we're in Edinburgh would be great!

I went to Edinburgh last half-term with my teenage dd. There are some really good walking tours out there. We went on the underground vaults tour and Witchery Tour (which was a lot more funny than expected). I also dragged her over to the graveyard to find the statue of Greyfriars Bobby.

As you're going with your fiancé you'll be able to avoid the hours in the giant Primark that I was subjected to.

I did a direct journey from Taunton to Edinburgh once when, miraculously, it cost me £11. I've no idea how that happened, it was about 10 years ago and I kept the ticket to marvel at. Anyway, it's very long - obviously, but I'm quite good at zoning out on long train journeys so prefer to park myself for x number of hours rather than the hassle of flying. Scenery wise it's Newcastle to Edinburgh that's the real winner - so a small portion really. Depends how bad you feel about domestic flights too - this may be a distance that makes one excusable but if you add it all up it might not be that much longer.

Fly. I went by train: ticket was £200. Got on the train and there was no reserved seating. I had to stand for most of the trip, so all the way from Sheffield. Exaclty the same on the way home. The train was so packed it was impossible to get to the loo or get a drink. I was a nightmare and a waste of a large sum of money. Fly, even if costs more, train travel just isn't value for money.

I live in N. Wilts and we took the coach to Edinburgh for a wedding last November with 2 kids. It was fine. It took a long time admittedly, but the cost savings were huge (it would have flying and taking the train would have cost the same, but the train would have taken the same time as the coach due to changes).

So if costs are an issue, I'd go by coach (N. Express so there's a decent loo, rather than megabus ), otherwise I'd fly, and treat yourselves to romantic drinks in the airport, plane, and airport again, lol.

I did originally want to travel first class, but that daydream got dropped pretty quickly when I saw how much that was...

In terms of what we'd like to see in Edinburgh; we tend to really enjoy parks and outdoor things, beautiful architecture, foody places (although not expensive ones) and finding out of the way little streets with independent shops etc. My OH is very quick to develop "museum foot" when taken anywhere too educational... Put it this way, we have National Trust memberships, but I can't remember the last time that I saw the inside of a country house. I just look at the outside of them from the gardens...!

Sweetpea, trains will be expensive 5 months in advance. It's around 12 weeks in advance the cheapest tickets are available

I've done it trained up and flew down. I loved the train journey and it ended up being cheaper by train in those days and I was with friends we read and played cards, twas excellent.

How about train 1 way, fly 1 way? And park your DH in the cafe while you go round the inside of things

The train journey north along the west coast is nice enough - once you're through Warrington-ish. The route up through the Lakes is lovely. I personally do find the train quite relaxing and it has the benefit of no luggage restrictions. It would come down to price for me - once of hte advantages of the train is that it takes you right into the middle of Edinbrugh unlike the plane.

Depends when you're travelling too - we travelled back to Scotland from London on the train recently and although it was busy as far as Preston it wasnt so packed that you couldn't move.

Edinburgh - Mary's Milk bar for the best ice cream and milkshakes in the world. The museum is great, and lots of lovely coffee shops nearby. Mother India is a brilliant little tapas style Indian restaurant. Urban Angels is nice for breakfast. The Rose Leaf is brilliant for afternoon tea/cocktails and nice for exploring Leith.

A walk up Arthur Seat is lovely. A mooch round Morningside and Brunsfield.

Flying seems quicker but when you consider end-to-end there might not be much difference. You've got to get to the airport, check in probably an hour before departure, then after the flight get through arrivals and wait for your bags if needed, get from the destination airport, and it all adds up. The plane will still be quicker but not as much quicker as the 'headline' times make it look.

Delays are probably a wash, anything can be cancelled or delayed, but at least you can't get 'bumped' from a train.

The train I'd find more comfortable. Bigger seats, maybe a table, can get up and walk down to the buffet car.

Think the best thing to do in Edinburgh is just roam about tbh. I was student there so barely did anything touristy but always loved poking about the Grassmarket and vague wandering - though cold in Winter. Dean Village is really nice and there is a gallery there, it's not quite so well trodden as the other galleries. Just looked it up and now it's called Modern Two. www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-gallery-modern-art

I'm going from a town about 20 miles from Bristol to a wedding in Fife in September. Our preferences in order were drive (parents live in Yorkshire so can stop overnight), fly (50 minutes to airport, 45 minute flight on Easyjet, hire car), or not go! In no way would I pay to spend that long in a train which invariably has smelly toilets and noise.

Check you are getting the best price for the train. National Rail website has a Cheapest Fare Finder that will tell you the best fares for that day and times. You might have to google to find the correct part of the website!

I had a wonderful flight back from Edinburgh to Gatwick years ago.

The plane was virtually empty, the sun was shining and we flew over the bridges on the Firth of Forth and quite low over the Yorkshire dales. I hate flying but it was the highlight of the trip.

Train every time, what people forget about flying is the parking at airport and checking in and getting from airport to city centre. I'm biased because I love trains but it is wonderful to pull into Edinburgh Waverley station. I'd make it part of the trip. From Bristol you could go to London and then East Coast from there which is a lovely journey. You could catch the overnight train from Kings Cross?

The train I'd find more comfortable. Bigger seats, maybe a table, can get up and walk down to the buffet car

You haven't been on the train for this journey. Very few tables, bloody lucky if you get a seat - I was standing from Birmingham to Sheffield on more than one occasion, no-one is wandering up and down the aisles, too many people in the way.

And there was the other memorable occasion when I spent most of the time sat on the floor outside the toilet because I just jumped on the train and couldn't move any further due to the crush.

Tickets for your dates won't have been released yet - they just show the 'standard' price until twelve weeks before so may be much cheaper twelve weeks before.

I've done York to Edinboro first class for £20-ish before.

Edinburgh Zoo is having an event this year in the evenings in winter with Chinese Lanterns something about celebrating where the pandas came from........

Edinburgh airport to the city centre is a piece of piss now - just jump on the tram.

You can get cheap tickets for the train sometimes, you can get reasonably direct sometimes, You don't always get the same route or price. If you end up going via Glasgow, you'd have to get from one station to the other - it's that that far and when you know what you are doing, it's quite straightforward but if it's at the end of your long journey and you have luggage and it's late and dark and wet and you don't know where you are going, it's a pain.

Having said that, Bristol airport is miles out of Bristol. Edinburgh airport is very easy to get in to the city from.

If you are on a tight budget look at the Hub hotels in Edinburgh - tiny rooms but very reasonable and just what you need if you are spending most of the day out.

When I travel occasionally on my own from West Midlands to Glasgow I prefer taking the train.
It's so much less stressful and I take a bottle of wine for the train. You often end up speaking to others round about or I read my Kindle.
It's bliss.
Always used to fly Brum to Glasgow and all being well it took a little less time. But it could be stressful. And always delays.
And also a lot more expensive than the train.
I get a direct train though to Glasgow not sure how I would feel if I had to change.

Maybe I just appreciate 4 hours of child free bliss😜

What about flying to somewhere like Newcastle and train Newcastle to Edinburgh, depending on costs? Maybe extend it by an extra day or more for a bit more of a holiday if you can, have a day or two in Newcastle, time at the wedding and more time in Newcastle on the way back or just a leisurely trip home.

Bristol to Edinburgh isn't a great journey. And to be honest, the west coast line goes so fast that you actually don't see much. I would fly to Edinburgh, book a couple of extra days, and get the train to Inverness for some nice views :)