How to travel from Edinburgh to Inverness

Sun, Apr 05
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Scotrail
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London North Eastern Railway
Scottish Citylink
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Scotrail
Megabus
FlixBus
London North Eastern Railway
Scottish Citylink
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Edinburgh to Inverness

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Edinburgh to Inverness among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $12. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 3h 45m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.2kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $12, and a train costs an average of $32.

Distance: 112 miles (181 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus

$69

Average price

$19

Average price

Cheapest

4h 15m

Average total duration

Fastest

3h 45m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 20m

Average total duration

3h 50m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.2kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.2 - 0.5kg

CO2 emissions

Scotrail

Most popular train company

Megabus

Most popular bus company

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Edinburgh to Inverness

How to get from Edinburgh to Inverness by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

The best way to travel from Edinburgh to Inverness is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

  • FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
    12:45 PM4h15
    Edinburgh, Bus Station
    5:00 PMInverness, Bus Station
    $271One-way
    1 transfer

Cheapest

  • FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
    12:45 PM4h15
    Edinburgh, Bus Station
    5:00 PMInverness, Bus Station
    $271One-way
    1 transfer

Fastest

  • ScotrailY38780
    8:38 AM3h28
    Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    12:06 PMInverness station (INV)
    $931One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • ScotrailY38785
    10:32 AM3h44
    Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    2:16 PMInverness station (INV)
    $931One-way
    0 transfers
  • ScotrailY39145 · Y38782
    9:39 AM3h46
    Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    1:25 PMInverness station (INV)
    $931One-way
    1 transfer
  • ScotrailY38787
    1:32 PM3h30
    Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
    5:02 PMInverness station (INV)
    $931One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    3:10 PM4h10
    Edinburgh, Bus Station
    7:20 PMInverness, Bus Station
    $311One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
    10:39 AM6h21
    Edinburgh, Drum Brae South
    5:00 PMInverness, Bus Station
    $311One-way
    1 transfer
  • FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
    4:15 PM4h40
    Edinburgh, Bus Station
    8:55 PMInverness, Bus Station
    $271One-way
    1 transfer
  • British AirwaysBA1453 · BA1426
    4:35 PM5h00
    Edinburgh Airport
    9:35 PMInverness Airport
    $5601One-way
    1 transfer
  • British AirwaysBA1449 · BA1426
    3:10 PM6h25
    Edinburgh Airport
    9:35 PMInverness Airport
    $5601One-way
    1 transfer
  • British AirwaysBA1439 · BA1424
    10:05 AM4h45
    Edinburgh Airport
    2:50 PMInverness Airport
    $6261One-way
    1 transfer

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights

Compare train and bus prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.

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Travel from Edinburgh to Inverness: Journey Details

Inverness, the transport hub of the Highlands, is around 250 kilometers north of the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Trains and buses are the easiest way for travelers in the UK to make the journey. Train travel is usually the faster option, although some express buses can offer similar journey times. ScotRail and London North Eastern Railway (LNER) provide rail services between the two cities, with most journeys taking around 3 hours and 30 minutes. Scottish Citylink buses offer regular connections from Edinburgh to Inverness with travel times ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 hours.

Return trips from Inverness to Edinburgh are also available.

How to get from Edinburgh to Inverness

The Best Way According to our Users

Whether it is for business or leisure, in order to travel from Edinburgh to Inverness, 95,74% of our customers choose the train as their preferred mode of transportation. By traveling by train on this route, you can enjoy the comfort of spacious seats, spectacular views—and in some cases free Wi-Fi—in both second and first class. Our customers have decided that the train is the best way to get from Edinburgh to Inverness and have chosen to enjoy this fast, safe and efficient way to arrive at their destination. Taking the train also avoids long lines or potential expenses for transfers to/from the station—especially since most main railway stations are located in the city center. Train companies in Europe vary from country to country, but most of them offer high-speed train routes, therefore when you add up at the end-to-end journey time, the train is often also the fastest way to get to your destination.

Search on Omio to find cheap tickets from Edinburgh to Inverness. It’s easy to find the most attractive prices and choose your preferred route for your journey. Book on web or app, and travel with your mobile ticket —without the stress of printing your ticket.

More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

FAQs: Travel from Edinburgh to Inverness

Travel to Inverness easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Edinburgh to Inverness.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Edinburgh and Inverness including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Edinburgh to Inverness is a bus with an average price of $12 (€10).

This is compared to other travel options from Edinburgh to Inverness:

A bus is $20 (€17) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Edinburgh to Inverness costing on average $32 (€26).

The fastest way to travel from Edinburgh to Inverness is by train with an average journey time of 3h 28m.

Other travel options to Inverness take longer:

Bus takes on average 4h 5m.

The distance from Edinburgh to Inverness is approximately 112 miles (181 km).
The average frequency per day from Edinburgh to Inverness is:
  • Around 28 buses per day.
  • Around 6 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Edinburgh and Inverness as scheduled services by train and bus can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Edinburgh to Inverness:
  • Trains mostly depart from Edinburgh Waverley (EDB) and arrive in Inverness station (INV).
  • Buses mostly depart from Edinburgh, Bus Station and arrive in Inverness, Bus Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Edinburgh to Inverness, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Scotrail, London North Eastern Railway, Caledonian Sleeper, ScotRail to go to Inverness by train.
  • Travel with Megabus, FlixBus, Scottish Citylink, Park's of Hamilton to go to Inverness by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Edinburgh to Inverness with the following travel companies:
  • 3 direct trains per day with London North Eastern Railway, Caledonian Sleeper, ScotRail.
  • 8 direct buses per day with Megabus, FlixBus, Scottish Citylink, Park's of Hamilton.
Omio customers who travel from Edinburgh to Inverness often also extend their vacation to go to London, Glasgow, Fort William, Aberdeen, Portree. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Inverness and these popular destinations at a great price.
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