London to Edinburgh's Christmas Market

1. London King's Cross to Edinburgh WaverleyLNER runs about two trains an hour, and the fastest take around 4h 5m–4h 20m. Lumo runs a few low-cost, standard-class-only trains a day on the same line, taking about 4h 15m–4h 30m. Lumo has stricter luggage limits.
2. Waverley to the marketIt's a short walk. Take the Princes Street exit and East Princes Street Gardens is right in front of you.

Advance singles start at around £25–£40 if you book weeks ahead. Turn-up fares are much higher, especially on Fridays.

1. London to Edinburgh (EDI)About 1h 15m–1h 30m in the air. British Airways flies from Heathrow and London City. easyJet flies from Gatwick, Luton and Stansted, and Ryanair from Stansted. Check current schedules.
2. Edinburgh Airport to the city centreThe tram takes about 35 minutes to Princes Street and St Andrew Square, and runs every few minutes. The Airlink 100 bus takes about 30 minutes to Waverley Bridge and runs 24 hours a day. A single costs roughly £6–£8.

Typical return fares are about £50–£150, but check-in, security and the airport transfer mean it's often no quicker than the train door to door.

1. London Euston to Edinburgh WaverleyThe Lowland sleeper usually leaves Euston late in the evening, at around 23:45, and arrives in Edinburgh at about 07:30. It runs Sunday to Friday nights, with no train on Saturday nights. Choose a reclining seat, a bunk room, or an en-suite room with a double bed.
2. Waverley to the marketWalk straight out to Princes Street. If you arrive before the stalls open, have breakfast in the Old Town first.

Seats start at roughly £50, and rooms usually cost £150–£400+ depending on room type and night. Book early for December weekends.

1. London Euston to Edinburgh WaverleyAvanti runs some direct trains to Edinburgh via the West Coast line, taking about 4h 30m–5h. Others need a change at Glasgow or Carlisle. Check the timetable for your date.
2. Waverley to the marketThe market is a few minutes' walk from the station.

It's slower than LNER, but a useful backup when the East Coast line has engineering works.

1. Coach: London Victoria to EdinburghNational Express, Megabus and FlixBus run direct coaches, including overnight services. The trip takes about 8–10 hours, and advance fares start at around £15–£25 one way.
2. DrivingIt's about 400 miles via the A1(M) or the M1/M6, which takes 7–8 hours without stops. Edinburgh has a Low Emission Zone covering the city centre, and parking near Princes Street is expensive, so use a park and ride site such as Ingliston or Hermiston Gait.

Before you drive, check whether your vehicle meets the Edinburgh LEZ standards, because non-compliant vehicles are fined.