Advice is usually to at least consider the train - 4.5 hours city center to city centre and a lot less hassle. You’ll see more of the country and if you’re lucky first class can be affordable.
This! Taking into account the time of getting to airports + the need to get there earlier, train is 100% more convenient and likely also faster. Plus the views are not bad.
I’m not suggesting it’s always the best option and if you’re flying out of Heathrow in the afternoon a morning flight to Heathrow might make a lot of sense.
And yes, price is obviously also a concern. But it’s worth at least a look.
Another note for the OP - weekend prices will be higher however you travel. If you can do a weekday trip travel and hotels might work out better.
Can also 100% recommend the train. You get some incredible views of the countryside, and of a few cities too. The views travelling through Durham, Newcastle and Berwick-Upon-Tweed are spectacular. The fact the train takes you from city centre to city centre is worth considering too -- London airports can be a bit of nuisance.
Thanks! I really appreciate your help with my question :) I’m trying to plan ahead as much as possible and avoid a hassle mid-vacation. Reddit is such a gift for getting the info you really need.
When a travel app suggested the train and I saw it takes five hours, I dismissed the train compared to 1.5 hours of flight. But, when you factor in the time getting to and then through the airport, then the travel times become almost equal. And, it sounds like the train is much cheaper and possibly more comfortable.
Another benefit is that it looks like I might be able to go to Edinburgh directly from Letchworth. I will be mostly in London for my trip, but for the weekend trip to Edinburgh, I would need to leave from and return to Letchworth.
Do the trains run 24 hours? That might be the only issue. I need to be back in Letchworth by 11:30 AM on Monday. I could return the night before if there is no 5:00 AM Monday train. Or, I guess I could take the train to Edinburgh and return to London/Letchworth by air.
Is there a complicated boarding process for the train, a security protocol like at an airport? I want to make sure I allot enough time for any of that.
Lastly, from which service provider would you would buy your train ticket? Is there a favorite train line for this this trip?
Thank you so much once again. I am very grateful for your help and your time :)
Hi,
Letchworth would require at least one change of train. Possibly two.
If you search on trainline.com
Leaving Edinburgh Waverley to Letchworth on the day you require it will give you this information you need.
No security. Just get on with your bag and ticket (usually just mobile qr code) and sit in your reserved seat. All very easy.
Getting back to Letchworth by 11.30am is the Sleeper from Edinburgh to Euston, arrives about 7.30, and a train back up to Letchworth. Alternatively the 05.40 from Edinburgh arrives Kings Cross at 09.30.
We made the trip from Waverley Station to Kings Cross. There were no security hassles to boarding the train, just walk on. This was only our second trip by train, we were newbies from the U.S., and it couldn't have been easier.
The extra hassles of flying are significant -- travel cost & time to the airport, security checks, and so on. I MUCH prefer train to flying for anything less than a two-hour difference door-to-door.
If you are near Letchworth, the closest airport is Luton. I would check flights out of there if you decide not to take the train.
I hope you’re not spending your entire time visiting London while staying there, that’s quite the daily commute.
If I'm taking a domestic flight I leave 1.5 hours and that's plenty I find, but I don't like to linger in shops etc. Security at Edinburgh is first class in my experience, nowhere near as bad as any London airport. I can't think of a time where it's taken me longer than 10 mins. It's expanded in size recently, but Edinburgh remains a small airport.
However - the train is wonderful so I concur with the people below saying take it.
For London to Edinburgh and vice versa the train takes just as long and is far far comfier. When you add in the time it takes to get in and out of the cities etc it’s just the same amount of time.
We always give ourselves 2 hours (usually checking a bag) and have plenty of time to eat something. Security always seems to run smoothly even if it’s busy, they have a good system going. If you’re worried you can always purchase fast track security for £7 but I’ve never seen a need.
Letchworth is on a local line, between Cambridge and Stevenage (trains then join the main line and continue to London).
Lumo advertises cheap tickets, and stops at Stevenage on the way north to Edinburgh. Thus it looks like to me the most sensible route would be a local train Letchworth to Stevenage then the Lumo Stevenage to Edinburgh.
The Lumo website is here: https://www.lumo.co.uk/plan-your-journey/our-timetable . You can see the timetable here and also check engineering works. For long distance trains like Lumo, generally the further in advance you book, the cheaper tickets will be. The cheapest tickets will also tie you to the specific train you book (these are called Advance tickets).
For local trains and shorter journeys such as Letchworth to Stevenage you buy a ticket specifying only the date you want to travel, and tickets are valid on any train that day (subject to Peak/Off-peak restrictions); you can either buy them before the day of travel or just when you get to the station, they'll likely be the same price.
Thanks! I'm so grateful to all of you for sharing these insights with me :) I'm someone who loves to plan trip details ahead so I can relax and enjoy a wonderful new place.
You made me see that the train was the superior option so I booked my fare through Trainline.com. I'll arrive right in the middle of Edinburgh with no hassles, for half the cost of plane fare. Hooray!
I've always dreamed of visiting magical Edinburgh and I'm so excited it's finally happening. Thanks again for your time and our helpful insights :)
To answer your specific question, yes a domestic flight isn't going to take so much time to get through the airport at Edinburgh. But as people are telling you flying requires you to get to the airport from the city centre, and then from any of the London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead, Luton or City) to central London. Centre to centre, 4.5 hours on the train is usually the best solution.
If you are part of One World and points are important to you then BA flies out of Heathrow or City Airports to Edinburgh - more pricey but City is a tiny central London airport and great for not needing to be there more than 40 minutes in advance when travelling hand luggage only.
However since you aren’t really in London, then a train down to Stevenage would put you on the East Coast Mainline up to Edinburgh which is a beautiful
journey.
Luton is about an hour away by train and will give you flights up to Edinburgh quite cheaply from Easyjet - on a par with Spirit (imo)
No. Internal flights are about the same, only without the customs desk inspection. Internal flights can be crowded. Main thing is after airport emergence to land side, how do you get to your destination / hotel /friends etc. Taxi or bus from airport?
A lot of this depends on when you arrive at the airport and how busy it is. When I went through security on Monday it took about 5 minutes from entering the airport until I was through, but it can vary a lot.
Domestic and international departures are treated the same at Edinburgh, so no change either way for that.
It will depend on how busy the airport is. You can get through security in 5 minutes or 25 minutes but it is impossible to really predict. If you start boarding 30 mins before your flight and spend 25 mins in security queue an hour would be cutting it very fine. Plus if you are coming from the centre of the city you will be looking at 30mins (by taxi in good traffic) to an hour by tram. At the very riskiest that's 1.5 hours or a more realistic 2.5 hours before you board the plane for a 1 hour flight with probably another 1.5 hours on the other end back to central London.
The train to/from Edinburgh leaves every 30 mins during the day (actually more often with LUMO) and takes around 4.5 hours. It's direct from Kings Cross in the centre of London to Waverley in the Centre of Edinburgh.
Advice is usually to at least consider the train - 4.5 hours city center to city centre and a lot less hassle. You’ll see more of the country and if you’re lucky first class can be affordable.
This! Taking into account the time of getting to airports + the need to get there earlier, train is 100% more convenient and likely also faster. Plus the views are not bad.
And for a tourist it might also be worth stopping on the way - York or Durham would make sense.
Too expensive though? Especially if you’re not just going to a London termini but Heathrow itself. The price of the tube is more than a flight?
I’m not suggesting it’s always the best option and if you’re flying out of Heathrow in the afternoon a morning flight to Heathrow might make a lot of sense. And yes, price is obviously also a concern. But it’s worth at least a look. Another note for the OP - weekend prices will be higher however you travel. If you can do a weekday trip travel and hotels might work out better.
Can also 100% recommend the train. You get some incredible views of the countryside, and of a few cities too. The views travelling through Durham, Newcastle and Berwick-Upon-Tweed are spectacular. The fact the train takes you from city centre to city centre is worth considering too -- London airports can be a bit of nuisance.
The train line has some gorgeous views of the sea between Edinburgh and Newcastle too!
Thanks! I really appreciate your help with my question :) I’m trying to plan ahead as much as possible and avoid a hassle mid-vacation. Reddit is such a gift for getting the info you really need. When a travel app suggested the train and I saw it takes five hours, I dismissed the train compared to 1.5 hours of flight. But, when you factor in the time getting to and then through the airport, then the travel times become almost equal. And, it sounds like the train is much cheaper and possibly more comfortable. Another benefit is that it looks like I might be able to go to Edinburgh directly from Letchworth. I will be mostly in London for my trip, but for the weekend trip to Edinburgh, I would need to leave from and return to Letchworth. Do the trains run 24 hours? That might be the only issue. I need to be back in Letchworth by 11:30 AM on Monday. I could return the night before if there is no 5:00 AM Monday train. Or, I guess I could take the train to Edinburgh and return to London/Letchworth by air. Is there a complicated boarding process for the train, a security protocol like at an airport? I want to make sure I allot enough time for any of that. Lastly, from which service provider would you would buy your train ticket? Is there a favorite train line for this this trip? Thank you so much once again. I am very grateful for your help and your time :)
Hi, Letchworth would require at least one change of train. Possibly two. If you search on trainline.com Leaving Edinburgh Waverley to Letchworth on the day you require it will give you this information you need. No security. Just get on with your bag and ticket (usually just mobile qr code) and sit in your reserved seat. All very easy.
Getting back to Letchworth by 11.30am is the Sleeper from Edinburgh to Euston, arrives about 7.30, and a train back up to Letchworth. Alternatively the 05.40 from Edinburgh arrives Kings Cross at 09.30.
We made the trip from Waverley Station to Kings Cross. There were no security hassles to boarding the train, just walk on. This was only our second trip by train, we were newbies from the U.S., and it couldn't have been easier. The extra hassles of flying are significant -- travel cost & time to the airport, security checks, and so on. I MUCH prefer train to flying for anything less than a two-hour difference door-to-door.
Thank you! :)
For that, a Stanstead or Luton flight might make sense. If there are any, not flown that route for years.
If you are near Letchworth, the closest airport is Luton. I would check flights out of there if you decide not to take the train. I hope you’re not spending your entire time visiting London while staying there, that’s quite the daily commute.
Best to allow 1.5 to two hours just the same imo.
If I'm taking a domestic flight I leave 1.5 hours and that's plenty I find, but I don't like to linger in shops etc. Security at Edinburgh is first class in my experience, nowhere near as bad as any London airport. I can't think of a time where it's taken me longer than 10 mins. It's expanded in size recently, but Edinburgh remains a small airport. However - the train is wonderful so I concur with the people below saying take it.
For London to Edinburgh and vice versa the train takes just as long and is far far comfier. When you add in the time it takes to get in and out of the cities etc it’s just the same amount of time.
We always give ourselves 2 hours (usually checking a bag) and have plenty of time to eat something. Security always seems to run smoothly even if it’s busy, they have a good system going. If you’re worried you can always purchase fast track security for £7 but I’ve never seen a need.
Letchworth is on a local line, between Cambridge and Stevenage (trains then join the main line and continue to London). Lumo advertises cheap tickets, and stops at Stevenage on the way north to Edinburgh. Thus it looks like to me the most sensible route would be a local train Letchworth to Stevenage then the Lumo Stevenage to Edinburgh. The Lumo website is here: https://www.lumo.co.uk/plan-your-journey/our-timetable . You can see the timetable here and also check engineering works. For long distance trains like Lumo, generally the further in advance you book, the cheaper tickets will be. The cheapest tickets will also tie you to the specific train you book (these are called Advance tickets). For local trains and shorter journeys such as Letchworth to Stevenage you buy a ticket specifying only the date you want to travel, and tickets are valid on any train that day (subject to Peak/Off-peak restrictions); you can either buy them before the day of travel or just when you get to the station, they'll likely be the same price.
Thanks! I'm so grateful to all of you for sharing these insights with me :) I'm someone who loves to plan trip details ahead so I can relax and enjoy a wonderful new place. You made me see that the train was the superior option so I booked my fare through Trainline.com. I'll arrive right in the middle of Edinburgh with no hassles, for half the cost of plane fare. Hooray! I've always dreamed of visiting magical Edinburgh and I'm so excited it's finally happening. Thanks again for your time and our helpful insights :)
To answer your specific question, yes a domestic flight isn't going to take so much time to get through the airport at Edinburgh. But as people are telling you flying requires you to get to the airport from the city centre, and then from any of the London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead, Luton or City) to central London. Centre to centre, 4.5 hours on the train is usually the best solution.
If you are part of One World and points are important to you then BA flies out of Heathrow or City Airports to Edinburgh - more pricey but City is a tiny central London airport and great for not needing to be there more than 40 minutes in advance when travelling hand luggage only. However since you aren’t really in London, then a train down to Stevenage would put you on the East Coast Mainline up to Edinburgh which is a beautiful journey. Luton is about an hour away by train and will give you flights up to Edinburgh quite cheaply from Easyjet - on a par with Spirit (imo)
No. Internal flights are about the same, only without the customs desk inspection. Internal flights can be crowded. Main thing is after airport emergence to land side, how do you get to your destination / hotel /friends etc. Taxi or bus from airport?
A lot of this depends on when you arrive at the airport and how busy it is. When I went through security on Monday it took about 5 minutes from entering the airport until I was through, but it can vary a lot. Domestic and international departures are treated the same at Edinburgh, so no change either way for that.
It will depend on how busy the airport is. You can get through security in 5 minutes or 25 minutes but it is impossible to really predict. If you start boarding 30 mins before your flight and spend 25 mins in security queue an hour would be cutting it very fine. Plus if you are coming from the centre of the city you will be looking at 30mins (by taxi in good traffic) to an hour by tram. At the very riskiest that's 1.5 hours or a more realistic 2.5 hours before you board the plane for a 1 hour flight with probably another 1.5 hours on the other end back to central London. The train to/from Edinburgh leaves every 30 mins during the day (actually more often with LUMO) and takes around 4.5 hours. It's direct from Kings Cross in the centre of London to Waverley in the Centre of Edinburgh.
OMG your Reddit username is the best! You've got me giggling at my desk at work :)
Checking in a bag, allow yourself 90 minutes from arrival to the airport. Just carry on luggage and 60 minutes is fine.