How to get to Berlin from Edinburgh

How to Travel from Edinburgh to Berlin?

If you’re intending to travel from Edinburgh to Berlin you’ll have several modes of transport to choose from. Berlin is one of the Europe’s leading cities for arts and culture, particularly film, and a centre of environmentalism. This makes it a very modern and progressive place to visit. It’s one of the history’s great capitals, with plenty of historical landmarks and other famous tourist attractions, like the Brandenburg Gate and the remains of the infamous Berlin Wall.

You can fly directly from Edinburgh to Berlin in an average of about 3h 35min, but there are a few flights that will only take about 2h, which is the fastest way to travel. Or take a train trip of about 14h 45min. You can also travel the route by bus, which also includes a ferry crossing of the Channel. The total Edinburgh to Berlin travel time on this mode of transport is about 30h 40 min.

What is the Cheapest Way To Get from Edinburgh to Berlin?

The cheapest way to get from Edinburgh to Berlin is to catch one of the flights offered by Ryanair. These are extremely affordable flights, costing as little as a tenth of the price of the other flights, and also cheaper than taking a train or bus, due to the long travel times offered by these latter modes of transport. Other tips to get cheap tickets from Edinburgh to Berlin include booking in advance, and being flexible about when you travel, as this will allow you to snap up any last-minute special offers that could save you a good few quid. On bus and train trips you can also get travel passes if you travel the route regularly, and these operators also offer discounts for senior citizens on the Edinburgh to Berlin cost.

What is the Fastest Way to Travel from Edinburgh to Berlin?

The fastest way to travel from Edinburgh to Berlin is also to fly. You’ll save a lot of time using this mode of transport, as it’s really a short hop if you fly direct. The quickest flights only take about 2h, and you can add on about 30min for the check-in process. This still makes the flight about 12h shorter than the quickest train or bus trip. So look for these specific flights to minimise your travel time from Edinburgh to Berlin. They’re operated by Ryanair, and depart from Edinburgh Airport, landing in Germany at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

Find the best tickets from Edinburgh to Berlin and book with Omio

Omio is a sophisticated ticket booking platform that’s also very easy to use. Simply search for tickets from Edinburgh to Berlin and you’ll be presented with all the different travel options, from flights to buses, along with the timetables for each. Booking your trip is a matter of a few clicks and before you know it you’ll have the ticket on your smartphone, ready to use. You can book one-way tickets or round-trip tickets – whichever is most convenient for the purposes of your Edinburgh-Berlin trip. Our Omio travel magazine provides travel tips on your destination too.

Travel Couple Berlin. Source: Shutterstock

Trains from Edinburgh to Berlin

Train travel from Edinburgh to Berlin will take quite a lot longer than a flight, but many people feel that it’s the most relaxing way to make the trip. You can get meals, snacks and drinks on board, and overnight trains offer sleeper cabins. On this route the quickest train route will see you leaving from Edinburgh Station on LNER for the first leg to London King’s Cross Station, where you’ll change to Eurostar for the trip under the Channel to Brussels Zuid station. From there you’ll enter Germany and travel first to Cologne, stopping at Koeln Hbf, then to Hagen Hbf in Hanover, and arriving at Berlin Hbf. This final station is about a 6min subway ride from central Berlin on an S-Bahn train, and a 10min tram ride on the M8 or M6 lines. You can also take the N40 bus for a trip of about 7min.

Train travel from Edinburgh to Berlin with Eurostar

The Eurostar Edinburgh to Berlin journey is a leisurely one, taking a total travel time of 14h 45min. There is also a slightly longer trip that the operator offers. This is a more direct one, with fewer intervening stops – once you arrive in Europe it’s a non-stop ride to Berlin, and takes about 17h in total. Edinburgh Station to Berlin trips are serviced by high-speed trains that travel at around 185 mph (300 km/h). These offer free Wi-Fi, individual power outlets at every seat, and café-bars where you can buy snacks and drinks.

Buses from Edinburgh to Berlin

If you prefer to travel by bus, you can board the National Express at Edinburgh Station. You can save somewhat on the Edinburgh to Berlin price by choosing this mode of transport, although it’s not cheaper than catching a flight. You’ll travel non-stop through Scotland and England to London Victoria Coach Station, where you’ll change to Union Ivkoni for the leg to Dover where your bus will drive onto the ferry to Calais from where you’ll drive directly to Lille, where you’ll change to FlixBus for the last segment to Berlin.

Traveling by bus from Edinburgh to Berlin with National Express and FlixBus

All the bus trips you’ll take on this route are operated by these two carriers in tandem. National Express is the UK’s largest and busiest bus service provider, and it’s both reliable and cost-effective. It doesn’t offer many bells and whistles, focusing on efficient travel. Nonetheless you get free Wi-Fi, and can take hold and carry-on luggage. FlixBus is more of a budget bus operator, but it also offers a range of travel conveniences, including free Wi-Fi, power sockets for each seat, and a snacks and beverage service on board.

Travel Berlin. Source: Shutterstock

Flights from Edinburgh to Berlin

Flying allows you to get from Edinburgh to Berlin the cheapest way. It’s also the quickest way travel between the two cities. There are several flights every day, and you’ll have a choice of carriers, including Ryanair, Eurowings, KLM and Air France. The quickest flights are those operated by Ryanair, taking a touch over 2h. These are also by far the best way to fly from Edinburgh to Berlin at cheap prices. Eurowings is your next best bet for cost-effective flights, with other airlines charging substantially more. All flights depart from Edinburgh Airport and land at Berlin Brandenburg Airport, which is about 25min from the city centre by S-Bahn train and about 40min taking the Line 057 bus.

Flying from Edinburgh to Berlin with Ryanair or Eurowings

Both Ryanair and Eurowings are budget airlines, and with both flying direct, there’s very little to choose between them. They offer cost-efficient, simplified air travel, without all the bells and whistles of the traditional commercial airlines like in-flight meals. You won’t go hungry though, as Ryanair only takes about 2h to get from Edinburgh Airport to Berlin, and Eurowings taking about 4h. So flight time is the first point of difference, with Eurowings tickets costing more as the second.

To Berlin by train/bus/flight—travel tips

Describing all the reasons to visit Berlin would take a page in itself, so limiting it to a few highlights will give you more than enough to keep you busy. The city is as synonymous with its most famous landmark, the Brandenburg Gate as Paris is with the Eiffel Tower. Inspired by Athens’s Propylaea, it was built in 1788 at the behest of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Reichstag is another historically significant building, rebuilt after its notorious burning prior to WWII.

For museums galore, including ones housing ancient Egyptian artefacts and Classical antiquities, Byzantine art, Islamic art and much more, visit Museum Island. The Berlin War Memorial is a good place to visit in quiet contemplation. For sweeping views across the entire city from over 1,200 feet (370 m) in the air, take the lift to the top of the Berlin Television Tower, the third-highest free-standing building in Europe. Round off your Berlin trip with a visit to one of the most famous historical sites in 20th-century history, Checkpoint Charlie.