London, York and Edinburgh by train in seven days

This route follows the railway north from London, stopping in York before Edinburgh. Choose the train for each move and book the visits that matter most to you. London uses several mainline stations; the York and Edinburgh departures in this plan use King’s Cross.

British Isles · Published planning example

Tower Bridge and the Thames in London, with both bridge towers visible — London, United Kingdom

Duration: 7 days
Travel style: Mid Range

Day-by-day itinerary

Open a day to read the plan and its spending notes.

Day 1Arrive in London and settle in

London
Leave your bags before going out. If arrival time and museum opening fit, choose a few rooms at the British Museum; general entry is free, with a booked slot useful on busy dates. Otherwise, walk around Bloomsbury and save the museum for another day. Choose accommodation by its transport connection rather than assuming every Zone 2 address is convenient.

€180.00 for one whole private room, €55.00 for meals, €14.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.

Estimated day spending: €259.00
Day 2Westminster, the river and the Tower

London
Start with the public views around Westminster, then cross to the South Bank for a riverside walk. If the Tower of London is your main paid visit, book it and shorten the walk so you have enough time inside. Standard adult admission is £37 without the optional donation. A Tower Bridge exhibition visit is a separate ticket.

€180.00 for one whole private room, €55.00 for meals, €14.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.

Estimated day spending: €259.00
Day 3South Kensington and the royal parks

London
Choose a museum visit in South Kensington, then walk in Kensington Gardens or Hyde Park if the weather suits. General museum collections and paid exhibitions have different entry rules. For an evening show, compare the current ticket and seat details through the theatre or an official ticket seller; a cheap same-day seat is an option to look for, not a guaranteed offer.

€180.00 for one whole private room, €55.00 for meals, €14.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.

Estimated day spending: €259.00
Day 4Take the train to York

York

York, United Kingdom

Travel from London King’s Cross to York, allowing about two hours according to the train. Drop your bags and walk into the old centre. Choose part of the walls or allow around two hours for the full 3.4 km route, which includes street sections and steps. Add a Minster interior visit only if its current ticket and opening fit.

€145.00 for one whole private room, €48.00 for meals, €8.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.

Estimated day spending: €211.00
Day 5Continue to Edinburgh and explore the Old Town

Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Take a suitable northbound train from York to Edinburgh Waverley, planning roughly 2½–3 hours before checking the actual departure. Leave your bags and explore the Royal Mile and nearby closes. Holyrood Park is an optional separate walk if daylight and conditions are suitable; the Radical Road is closed. There is no need to make a summit climb part of arrival day.

€170.00 for one whole private room, €52.00 for meals, €10.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.

Estimated day spending: €242.00
Day 6Edinburgh Castle and a museum afternoon

Edinburgh
Book Edinburgh Castle before the visit. Standard adult entry is £23.50 online or £26 at the gate when available; an online sell-out does not mean extra walk-up tickets are waiting. Afterwards, choose a few galleries at the free National Museum of Scotland or spend the afternoon in the Old Town.

€170.00 for one whole private room, €52.00 for meals, €10.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.

Estimated day spending: €242.00
Day 7A short Edinburgh morning before departure

Edinburgh
Choose a nearby walk in the New Town if your departure leaves time. Leith is an alternative outing only when the airport or rail journey still fits comfortably. Airlink 100 and the airport tram have separate airport fares; an ordinary city-zone ticket does not automatically cover them. Check the current service and leave the time your airline requires.

No overnight stay; €52.00 for meals, €10.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.

Estimated day spending: €72.00

Book the two city moves

Use the London–York guide for the first train and check the separate York–Edinburgh departure. An Advance fare is not a promise of flexibility after a missed connection.

Choose the paid visits

The British Museum and National Museum of Scotland have free general entry. Tower of London and Edinburgh Castle are separate paid visits. Book the ones you want, then leave time to enjoy them.

Build the budget from nights and days

The day figures add up to €1,544.00 for one traveller before paid visits and extra journeys. A private-room line buys the whole room; divide only that part when sharing. These are chosen spending allowances, not available room offers or measured averages. Replace the stay amount with the full booking cost, including taxes and cleaning.

Add paid visits, excursions, intercity or inter-island tickets and airport journeys. The day notes separate accommodation, meals, local travel and small extras. The final day has no extra overnight allowance. The city budget cards are an alternative plan, so do not add them on top of this subtotal.

Itinerary route

Swipe to follow the full route.

1
London Day 1 to 3
2
York Day 4
3
Edinburgh Day 5 to 7

Journeys between stops

How to get from one stop to the next. Journey times are approximate; use the ticket and timetable links to choose a departure for your travel date.

Day 4: London to York

Train · About two hours

Take the booked train from London King’s Cross to York. Check the actual departure and ticket restrictions, then allow the walk from York station into the centre.

Journey and booking information

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Day 5: York to Edinburgh

Train · About 2½–3 hours

Use a suitable northbound service from York to Edinburgh Waverley. Check the dated operator timetable and any works; the onward approach to the Old Town is separate from the rail time.

Journey and booking information

If you have fewer days

For a shorter trip, choose London and Edinburgh or London and York, then book journeys around the days available.

Make this trip cheaper

Compare your room and daily spending choices in the cost calculator. Check each journey fare, including local transfers, and count tickets covered by a pass only once.

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Make the itinerary fit your trip

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