Catch the Flying Scotsman

QUESTION: I have to travel from London to Edinburgh and am considering going by rail. Which service should I choose and is it worth opting for the sleeper service? Any advice would be appreciated. - Dominique Sampson

ANSWER: The fastest service is the Flying Scotsman, which leaves from London King's Cross. It covers the journey of 393 miles in just over 4 and a half hours and offers a good buffet and restaurant service. The train is named after the original Flying Scotsman, a luxury express train which ran the same route. Bearing in mind that the train begins in central London and arrives in central Edinburgh, this service competes favourably with air travel, which involves travel time to airports and lengthy check-in times. Virgin Trains also operate a London to Edinburgh day service, which leaves from London Euston and runs along the West Coast.

The sleeper service, known as the Caledonian Sleeper, is operated by First Scotrail. It leaves London Euston at 11.40pm and arrives in Edinburgh at 7am. By taking this overnight train, you miss out on viewing the many attractions on the route from your carriage window, but you do save on the cost of a hotel room for a night. Book early to get an Apex ticket at a reasonable price. When you book your ticket for Edinburgh, ask for a seat on the right side of the train to get the best coastal views.