How to Get to St Andrews from Edinburgh

There's no doubt that there's plenty to see and do in Edinburgh, but if you fancy something a little different in this great Scottish city, I suggest a visit to St Andrews. This town on the Fife coast was not only the setting for the famous Chariots of Fire scene, but it has incredible scenery and a charming old town. It's only 50km away and there are options for all types of travellers, so what's the best way to get there?

Your big question will be, how do you plan your whole trip? Even though St Andrews is close to Edinburgh, the journey can be a long and tiring one by public transport. On the other hand, the sometimes unavoidable delays can limit your time to discover this university town. If you don't want this to happen, my advice is always to book an organised tour from Edinburgh. They cost around €50 and you'll make the trip quickly (in about two hours), and without incident, in a coach shared with other travellers.

Plus, in most cases, your driver will act as your guide for the day, so you'll get a much better understanding of the stories that run through St Andrews. Although they don't always include entry to places like the Cathedral, the largest in Scotland, these tours follow a comprehensive itinerary so you won't miss out on anything.

The value for money of these tours is very interesting, especially because of the 10 hours that the tour lasts, you will have more or less 3 hours to move at your own pace and not feel that you are all day adapting to the group.

Interesting facts

• Price: 50€ approximately
• Travel time: about 2 hours
• Main disadvantage: you have to adapt to the departure times.
• Recommended if: you are looking for a comfortable alternative at a good price.

If your idea is to get from Edinburgh to St Andrews by public transport and you want to go direct, you'll have to settle for the bus, as there is no train station here. Although it is not the fastest way (it takes a little over two hours), it is quite cheap, costing approximately €7 (one way).

The line that runs the route is the X59. The station where you should catch this bus in Edinburgh will not be forgotten, as it is St Andrews Bus Station. It's quite big so make sure you're at the right stop (Stance D), get on the bus going towards Dundee and get off at St Andrews Bus Station. Just six minutes away is Market Street, one of the most central and important streets in the town.

My advice is to buy your ticket in advance through the Stage Coach website, which is the company that operates the route. Buses leave approximately every hour from 7am to 11pm.

Useful information

• Price: approximately €14
• Journeytime: about 2 hours
• Main drawback: The journey takes a long time because of the stops in between.
• Recommended if: you want to save money on your trip to St Andrews

If you're like me, travelling by train is always one of your first choices. It's usually fast, comfortable and, although more expensive than the bus, affordable. The problem is that St Andrews doesn't have a train station.

The intermediate solution is to go from Edinburgh to the town of Leuchars by train (from €7-9) and then, from there, take a bus (around €5) or taxi (around €18) to your final destination. In total, the journey takes about an hour and a half.

If you have decided that you would prefer to go by train to Leuchars and then change trains to get to St Andrews, you should take the train from Waverley Station (Edinburgh). I recommend buying your ticket in advance from the Scotrail website, to save you the hassle and stress on the day of travel.

Once you are in Leuchars, exit the station. There you will find the Stagecoach 99 bus stop, which runs every 15 minutes and stops at St Andrews station. There are always taxis at the same exit, if you prefer this alternative.

You can see that there are no long waits for the transfer and there are plenty of departures, so if you choose this option you can also take the opportunity to visit Leuchars.

Interesting facts

• Price: approximately 18€ (35€ if instead of train-bus you combine train-taxi)
• Journeytime: about 2 hours
• Main disadvantage: not a direct route
• Recommended if: you don't mind transferring at Leuchars

Do you enjoy cycling and sport? If you answered yes to both questions, there's an alternative way to get from Edinburgh to St Andrews that you're going to love: cycling. I'm not going to kid you, it's a long route (around five hours) and I don't recommend it if you're only going to St Andrews for one day. However, if you're staying the night, the weather is good and you're keen to explore the green fields along the way, you can hire a bike for around €35 for the day (or €60 for the weekend).

The national route to take is number 1, called Coasts and Castles North. It connects Edinburgh with Aberdeen and passes through St Andrews. It's a beautiful ride through the county of Fife, between its coastline and medieval castles, two of Scotland's iconic landmarks.

The great thing about cycling is that once you're in St Andrews, you can get around easily. Plus, if you have time, you can do some more cycling around the area.

Useful facts

• Price: approximately £35 (one day hire)
• Journeytime: about 5 hours
• Main drawback: the journey is long.
• Recommended if: you are spending the night in St. Andrews and/or want to do some cycling in St. Andrews

Are you planning to hire a car during your trip to Edinburgh? It's something that many tourists do just for the freedom of movement and to be able to go to the surrounding towns. One such town is St Andrews, which is only about an hour and twenty minutes drive from Edinburgh. Car hire costs around €35 per day.

The road to take when you leave Edinburgh by car is the A90, which connects to the M90. From there, drive north to the A91 (several signs will point you in the right direction to St Andrews). The problem will be parking; St Andrews is a small town where you don't usually use your car, so the only car parks in the centre are pay car parks, although you always have the option of using the car parks on the beaches. In any case, you can check where they are and their availability on the county's website.

My recommendation is to make all the arrangements in advance, so that your hire car is waiting for you as soon as you land in Scotland. This will also give you time to check that your papers are in order. You will need a driving licence from an EU country and, to avoid any surprises, insurance.

Useful facts

• Price: approximately 35€ (one day rental)
• Journeytime: about 1 hour
• Main drawback: Limited parking in St Andrews.
• Recommended if: You want to be free to move around Edinburgh, St Andrews and the surrounding area.

Travelling with a group of people? Maybe there aren't enough of you to fill a coach, but a taxi or shuttle will do. The total journey time is about an hour, although the fare is high (about €45 one way).

There is a cheaper and similar option: the shuttle from the airport, an option offered by some companies. The price is indeed lower (around €30) but you will have to make the transfer to Edinburgh airport.

My advice if you order a taxi is to try to negotiate a price for the return trip and, if you are interested, also include transfers around St Andrews and the surrounding towns. If you want to be picked up somewhere in Edinburgh, make sure you contact one of the official companies, such as Central Taxis, and that you have money to pay in cash, otherwise there is a 5% surcharge.

Regular taxis can be booked via an online form in most cases, but if you prefer to order a VTC from an app such as Uber, you can do that too. Uber operates in Scotland and the fares, although similar, are slightly lower than taxis.

Useful facts

• Price: approximately €45
• Journeytime: around 1 hour
• Main drawback: High price
• Recommended if: you are travelling with a group of friends and can share expenses

Have you finished planning your trip to St Andrews from Edinburgh? Now you know which transport option is best, so you're all set.