TRAVEL>>

However you're planning to get to the Festival, if it involves planes, trains or buses it is worth sorting it out early on because the best seats and cheapest tickets all go very quickly. Here is the ThreeWeeks guide to getting to Edinburgh.

By Train
Train services run from most major UK cities direct to Edinburgh's Waverley Station. GNER operate the main intercity services on the East side of the country, Virgin Cross Country on the West. You can buy tickets online or over the phone – GNER are at www.gner.co.uk and 08457 225 225, Virgin are at www.thetrainline.com and 08457 222 333. Both companies sell tickets for each other's services. Don't forget train ticket prices vary hugely according to the kind of ticket you buy – and that return tickets are often only a few pounds more expensive than single tickets, so assuming you are making a return journey you should buy a return ticket at the outset.

A limited number of advanced discount tickets are available for all major routes – these normally go on sale six weeks before travel date, but are sold first come first served so you need to get in quick. If you get them you can save in the region of £50 per ticket. Discount tickets are not open – which means you will have to commit to specific trains for outward and return journeys, and your tickets can only be used on these trains. If you buy open tickets (either because you don't want to commit or because no discount tickets are left) it is advisable to book seats anyway because most routes to Edinburgh get very busy during August. However with an open ticket you can travel on any off-peak service – most, but not all, services have an unreserved coach.

If you buy tickets in advance they will be posted to your home (if you buy them close to the day of travel they may be left for collection at your starting station). When you get your tickets check all the details are correct and if there have been any mistakes get back in touch with the company you bought the tickets off asap.

If you are just looking for train times you can check the timetable at www.nationalrail.co.uk or call the National Rail Enquiry Service (NRES) on 08457 48 49 50. NRES is very good for up to the minute train times and can also give basic price information. That said, some train companies' pricing structures are so complicated, if you want info on specific price offers it is probably better to call that company's own call centre.

There is a night train service between London and Edinburgh which leaves around 11pm and arrives the next day at 7am. Normal seats or sleeping berths are available. If you take a normal seat on this service it doesn't actually cost any more than a daytime ticket – though you have to book in advance. All night trains are run by Scotrail. Although both GNER and Virgin Trainline sell these tickets our experience shows you're better off buying them from Scotrail direct. Check www.firstscotrail.com or call 08457 55 00 33.

Waverley Station is slap bang in the middle of Edinburgh – there is a good taxi rank in the station and the main bus station is just round the corner. Some services also stop at Edinburgh Haymarket station to the West of the city centre. You're best using Waverley unless you're staying in the Haymarket area of town.

By Plane
West of the city, Edinburgh Airport has just one terminal and two runways, but is well served by 12 airlines flying to 55 locations around the world. You can fly direct to Edinburgh from most UK and some major European airports, though most international flights will normally involve a change in London or other key European city.

Basic details of airlines who fly direct to Edinburgh, the cities they service and their contact details are given below. Several airlines do low price flights to Edinburgh, with the other smaller airlines also offering competitive rates. As with the trains the earlier you book the cheaper your ticket – so it's wise to call the airlines early in the year and find out when tickets for August will become available. Unlike the trains a return ticket is normally more or less double a single (especially with the budget airlines), but ticket prices go up the later your leave it so you might as well book outward and return at the same time.

You can often get a flight to Edinburgh for pretty much the same cost as the train, and it is considerably quicker. But don't forget to add the time and cost of getting to the relevant airport into the equation. Edinburgh Airport itself is a few miles out of town – special buses and taxis run between the airport and the city centre (call Lothian Buses on 0131 555 6363 for more info on the airport bus service, or 0131 344 3344 for details on the airport taxi service).

By Bus
The cheapest way to get to Edinburgh – especially if you leave it to the last minute – is by bus. National Express and MegaBus run services to Edinburgh's St Andrews Bus Station from most major UK cities. London to Edinburgh is just £45 return with National Express (with further discounts available), which is less than half the standard saver train fair or air fare, and MegaBus tickets start at just £29. But journey times range from 9 to 11 hours, which is double the average train journey, and for those of you not based in the UK, you should know that intercity bus services in this country tend to use pretty standard coaches. But if this suits your budget better check www.nationalexpress.com or www.megabus.com for more information.

By Road
Edinburgh is well connected by road. If you're travelling up from England you can either go up the East or West side of the country. On the West take the M6 from Birmingham, which becomes the M74 somewhere around the borders. You then need to take the A702 at Abington which will take you direct to Edinburgh. On the East side take the A1 (or the M1 and join the A1 further North) all the way, or turn off onto the A68 North of Newcastle, both bring you to Edinburgh. Although the roads are good to Edinburgh they can be slow going through the borders, especially in poor weather. There are a number of more scenic routes to take through the Borders if you have the time and are good with a map.