19 Best Places to Stay Near Edinburgh Waverley Station

Q: Can you get to Edinburgh airport by train?

You can get to Edinburgh airport by train most of the way. You can take the train up to Edinburgh Gateway station but from there you will have to either take the tram or walk (4 km) towards the Edinburgh airport.

The best hotels and hostels within 350 meters (5 minutes’ walk) of Edinburgh Waverley, the main railway station in Edinburgh, Scotland

Contents:

Best accommodations near Edinburgh Waverley train station
- Top 3 picks
- Table summary of all 11 hotels and hostels
FAQs
1. What is the main station in Edinburgh?
2. Which Edinburgh train station is in the city centre?
3. Which Edinburgh station do you arrive in from Kings Cross?
4. Which Edinburgh train station is near Princes Street?
5. How do you get from Edinburgh airport to Edinburgh train station?
6. Can you get to Edinburgh airport by train?
7. Which Edinburgh train station is nearest to the airport?
8. How do you get from Edinburgh Waverley station to Haymarket?
9. Does Edinburgh have a Tube / undergound / subway?
10. Does Edinburgh station have luggage storage?
11. Are there showers in Edinburgh Waverley station?
12. What is the Edinburgh station closing time?
Photo gallery

Quick Picks

Nearest hotel – The Balmoral

Nearest hostel – Haystack Hostel

Best hotel – The Balmoral

Best hostel – CoDE Pod – The CoURT

Cheapest hotel – Motel One Edinburgh Princes / Motel One Edinburgh Royal

Cheapest hostel – The Baxter Hostel

Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main train station in Edinburgh. It is lodged between the Old Town and New Town, and since most of Edinburgh’s attractions are within the Old Town and New Town, the area around Edinburgh Waverley makes a great base for exploring the city.

Trains at Edinburgh Waverley journey to/from such places as London Euston and London King’s Cross; Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Leeds, Birmingham, and Plymouth; and all around Scotland, including Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee Perth, and the Highlands.

See also:

There are 19 hotels and hostels with great reviews and ratings within 350 meters (around 4-5 minutes’ walk) of Edinburgh Waverley. The top three (3) picks are described in more detail immediately below and all 19 accommodations are summarized in the table that follows. To ensure quality, all the hotels and hostels shortlisted below must have had a rating of at least 8/10 at Booking.com (where only verified guests can rate and review hotels) and at least 4/5 in TripAdvisor and Google Reviews.

1. The Balmoral

If you’re looking for the best place, full stop, to stay near Edinburgh Waverley station, you have to go with The Balmoral. Not only is it a few steps away from the train station, it has the highest ratings among all the hotels listed here — and the list itself is already curated so that only those with high enough scores are included. It does also have the highest rates per night among the hotels here but if it’s within your budget — or if you just read that and wondered, “What is a budget?” — The Balmoral is worth springing for, not least because its price point will mean it won’t be top of mind for the majority of rowdy stag and hen dos. You also get real value for your money: great breakfast, nice swimming pool and spa, helpful staff, kid-friendly, and of course, excellent and convenient location.

52 meters from Edinburgh Waverley train station
9.4 / 10 at Booking.com, 4.5 / 5 at TripAdvisor, 4.6 / 5 at Google Reviews

2. Motel One Edinburgh Royal

It was a toss up between Motel One Edinburgh Royal and Motel One Edinburgh Princes — both have great ratings and reasonable prices — but the former edged out simply because it is in the more atmospheric Edinburgh Old Town. It has everything you need: clean rooms, comfortable beds (this keeps being mentioned by previous guests, with one going so far as to say it was the most comfortable bed they have ever slept in), friendly staff, good breakfast, just steps to the Royal Mile and a few minutes’ walk to Edinburgh Castle. The hotel only offers double rooms: basic, classic, and with a view, ranging in price from £69 to £99 for one person, and £89 to £119 for two. (These prices are during low season and will obviously be higher on different dates.) Pets are allowed, subject to additional charges. Luggage storage is free of charge for guests right before check-in and right after check-out.

180 meters from Edinburgh Waverley train station
9 / 10 at Booking.com, 4 / 5 at TripAdvisor, 4.4 / 5 at Google Reviews

3. CoDE Pod – The CoURT

It got its name from the fact that it used to be a courthouse and because it offers domitory accommodations where beds are in almost-private pods. Yes, CoDE Pod – The CoURT is a hostel, but it has ratings and reviews that even most hotels would covet. It’s located in Edinburgh Old Town and is therefore short walking distance to a lot of attractions. The dorm rooms range from having 6 to 14 beds and one (the court room) has 28 beds; some are female-only and so are perfect for ladies travelling alone. Sheets are included in the room rate while towels can be rented for £2. Hair dryers can be borrowed from reception. Washers and dryers are £2.50 each (free detergent). Lockers can fit bags that are the standard size for hand luggage. There are also private double and twin rooms.

300 meters from Edinburgh Waverley train station
9 / 10 at Booking.com, 4.5 / 5 at TripAdvisor, 4.7 / 5 at Google Reviews

Best hotels within 5 minutes’ walking distance of Edinburgh Waverley Station

Hotel Name	Dist.	Rating	Starts at
The Balmoral	52 m	9.4	£275
The Scotsman Hotel	60 m	8.7	£171
Market Street Hotel	77 m	9.1	£158
Hotel Indigo Edinburgh - Princes Street	100 m	8.3	£100
Motel One Edinburgh Princes	150 m	8.7	£69
Haystack Hostel	160 m	8.3	£23
The Inn Place	170 m	8.8	£233
Motel One Edinburgh-Royal	180 m	9.0	£69
Princes Street Hostel	180 m	8.7	£19
The Baxter Hostel	180 m	8.1	£13
The Inn on the Mile	230 m	8.5	£211
ibis Edinburgh Centre Royal Mile – Hunter Square	230 m	8.4	£70
Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh City Centre	250 m	8.4	£158
Royal Mile Backpackers	270 m	8.7	£17
Apex Waterloo Place Hotel	290 m	8.6	£89
CoDE Pod – The CoURT - Edinburgh	300 m	9.0	£15
Parliament House Hotel	300 m	8.5	£75
Fraser Suites Edinburgh	300 m	8.2	£76
House of Gods Hotel	350 m	8.8	£152

FAQs

What is the main station in Edinburgh?

The principal rail station in Edinburgh is Edinburgh Waverley station.

Which Edinburgh train station is in the city centre?

The most central train station in Edinburgh is Edinburgh Waverley Station.

Which Edinburgh station do you arrive in from Kings Cross?

Trains from London Kings Cross arrive at Edinburgh Waverley Station.

Which Edinburgh train station is near Princes Street?

The rail station nearest to Princes Street is Edinburgh Waverley station.

How do you get from Edinburgh airport to Edinburgh train station?

From Edinburgh Airport, you can take the tram to St. Andrew Square, which is just a 5-minute walk to Edinburgh Waverley station. You can also take one of several buses that frequently ply the route between the airport and the area just outside Edinburgh’s main train station.

Can you get to Edinburgh airport by train?

You can get to Edinburgh airport by train most of the way. You can take the train up to Edinburgh Gateway station but from there you will have to either take the tram or walk (4 km) towards the Edinburgh airport.

Which Edinburgh train station is nearest to the airport?

The rail station closest to the Edinburgh Airport is Edinburgh Gateway. Even though it’s the closest, the airport is still over 4 km away from Edinburgh Gateway. The best way to get to the airport from Edinburgh Gateway is to take the tram, which stops at both places.

How do you get from Edinburgh Waverley station to Haymarket?

Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket are around 2 km away from each other so if you want to walk between the two train stations, it’s perfectly doable. You can, of course, also take the train; the journey takes just 4 minutes with no stops in between.

Does Edinburgh have a Tube / underground / subway?

No — Edinburgh is quite hilly and so doesn’t have an underground rail system. They do have trams that connect important places such as the airport and the two main train stations. Otherwise, people get around mostly by bus or on foot.

Does Edinburgh station have luggage storage?

Yes, Excess Baggage Company operates a luggage storage facility at Edinburgh Waverley Station.

Are there showers in Edinburgh Waverley station?

Yes, there are men’s and women’s showers in the toilet block of Waverley Station that can be availed of for £5.

What is the Edinburgh station closing time?

Edinburgh Waverley Station closes at 00:45 every day.

More photos of hotels near Edinburgh Waverley train station

Note: Accommodations are shortlisted based on their review scores on Booking.com and TripAdvisor, as well as their distance from the train station as determined through Google Maps. Prices are based on Booking.com or the hotel website. We are not connected in any way with any of the properties listed, and the best accommodations are selected based on a combination of reviews, rankings, nearness to the train station, and best value for money. Affiliate links are used in this article; when you book, we may earn a small commission from the booking platform, but the price stays the same for you.