Cheap flights from Edinburgh to London

December is the cheapest month on this route, and the price calendar above shows how fares move across the rest of the year. Winter generally undercuts summer, when the Edinburgh festival season and the school holidays push seats up. Midweek departures, Tuesday and Wednesday in particular, tend to cost less than Friday evenings and Sunday nights, the classic peaks for business travel and weekend breaks. Book early for Christmas and New Year between the two capitals, and again for the summer months, when the cheap seats go first.

The airline mix here is wide. Ryanair UK and Ryanair, easyJet and EasyJet Europe sit at the low-cost end, where the headline fare rarely covers everything, so read what your ticket includes before you pay. British Airways and BA CityFlyer are the full-service names on the route, and Aer Lingus, Air France, Norwegian International and DAT LT also show up — some of those sell connecting itineraries rather than a direct hop, so check whether you are booking one flight or a through ticket. If the fare is all that matters, the low-cost carriers usually win on a bare seat; if you want a bag and a changeable date, compare the total rather than the headline.

Which London airport you land at shapes the rest of your day. London City sits closest to the centre, with the Docklands Light Railway and the Tube linking it to the City and Canary Wharf. Heathrow is west of town, served by the Piccadilly line and the Elizabeth line, plus the express trains into Paddington. Gatwick is south, with the Gatwick Express and Southern services into Victoria and London Bridge. Luton and Stansted lie well outside the city to the north and north-east, and both lean on trains and coaches into central stations. Allow time for the transfer, and check the last train if you land late.

Currency

GBP (£)

Power sockets

Type G · 230 V

Language

English

Emergency number

112, 999

Calling code

+44

Internet domain

.uk

Population of London

8.8 M (2021)

Time zone

UTC+00 (Europe/London)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which London airport your fare uses — Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and London City are far apart and the transfer into town differs.
• On Ryanair and easyJet fares, add a cabin bag or hold bag to the total before comparing prices.
• If a cheap fare routes you through Dublin or Paris, confirm whether it is one ticket or two, as separate tickets mean rechecking bags.
• Carry valid photo identification for a domestic United Kingdom flight, and check entry rules if you are not a British or Irish citizen.
• Book early for December, the cheapest month, and again for summer and the Edinburgh festival season.