Getting There -- Aberdeen is served by a number of airlines, including British Airways, British Midland, Easy Jet, and KLM. For flight information, contact the Aberdeen Airport (tel. 0870/040-0006; www.aberdeenairport.com), which is about 11km (6 3/4 miles) from the heart of town and is connected to it by a bus service costing £1.50 one-way. Taxis cost about £15.
Aberdeen has direct rail links to Britain's major cities. Supersaver fares, available by avoiding travel on Friday and Saturday, make the price difference between a one-way fare and a round-trip ticket negligible. An efficient way of saving £10 on fares is by reserving through the booking agency Apex. For fares and schedules in Scotland, call tel. 0845/755-0033 with at least a 48-hour notice. For fares from London, call tel. 0845/722-5225 at least 1 week in advance, or log on to www.nationalexpress.com. The prices below are for tickets bought on the day of departure, excluding Friday, when prices are higher. Nineteen trains per normal weekday arrive from Edinburgh; a regular one-way ticket costs £8 to £62. Trip time is about 3 1/2 hours. Another 19 trains per day arrive from Glasgow, costing £38 to £62 one-way. Some 12 trains per day arrive from London, with a one-way fare of £148 to £209.
Several bus companies have express routes serving Aberdeen, and many offer special round-trip fares to passengers avoiding travel on Friday or Saturday. Frequent buses arrive from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, costing £22. There are also frequent arrivals from Inverness costing £8.10. For bus schedules in Aberdeen, call tel. 01224/212-266.
It's also easy to drive to the northeast. From the south, drive via Edinburgh over the Forth and Tay Road bridges, and take the coastal road. From the north and west, approach the area from the much-improved A9, which links Perth, Inverness, and Wick.
Visitor Information -- The Aberdeen Tourist Information Centre is in St. Nicholas House, Broad Street, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire AB10 1DE (tel. 01224/288-828; www.aberdeentoday.co.uk). July and August, it's open Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm. All other months, it's open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
