The road
Manchester to Edinburgh by car
213 miles (342 km), about 3 h 30 on the fastest road, through the United Kingdom. Fuel from about £41 in a petrol car at this week's prices.
Measured on the road our router draws, 2026-11-06. Your own start and vehicle change every number — that is what the button at the end is for.
213 miles fastest road, one way · 3 h 30 driving without stops · 1 country
What does this road cost in your vehicle?
The nights, tolls for your vehicle class, fuel stops and any ferry — planned in seconds.
The trip, at your pace
Each pace is its own plan of this road for two by car: the driving days it needs, the nights on the way and at Edinburgh, and what it costs.
| Pace | Days | Nights | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxed ≈ 4 h a day | 5 days | 4 nights | ≈ £448 fuel £39 · 4 nights £247 · food £163 |
| Comfortable ≈ 5 h a day | 4 days | 3 nights | ≈ £358 fuel £43 · 3 nights £185 · food £130 |
| Long days ≈ 7 h a day | 4 days | 3 nights | ≈ £358 fuel £43 · 3 nights £185 · food £130 |
Places on the way
150 miles (241 km)
Photo: John Gibson · CC BY-SA 2.0 Carlisle Castle
Day 1 · 150 miles (241 km) into the day · a lunch stop
Carlisle Castle is a medieval stone fortress located in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria, near the site of Hadrian's Wall and the Roman fortress of Luguvalium. Wikipedia
1 miles (1 km)
Photo: Stephencdickson · CC BY-SA 4.0 Edinburgh Castle
Day 2 · in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. Wikipedia
8 miles (13 km)
Photo: George Gastin · CC BY-SA 3.0 Forth Bridge
Day 2 · 8 miles (13 km) from Edinburgh
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, 9 miles west of central Edinburgh. Wikipedia
22 miles (36 km)
Photo: NASA · Public domain Firth of Forth
Day 2 · 22 miles (36 km) from Edinburgh
The Firth of Forth is a bay in Scotland, an inlet of the North Sea that separates Fife to its north and Lothian to its south. Wikipedia
1 miles (1 km)
Photo: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Holyrood Palace
Day 2 · 1 miles (1 km) from Edinburgh
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, also known as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch of the United Kingdom in Scotland. Wikipedia
The road, country by country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · 213 miles
What it costs to drive
Fuel at the 2026-11-01 prices of the EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, per country crossed. Tolls are an estimate from published per-kilometre tariffs plus the crossings on this road. Beds and food are not here: they depend on how you travel.
A camper, the whole sum: one day's drive, self-catering for two about £17.50 — with the fuel and tolls below about £98.
| Vehicle | Fuel | Tolls | Together | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car, petrol | £41 | £0 | £41 | 24 l at 7 l/100 km |
| Car, diesel | £43 | £0 | £43 | 22 l at 6.5 l/100 km |
| Camper, diesel | £80 | £0 | £80 | 41 l at 12 l/100 km |
- 🇬🇧 petrol £1.70 · diesel £1.96 /l
Rules on this road
Shops on a Sunday
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — In England and Wales a large supermarket may open only six hours between 10:00 and 18:00 — usually closing at 16:00 or 17:00. Small shops and petrol stations are unrestricted, and Scotland has no Sunday limit.
Where to sleep beside the road
278 campsites and camper sites within 10 km of this road, from OpenStreetMap. A few between the two ends:
- ⛺ Willows Park · camper site · km 91, 0.1 km off the road
- ⛺ The Villa Caravan Park & Fishery · camper site · km 99, 0.2 km off the road
- ⛺ Tebay Caravan Park · camper site · km 137, 0.2 km off the road
- ⛺ Southwaite Green Mill · camper site · km 161, 0.1 km off the road
- ⛺ Caravan site / aire · camper site · km 161, 0.1 km off the road
- ⛺ Caravan site / aire · camper site · km 210, 0.1 km off the road
Worth a detour
Between the two ends, within 10 km of the road — the places the map marks as notable.
- ◆ Bolton Art Gallery, Library & Museum · museum · km 21, 3.8 km off the road
- ◆ Harris Museum · museum · km 50, 3.6 km off the road
- ◆ Alauna roman fort · ruins · km 116, 6.1 km off the road
- ◆ King Arthur's Round Table · ruins · km 161, 0.3 km off the road
- ◆ Carlisle Castle · attraction · km 194, 3.1 km off the road
- ◆ Lochmaben Castle · attraction · km 234, 4.3 km off the road
- ◆ Lochhouse Tower · castle · km 257, 0.1 km off the road
- ◆ Drochil Castle · ruins · km 308, 3.2 km off the road
Questions and answers
Answered from this page's own data, as of 6 November 2026.
How long is the drive from Manchester to Edinburgh?
213 miles (342 km) on the fastest road, about 3 h 30 of driving without stops.
Can you drive from Manchester to Edinburgh in one day?
Yes: about 3 h 30 at the wheel, plus breaks. At an easy pace of about 5 hours a day it is one day.
How much does it cost to drive from Manchester to Edinburgh?
One way: fuel about £41 in a car on petrol at this week's prices. In a motorhome the road costs about £80. Driven over 1 days with 0 nights on the way, a motorhome trip comes to about £98 with nights and food. Your own vehicle and start change every figure.
Are there tolls between Manchester and Edinburgh?
Not on the fastest road for a car, as far as the published tariffs show.
Where can you stop for the night between Manchester and Edinburgh?
We hold 278 places to sleep near the road — campsites, motorhome stops and rest areas, for example Willows Park, The Villa Caravan Park & Fishery and Tebay Caravan Park. A plan picks them by where each day ends.
What is worth a stop on the way?
Bolton Art Gallery, Library & Museum, Harris Museum, Alauna roman fort and King Arthur's Round Table — each within a short detour of the road.
Plan this road from your own door: your car, your dates, the beds and the food priced the same honest way.