Travel information: getting around Edinburgh

There are plenty of buses, but Edinburgh is best enjoyed on foot

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Aleida Strowger,
Travel editor

Edinburgh guidebooks

By Will Fulford-Jones

To fully appreciate the beauty, elegance, charm and contrasts of its city centre and its environs, Edinburgh is best explored on foot. Although the usual caution should be exercised at night, especially around those areas of the city with abundant and rowdy nightlife (Lothian Road and the Cowgate, to name but two), walking around the city is safe and rewarding.

Bus travel around the centre of Edinburgh is, on the whole, reasonably fast and reliable, and is certainly a better option that driving. Taxis are numerous, if rather pricey. Cycling is a fast and efficient way of getting around, as long as you don't mind a few cobbled streets and the odd hill.

Public transport

Buses

The city and its surrounding suburbs are very well served by a comprehensive bus network. Lothian Buses (555 6363, www.lothianbuses.co.uk) runs the majority of bus services throughout Edinburgh and into Mid and East Lothian; it's these services that we've listed throughout the listings.

Several parts of town are served by a great number of buses. In these cases, rather than list each individual bus numbers on every occasion, we've instead broken them into groupings. Below are the groupings used throughout the online guide, together with a list of bus routes that serve the respective streets or areas.

  • Nicolson Street-North Bridge buses 3, 3A, 5, 7, 8, 14, 29, 30, 31, 33, 37, 47, 49.
  • Playhouse buses 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 15A, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25, 26, 34, 44, 45, 49.
  • Princes Street buses 1, 3, 3A, 4, 10, 11, 12, 15, 15A, 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 25, 26, 29, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 44, 47.
Night buses

Night buses, operated by Lothian Buses, run seven days a week on 11 different routes around the city and out into the suburbs. The services operate hourly starting from around midnight. For full information on routes and timetables, see www.nightbuses.com or visit any of the Lothian Buses Travelshops (see below).

Tickets & fares

Single journeys within Edinburgh cost £1 for adults and 60p for children aged 5-16, regardless of the distance travelled. Under-5s travel free, up to a maximum of two kids per adult passenger. A single journey on the city's Night Bus network costs £2 (or £1 with a Ridacard; see below). Exact change is required for all single fares.

If you're planning on making several journeys during one day, it may be worth purchasing a Daysaver ticket, which allows for unlimited travel on the Lothian Buses network (excluding the Airlink 100 bus, special tour services and Night Buses). Daysavers cost £2.30 (£2 for children aged 5-15), and are available when you board your first bus of the day. Again, exact change is required.

The Ridacard affords the holder unlimited travel on the network (excluding tour services and Night Buses) for longer periods. The card costs £13 for one week (£11 for students aged 16-25, £9 for 5-15s) or £36 for one month (£30 for students aged 16-25, £24 for 5-15s). You can buy a Ridacard from Lothian Buses Travelshops.

Lothian Buses Travelshops
  • 27 Hanover Street New Town Princes Street buses. Open 8.15am-6pm Mon-Sat.
  • 7 Shandwick Place New Town Princes Street buses. Open 8.15am-6pm Mon-Sat.
  • Waverley Bridge New Town Princes Street buses. Open 8.30am-6pm Mon-Sat; 9.30am-5pm Sun.

The region's other main bus services are run by the First Group (08708 727271, www.firstgroup.co.uk). Its services in East Lothian include a number of routes that run into Edinburgh's city centre. Unfortunately, day tickets are not transferable between First Group and Lothian Buses.

Trains

The majority of rail services in Scotland are run by First Scotrail. Details of the firm's various services and fares are available from National Rail Enquiries by calling 08457 484950 (lines are open 24 hours daily) or checking www.nationalrail.co.uk. Specific information on First Scotrail can be also be found at www.scotrail.co.uk. The information desk at Waverley station has timetables and details of discount travel, season tickets and international travel.

As well as Waverley and Haymarket stations, the city has several suburban stations including South Gyle, Slateford and Edinburgh Park. For full information on their locations, check National Rail Enquiries.

Cycling

Thanks to some successful lobbying by the local cycle campaign Spokes, Edinburgh is a pretty decent place for cyclists. The city council has invested in some off-road cycle paths and road-edge cycle lanes; although it's not compulsory for motorists to observe the latter, the lanes ease the flow of cyclists during rush hours and make some roads safer. Cyclists can travel freely along bus lanes. Be sensible when tethering a bike in the street: bikes left on the Grassmarket and Rose Street are prone to vandalism and theft. Otherwise, the only real worries for cyclists are the steep and cobbled streets around the Old Town.

Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign (313 2114, www.spokes.org.uk) produce four cycle maps that show the cycle routes in Edinburgh and the Lothians. All cost £4.95 and are available from the Spokes website.

Driving

If you're planning on staying within Edinburgh during the course of your visit, driving isn't recommended. For one thing, the town is reasonably small and thus very accessible either on foot or via the public transport system, And in addition, the city centre is awash with one-way streets and pedestrian-only areas, which can make driving a frustrating experience. Princes Street, in particular, has limited access for private vehicles and is best avoided. Plans to introduce a London-style congestion charge in the city were rejected in 2004.

A knock-on effect of this road-planning strategy is that the surrounding thoroughfares have become increasingly busy: slow-moving traffic is the norm, especially during rush hours (7.30-9.30am, 4.30-7pm Mon-Fri). There are also stringent parking restrictions throughout the city. And during August, the influx of visitors for the various festivals makes things even worse: the High Street is pedestrianised, while car parking on Chambers Street and elsewhere is requisitioned for use as coach parking for the Tattoo.

Breakdown services

If you're a member of a motoring organisation in your home country, check to see if it has a reciprocal agreement with a British organisation.

  • AA (Automobile Association) Enquiries 0870 600 0371/emergency breakdown 0800 887766 (08457 887766 from mobile)/www.theaa.com.
  • ETA (Environmental Transport Association) Enquiries 0800 212810/emergency breakdown 0845 389 1010/www.eta.co.uk.
  • RAC (Royal Automobile Club) Enquiries 08705 722722/emergency breakdown 0800 828282/www.rac.co.uk.

Car hire

Most car rental firms insist that drivers are over 21 (at the very least), with at least one year's driving experience and a current full driving licence with no serious endorsements. All the firms detailed below have branches at Edinburgh Airport (though Arnold Clark's is some way from the terminal building); several also have offices in the city centre. Prices vary: be sure to shop around for the best rate, and always check the level of insurance included in the price.

Car parks

All the car parks detailed below are open 24 hours a day. Rates vary; call for details. There's a full list of city centre car parks, complete with a map, online at www.edinburgh.gov.uk.

  • Castle Terrace Old Town (229 2870/www.ncp.co.uk).
  • Chalmers Street South Edinburgh (229 2870/www.ncp.co.uk).
  • Greenside Place Calton Hill & Broughton (558 3518/www.ncp.co.uk).
  • St James Centre Leith Street, Broughton (556 5066/www.ncp.co.uk).
  • St John's Hill Old Town (229 2870/www.ncp.co.uk).
  • St Leonard's Street South Edinburgh (667 5601).
Parking fines & vehicle removal

Edinburgh Council employs a notoriously efficient private company to keep the streets clear of illegally parked cars. If you park illegally, expect to receive a parking ticket. Always carefully check street signs to find out the local parking regulations. For the purposes of on-street car parking, the city is divided up into central and peripheral zones. In the central zone, you must pay for parking between 8.30am and 6pm from Monday to Saturday; in the peripheral zone, payment must be made between 8.30am and 5pm. Parking payment should be made either at parking meters or on-street pay-and-display ticket vending machines.

The fine for parking illegally is £60, reduced to £30 if it is paid within 14 days. The clamping of vehicles is forbidden in Scotland, but don't let that lull you into a false sense of security: if you're parked illegally, your car can be towed away and impounded. If this occurs, a fee of £105 is levied for removal, plus a £12 storage fee for every day the vehicle remains uncollected. These fees are in addition to the cost of the parking ticket. Impounded cars are taken to the Edinburgh Car Compound, which keeps a log of all cars. If your car has been stolen, you should immediately report the theft to the police.

Edinburgh Car Compound
57 Tower Street, Leith (555 1742). Bus 12, 16, 35. Open 7am-9pm Mon-Sat; 8.45am-11.30am Sun. Credit MC, V.

Taxis

Black cabs

Most of Edinburgh's taxis are black cabs, which take up to five passengers and have facilities for travellers with disabilities. When a taxi's yellow 'For Hire' light is on, you can hail it in the street. The basic fare, for the pick-up and the first 450 metres, costs £1.45 or £2.20 after 6pm; each subsequent 225 metres travelled costs 23p (or 24p at night). There's a 20p charge for every additional passenger over two. Phoning for a taxi is particularly advisable at night or if you're based out of the city centre. To book, contact Central Taxis (229 2468, www.taxis-edinburgh.co.uk), City Cabs (228 1211, www.citycabs.co.uk) or Computer Cabs (272 8000, www.comcab-edinburgh.co.uk). While some taxi firms take credit cards, many others accept only cash: check when you book or get into the cab.

Private hire cars

Minicabs (saloon cars) are generally cheaper than black cabs and may be able to carry more passengers: some firms have people-carriers at their disposal, which can accommodate up to eight passengers (always specify when booking). Cars cannot be hailed on the street, and must be booked in advance. Reputable firms include Bluebird (621 6666) and Persevere (555 3377). It's a good idea to call around first to get the best price.

Complaints

Complaints or compliments about a taxicab or private hire company journey should be made to the Licensing Board, 343 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1PW (529 4260). Be sure to make a note of the date and time of the journey and the licence number of the vehicle.

Our listings

While every effort and care has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this guide, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors it may contain. Before you go out of your way, we strongly advise you to phone ahead and check the particulars.

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