Getting There By Air:Edinburgh International Airport (EDI) Tel: 0870 040 0007.
Website:
www.edinburghairport.com Scotland’s, and one of Europe’s, fastest growing airports is located 12km (8 miles) west of Edinburgh. An extension with multiple new gates was opened in 2006 with plans mooted for a second runway and massive expansion program to cater for spiralling demand. Edinburgh International Airport serves around 9 million passengers a year
and over 100 destinations worldwide. There are more than 40 flights to London’s five airports every day, with regular flights to other major cities in the UK and overseas. Since 2004, direct transatlantic links have been available from Edinburgh.
Approximate flight times to Edinburgh: From London is around 1 hour and from New York is 8 hours 30 minutes.
Airport facilities: Facilities include bureaux de change, information desk, tourist information desk, hotel reservations, left luggage, lost property, shops (including a newsagent and gift shops), duty-free shops, first aid, bars, restaurants and car hire from
Alamo,
Avis,
Budget,
Europcar,
National and
Hertz.
Business facilities: British Airways,
British Midland and
Servisair (tel: (0131) 344 3304; website:
www.servisair.com) all provide executive lounges with telephone, fax and computer facilities.
Transport to the city: Lothian Buses (tel: (0131) 555 6363; website:
www.flybybus.com) runs an airport shuttle service from the terminal forecourt to the city center terminus at Waverley Bridge (situated above Waverley railway station) via Haymarket station (journey time - 25 minutes). These buses operate regularly throughout the day with a reduced service at night. Taxis are available from the taxi rank to the east of the terminal or by calling
Airport Taxis (tel: (0131) 344 3344). A trip to the city center (journey time - 20 minutes) costs approximately £18-20. Access to the city by car is along the A8.
Getting There By Road:British road designations are ‘M’ for motorways, ‘A’ for major trunk roads and ‘B’ for minor trunk roads (followed by up to four numbers). Traffic in the UK drives on the left and overtakes on the right. The speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Seat belts are compulsory for drivers and front-seat passengers and for rear-seat passengers if fitted. Motorcyclists must wear helmets. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%. Non-British national driving licenses and International Driving Permits are valid for driving in the UK for up to one year and drivers must be over 17 years. Insurance is mandatory. Overseas visitors bringing their own cars should bring registration documents and check with their insurance company as to whether a Green Card is needed.
Breakdown service and general motoring information is available from the
Automobile Association (tel: 0870 600 0371; website:
www.theaa.com), the
Royal Automobile Club (tel: 0870 572 2722; website:
www.rac.co.uk) and
Green Flag (tel: 0845 246 1557; website:
www.greenflag.co.uk).
Emergency breakdown services: AA (tel: 0800 887 766);
Green Flag (tel: 0800 590 590);
RAC (tel: 0800 828 282).
Routes to the city: Edinburgh is linked to Glasgow by the M8 motorway and from there to England and Wales by the M74 and on to the A74 and M6 further to the south (toward Manchester). Edinburgh is also directly linked to London by the A1.
Approximate driving times to Edinburgh: From Glasgow - 1 hour; Manchester - 4 hours and 15 minutes; London - 7 hours and 30 minutes.
Coach services: National Express (tel: 0870 580 8080; website:
www.nationalexpress.com) operates regular daily coach services from both London and other English cities to Edinburgh.
Scottish Citylink Coaches (tel: 0870 550 5050; website:
www.citylink.co.uk) is the largest provider of express coach services in Scotland, with a comprehensive network of destinations. There are frequent services to Glasgow (journey time - 70 minutes) and Aberdeen (journey time - 3 to 4 hours). All coaches leave from the bus station on St Andrew Square. Budget operator
Megabus (tel: 0900 160 0900 (premium rate line); website:
www.megabus.com) sells tickets between Scotland’s cities and has led to a recent reduction in fares amongst all operators.
Getting There By Rail:The major rail service provider for routes to and from England is
National Express East Coast (tel: 0845 722 5225; website:
www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com), while
First Scotrail (tel: 0845 755 0033; website:
www.firstscotrail.com) operates all services within Scotland, as well as a London-Edinburgh overnight sleeper link.
National Rail Enquiries (tel: 0845 748 4950) provides 24-hour timetable and fare information for all train companies.
Edinburgh has two mainline train stations - Waverley station (located right in the heart of the city, at the East End of Princes Street) and Haymarket station (at the junction of Dalry Road and Haymarket, in the West End). Facilities at Waverley include a food mall, a newsagent and a pub.
Rail services: First Scotrail (see above) operates a train service from Glasgow to Edinburgh every 15 minutes (journey time - 50 minutes).
First Scotrail’s handy but underused
Caledonian Sleeper, between London (Euston) and Edinburgh, runs every night except Saturday (journey time - 6 hours 45 minutes).
Virgin Trains (tel: 0845 722 2333; website:
www.virgintrains.co.uk) operates a direct service between Manchester and Edinburgh, three times a day (journey time - 3 hours).
National Express East Coast operates a direct half-hourly service between London (Kings Cross) and Edinburgh (journey time - 4 hours 30 minutes) with restaurant cars on some services.
Getting Around:Public TransportTraveline (tel: 0871 200 2233; website:
www.traveline.org.uk) provides information on all bus, coach and train routes within the Lothians. There is no light rail or underground system within the city and Edinburgh commuters rely on the frequent bus services, though a tram system is currently under construction. The first phase is expected to be completed in 2011.
Lothian Buses, 27 Hanover Street (tel: (0131) 555 6363; website:
www.lothianbuses.co.uk), provides
bus services within the city and to outlying districts, as does
First Edinburgh (tel: 0870 872 7271; website:
www.firstedinburgh.co.uk). The Council ‘Greenways Scheme’ makes it illegal for drivers to park on the city’s main arteries and gives buses exclusive, green tarmac lanes. As a result, the bus service flows fairly freely 0600-2400, after which the
night bus service comes into operation.
There are a number of
passes allowing reduced fares. Lothian Buses sell a
Daysaver ticket giving unlimited travel on its routes (including those outside the city). Lothian Buses also sells weekly and four-weekly passes, which allow unlimited travel on Lothian Buses within these time frames. The
FirstDay/FirstWeek and
FirstMonth ticket covers travel on First Edinburgh buses in Edinburgh and the surrounding region with prices dependent on zones and duration of the pass.
All Lothian Bus passes can be purchased at the Waverley Bridge Ticket Center, Waverley Bridge (tel: (0131) 555 6363), open daily 0830-1730 (summer) and 0830-1600 (winter).
TaxisEdinburgh’s taxis are mainly black hackney cabs and can be safely hailed in the street. All are licensed and have meters fitted. Some form of driver ID should be prominently displayed. Taxi companies include
City Cabs (tel: (0131) 228 1211; website:
www.citycabs.co.uk) and
Central Radio Taxis (tel: (0131) 229 2468; website:
www.taxis-edinburgh.co.uk). A tip of 10% is also expected.
Driving in the CityDriving around congested Edinburgh is increasingly more hassle than it is worth, so the general advice to visitors is to walk, cycle or use public transport. Visitors who do bring a car should be aware that parking can be problematic especially in summer. Metered parking (in force Monday to Saturday 0830-1830) is restricted in the city and a resident’s parking permit is required in many areas. Failure to comply with parking regulations can result in a costly fine and the offending vehicle being towed away. The easiest option is for drivers to use one of the
NCP toll car parks, such as at the St James Center or Castle Terrace.
Car HireRegulations vary from company to company, however, in all cases, drivers will require a valid driving license to hire a car in the UK. In most cases, this can be a national driving license, although an International Driving Permit may be preferred if the license is not in English. Separate proof of address is often required. A credit card is also essential. It is important for visitors to check what level of insurance is included in the price of car hire. In general, drivers have to be over 23 to hire a car.
Major car hire companies with a presence in the city include
Avis (tel: (0131) 337 6363; website:
www.avis.co.uk) and
Hertz (tel: (0131) 556 8311; website:
www.hertz.co.uk).
Arnold Clark Car Rental (tel: 0845 607 4500; website:
www.arnoldclark.co.uk) is a Scottish-based outfit.
Bicycle HireEdinburgh is a reasonably cyclist friendly city with dedicated cycle lanes and plenty of parkland and nearby countryside ideal for exploring on two wheels.
Bike Trax Cycle Hire, 11 Lochrin Place, Tollcross (tel: (0131) 228 6633; website:
www.biketrax.co.uk), hires out a wide range of bicycles.
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