Edinburgh, Scotland — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Flights to Edinburgh are offered by a number of different carriers including British Airways, BMI, KLM and Jet2.com. Cheap flights to Edinburgh are also available thanks to a wide range of low cost airlines, such as Ryanair and easyJet. New Year and the summer festival season are among the most expensive times to fly to Edinburgh so avoid these periods in order to buy a cheap flight to Edinburgh.
Edinburgh International Airport (EDI)
Tel: 0844 481 8989.
Website: www.edinburghairport.com
Edinburgh airport is located 12km (8 miles) west of the city center.
Airport facilities
Facilities include bureau de change and ATMs, tourist information desk, hotel reservations desk, left luggage, lost property, shops including duty-free shops, , bars, restaurants and car hire with Avis, Budget, Hertz, Alamo and Europcar, all located in a dedicated car rental building.
Transport to the city
The Airlink bus, operated by Lothian Buses (tel: (0131) 555 6363; www.flybybus.com) runs from outside the terminal building to the city center at Waverley Bridge (opposite Waverley railway station) via Haymarket station (journey time – 25 minutes). These buses operate regularly, except on the 25th of December, throughout the day and evening. At night they are replaced with a half-hourly night-bus service (bus N22).
Taxis are available from the taxi rank to the left of the terminal exit or by calling Onward Travel (tel: (0131) 333 2255) A trip to the city center (journey time - 20 minutes) costs approximately £20. Access to the city by car is along the A8.
Approximate flight times to Edinburgh
From London - 1 hour; from New York - 8 hours 30 minutes.
Getting There By Road
Traffic in the UK drives on the left. The speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Non-British national driving licenses and International Driving Permits are valid for driving in the UK for up to one year; 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: 0800 887 766; www.theaa.com), the Royal Automobile Club (tel: 0800 828 282; www.rac.co.uk) and Green Flag (tel: 0845 246 2766; www.greenflag.co.uk).
Emergency breakdown services
AA (tel: 0800 887 766); Green Flag (tel: 0800 051 0636); 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 (towards Manchester). The A1 east out of Edinburgh leads into the A1(M) and M1 to London.
Driving times to the city
From Glasgow - 1 hour; Manchester - 4 hours 15 minutes; London - 7 hours 30 minutes.
Coach services
National Express (tel: 0871 781 8178; www.nationalexpress.com) operates regular daily coach services from both London and other English cities to Edinburgh. Scottish Citylink (tel: 0871 266 3333; www.citylink.co.uk) is the main provider of intercity coach services in Scotland, with a comprehensive network of destinations. There are frequent services to Glasgow (journey time - 75 minutes) and Aberdeen (journey time - 3 hours). Cheap pre-booked tickets between Scotland's major cities are available from Megabus (tel: 0871 266 3333; www.megabus.com), which is now part of Scottish Citylink. All coaches leave from the bus station on St Andrew Square.
Getting There By Rail
Edinburgh is well connected by rail to other cities in Scotland major cities in the UK.
Rail Services
Edinburgh has two mainline train stations - Waverley station (located in the heart of the city on Princes Street) and Haymarket station (to the west of the city center).
Rail Operators
Scotrail (tel: 0845 601 5929; www.scotrail.co.uk) operates all services within Scotland, as well as the overnight sleeper between London and Edinburgh (and further north). From London and cities on the East Coast line, the rail service is now provided by East Coast (tel: 08457 225 111; www.eastcoast.co.uk). Routes from North Wales, western England and the Midlands are operated by Virgin Trains (tel: 0871 977 4222; www.virgintrains.co.uk) and Transpennine Express (tel: 0845 600 1671; www.tpexpress.co.uk).
Connections
To Glasgow - 50 minutes; to Inverness - 3 hours 30 minutes; to Aberdeen - 2 hours 30 minutes; to London - 4 hours 30 minutes; to Birmingham - 4 hours; to Manchester - 3 hours 30 minutes.
Getting Around in Edinburgh, Scotland
Public Transport
Public transport in Edinburgh's center is currently subject to disruption and re-routing as preparation continues for the introduction of a new tram system in 2011. Badly affected roads include Leith Walk and the western approach to the city center.
Lothian Buses (tel: (0131) 555 6363; www.lothianbuses.co.uk) provides bus services within the city and to outlying suburbs. A good night-bus service operates from midnight until early morning. The exact change must be tendered for all journeys. The busiest bus stops have ticket machines where tickets can be purchased, at a slight discount, before boarding. Buses have exclusive use during peak traffic hours of Greenway lanes on the city's main arteries.
Some dormitory towns are covered only by First buses (tel: 01324 602 200; www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/scotland/sescot/home). Traveline (tel: 0871 200 2233; www.travelinescotland.com) provides information on all bus, coach and train routes in Scotland.
Both Lothian and First buses offer a range of passes. The Lothian Day Ticket gives one day's unlimited travel on its routes. Lothian Buses also sells weekly, four-weekly and annual passes, called Ridacards, which allow unlimited travel on Lothian Buses within these time frames, and packs of 20 tickets known as CitySingles. Ridacards and CitySingles must be purchased at one of Lothian Buses' Travelshops.
Taxis
Edinburgh's taxis are mainly hackney cabs and can be safely hailed in the street. All are licensed by the City of Edinburgh Council and have meters fitted. Drivers must carry a photographic identity card issued by the council. Taxi companies include City Cabs (tel: (0131) 228 1211) and Central Taxis (tel: (0131) 229 2468). A 10% tip is expected.
Driving in the City
In central Edinburgh, it is best to walk, cycle or use public transport. Visitors who do bring a car should be aware that traffic in the city center is often congested and parking can be problematic. Metered parking (in force Monday to Saturday 0830-1830) is restricted on city streets; almost all other street parking-spaces in and around the center are reserved for residents with parking permits. Failure to comply with parking regulations will result in a costly fine and the offending vehicle may even be towed away.
There are five Park-and-Ride carparks around the periphery of Edinburgh, plus one at Inverkeithing across the Forth. Off-street car parks in the city include St James Center or Castle Terrace.
Car Hire
Drivers 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 in Edinburgh include Avis (tel: (0131) 337 6363; www.avis.co.uk) and Hertz (tel: (0131) 556 8311; www.hertz.co.uk) and Arnold Clark (tel: 0845 607 4500; www.arnoldclark.co.uk).
The City Car Club (www.citycarclub.co.uk) operates in Edinburgh, with many pick-up points throughout the city. Visitors who are members of a City Car Club in another UK town or city have access to the Edinburgh car club vehicles.
Bicycle Hire
Edinburgh is a reasonably cyclist-friendly city, with car-free cycle paths criss-crossing the town and plenty of nearby countryside. Biketrax, 11 Lochrin Place, Tollcross (tel: (0131) 228 6633; www.biketrax.co.uk), has city, mountain and folding bikes available to hire. The Leith Cycle Company has hire-shops at 276 Leith Walk and at 1 Cadzow Place (tel: (0131 652 1760; www.leithcycleco.com).
