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Getting Around, Edinburgh Travel and Edinburgh Transport
(Edinburgh, Scotland, UK)



The city of Edinburgh is well served by the public transport system, which includes an excellent network of buses and trains, providing Edinburgh with good connections throughout England. Edinburgh is located close to many other interesting towns, cities, tourist attractions and important landmarks, and many visitors in Edinburgh also travel outside of the city of Edinburgh, into the surrounding areas.

Renting a car is often the preferred method of transport for excursions from Edinburgh and it is relatively easy to travel around the Edinburgh area by car. There are a number of major roads situated on the outskirts of Edinburgh, which provide fast and convenient routes when travelling both to and from Edinburgh.




Edinburgh Travel by Airports - Edinburgh, EH12 9DN, Scotland, UK
Edinburgh Turnhouse Airport (EDI) is situated just 12 km / 8 miles to the west of central Edinburgh and has good connections to the Edinburgh area. This important, busy Scottish airport deals with large numbers of passengers throughout the year and Edinburgh Airport has excellent facilities.

Edinburgh can also be served by Glasgow International Airport (GLA), found 89 km / 55 miles from Edinburgh city centre and by Glasgow Prestwick International Airport (PIK) located 128 km / 80 miles from Edinburgh. All these airports are within easy travelling distance of Edinburgh either by train, coach or car.

Major airlines at these airports offer the greatest number of departures, whereas smaller airlines offer low-cost, no-frill airlines with a more limited number of flights arriving and departing from the airports.

Edinburgh Airport (EDI) Guide - useful Edinburgh Airport (EDI) travel information.

Edinburgh Car Rental / Car Hire - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Edinburgh city centre has a large network of one-way streets and pedestrian-only areas. This can make driving in Edinburgh difficult and Princes Street also has limited access for private vehicles. Therefore, the surrounding Edinburgh roads are becoming increasingly busy, and although the traffic in and out of Edinburgh can be heavy during peak commuting hours (07:30 to 09:30 and 16:30 to 19:30), driving in central Edinburgh is fairly easy. Several roads in Edinburgh are one-way only and part of the city centre is restricted to buses and taxis. Many tourists staying in Edinburgh choose to rent cars and these are the best method of transport when travelling outside of the city, to explore the surrounding Scottish countryside and nearby towns. There are plenty of parking garages and off-street parking areas available in Edinburgh, although many areas are restricted to residents only and parking permits are required. There are also park-and-ride services, where you can park your car on the outskirts of Edinburgh and travel into the centre by bus.

Book your Edinburgh Car Rental here - excellent rates available, up to 65% discount.

Car parks in the Edinburgh area include:

• Greenside Car Park - Greenside Row, Broughton, Edinburgh, EH1, Scotland, UK
• Morrison Street Car Park - West Edinburgh, EH3, Scotland, UK
• National Car Parks - Castle Terrace, Old Town, Edinburgh, EH1, Scotland, UK
• National Car Parks - Potterow, South Edinburgh, EH8, Scotland, UK
• St. James Centre - Leith Street, Broughton, Edinburgh, EH1, Scotland, UK
• Waverley Car Park - 6 New Street, Old Town, Edinburgh, EH8, Scotland, UK

Edinburgh Travel by Foot - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Edinburgh is well pedestrianized and one of the best ways to travel around Edinburgh is by foot. This is an excellent way to see some of Edinburgh's numerous tourist attractions, museums, galleries and landmarks. Finding your way around central Edinburgh is very straightforward and many of the city's major sights and attractions are within easy walking distance of each other.

Edinburgh Travel by Buses - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Tel: +44 (0)131 555 6663
The Edinburgh bus system is operated by Lothian Buses and covers Edinburgh city well. Buses in Edinburgh are heavily used by both locals and tourists alike and provide a particularly inexpensive way to travel in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. Edinburgh buses travel to many other towns and areas nearby, including Mid and East Lothian. Bus passes are available in Edinburgh for set periods and these can be particularly convenient when travelling in Edinburgh. Lothian Buses's city centre Travelshops provide details and maps of all Lothian Buses services in the Edinburgh area. Most buses and coaches in Edinburgh depart from the St. Andrew Square Bus Station in Clyde Street and from Princes Street, Nicolson Street and North Bridge. There are also many bus stops throughout Edinburgh, with bus timetables and route information.

Edinburgh's other main bus company is FirstBus, which incorporates SMT, Eastern Scottish, Lowland Omnibuses and Midland Scottish. Although Edinburgh's FirstBus and Lothian Buses run similar bus services along many of the same routes, day tickets are not transferable between the different bus services in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Travel by Coaches - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Tel: +44 (0)870 550 5050
Coaches in the Edinburgh area are run by the United Kingdom's large coach network, National Express, and regularly travel to England and Wales. Scottish Citylink buses also serve Edinburgh and travel throughout Scotland.

Edinburgh Travel by Trains - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Edinburgh's central railway station is Waverley station, located in the New Town area of Edinburgh. This important Edinburgh railway station serves the East coast, with main lines that travel to London and Aberdeen. Scotrail services travel to a wide range of destinations throughout Scotland and the Edinburgh area, including good connections to the West Coast and a shuttle service that travels to Glasgow every 15 minutes. Local Edinburgh services also travel to the east of the Edinburgh area and West Lothian.

Haymarket Station is Edinburgh's other main train station and is situated on the main line to Glasgow. Most of the trains that travel north and west from Edinburgh's Waverley Station stop at Haymarket Station, as do regular services to West Lothian.

Edinburgh Travel by Taxis - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Taxis in Edinburgh are one of the most convenient ways to travel around the Edinburgh area and are usually reasonably priced. They can be easily caught from the taxi rank outside of the Edinburgh Waverley Train Station. Also in quieter areas of Edinburgh, taxis can be ordered by telephone and there are a number of reputable taxi firms that your hotel can recommend. Additional taxi charges in Edinburgh are often made for luggage, travel late at night, extra passengers and travel on public holidays.

Catching taxis in central Edinburgh is usually quite easy. The most recognizable, reliable and safest way to do this is to look for the traditional black Edinburgh cabs, with their yellow 'for hire' signs. Operated centrally through licence with Edinburgh City Council, the registered cabs can be hailed from most of the central areas of Edinburgh city by an obvious wave or desperate gesture from the side of the road. There are various taxi ranks (official taxi gathering places) dotted throughout the city. Edinburgh's black taxis take up to five passengers and have facilities for travellers with disabilities. If you need to guarantee arriving somewhere punctually however, take time to book ahead. Try some of the reputable taxi firms listed in the taxis section of the Yellow Pages or alternatively, your Edinburgh hotel will be able to recommend reliable taxi firms. Many Edinburgh taxis now take credit cards, but this is always worth checking first.

Travel by Bicycle - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Bicycles are a popular way to travel around recreational areas of Edinburgh in particular, and much of Edinburgh is generally very flat, although there are some steep hills on the outskirts of Edinburgh. There are also numerous cycle trails and pathways throughout Edinburgh, many of which are particularly scenic. Edinburgh has a number of bicycle rental shops available in the Edinburgh area.

 
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