Edinburgh

Getting around by public transport

Travelling by train.

Travelling by bus.

Lothian Buses run a large number of regular routes within the city of Edinburgh. Their maximum fare is a pound (although the minimum is 80p), with all-day tickets available for 2.30. Services stop at around 11pm to midnight, but there is a more limited network of night buses running every hour or so through the night (flat fare of 2 pounds, all-day tickets not valid).

First Edinburgh run a few services purely within Edinburgh, but for the most part their buses go to more far flung destinations such as Falkirk. This means that the prices are more complex, though for journeys purely within Edinburgh the prices are much the same as Lothian Buses. They also offer a day ticket, but you are likely to find that there are fewer First buses than Lothian Buses running to your destination, so the Lothian ticket is usually a better bet. First Edinburgh also run night buses, although often only at weekends, and with services only at around 2 or 3 am.

Both companies have route maps and timetables on their websites. Alternatively the Traveline Scotland website offers a journey planner for the whole of Scotland.

Getting around by car

Central Edinburgh is a nightmare for drivers. There is very little overnight parking to be found, daytime parking is expensive, and the roads system has been designed to make driving around inconvenient. Get the bus. If you are going to hire a car to travel around the remainder of Scotland, wait until you are leaving Edinburgh and hire it then.