Getting around Edinburgh is very easy with good bus services
and taxis. However the city is centralised enough that you could
also walk around. No matter how you are getting about do remember
that a street may change its names many times but still be just
the one street runing north to south eg. North Bridge, South
Bridge, Nicholson Street etc. Also do pay attention to the last
word in a street name. Clermiston Lane, Clermistone Avenue and
Clermiston Drive are in different areas of town as are Clermistone
Terrace, Clermiston Park etc.
Lothian Regional Transport enquiries line - (0131) 555 6363
AIR
Edinburgh Airport
Turnhouse Road, Midlothian EH12 9DN, Tel. +44 0131 333 1000
By train: The nearest station Edinburgh Waverley mainline.
By Bus: Buses run from Waverley Bridge (next to the train station).
By car: From Edinburgh take the A8 past the Grogar roundabout
and follow signs. Parking and car hire are available.
TRAIN
The Scotrail Rail Network www.ScotRail.co.uk
, tel. 08457 48 49 50, serves the major towns and cities
in Scotland. A number of daily trains operate to London via
the East Coast and the West Coast. Great Northern Railways (GNER)
and Virgin are the main operators from London to Scotland. From
Edinburgh you can travel between Glasgow, the Lothian region,
Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen. Services to Inverness run from Perth
and Aberdeen. From there, services operate to Wick, Thurso and
the Kyle of Lochalsh. From Glasgow you can reach the west coast
and places like Oban, Fort William and Mallaig at the southern
access to Skye. If you are coming from or going to Ireland go
via the Stranreaer harbour.
Waverly Station is Edinburgh's main railway station and is located
in the city centre between Princes Street and Market Street.
Edinburgh connects with rail services from London and the South
via Berwick upon Tweed, East Coast Services between Stirling,
Perth, Kirkcaldy, Dundee, Aberdeen, Aviemore and Inverness.
Trains from Edinburgh also connect to the West Coast via Glasgow.
BUS
Two bus companies operate in Edinburgh and the outlying districts.
They are First Edinburgh and Lothian Buses. Timetable information
is posted at the bus stops and you can pick up a free TravelMap
Guide to the city's bus routes from the Traveline Office, in
2 Cockburn Street. Tel. +44 0131 225 3858, +44 0800 232 323
for callers outside Edinburgh. Fax. +44 0131 469 3797 www.Traveline.org.uk
Most city centre bus stops have clear maps of the bus routes
served by that stop and fares. In all buses you have to pay
the driver as you enter. LRT (timetable enquiries: 555 6363)
run the maroon coloured buses and require exact fare: 50p, 70p,
and 90p in town, depending on distance. (Appleton Tower to Pollock
Halls will probably be 50p, but it can be quicker to walk in
rush hour.) A Day Saver allows unlimited travel around Edinburgh
for a day on LRT buses and costs £2.40. A one week Rider
Card costs £10.50 and can also be used on First Bus services
after 7pm and on Sundays. First Bus operate the green buses
which do not require exact fare.
TOP
TICKETS
Train tickets can be bought from the counters or guichets (can
be long queues) or at ticket vending machines. All tickets must
be validated (and your reservation card) at the orange date-stamping
machines. Any rail passes must also be time stamped. Journeys
requiring a change of trains in big cities also need to be re-validated
at the connecting station. Return tickets must be validated
on the outward and return journey. Regular tickets are valid
until midnight on the day after you have validated your ticket.
You may make a stop-over of less than 24 hours during your journey
as long as you reach your destination before your ticket expires.
Depending on what type of bus you get will determine the ticketing
process. If you are getting a long distance Eurolines bus you
need to purchase the ticket beforehand at the Eurolines office
and sit n the seat indicated on the ticket. For local buses
you can purchase the ticket on board. Read the bus section above
for ticket information and prices.
