Public Transport in Edinburgh: Here are all the different ways you can get around the Scottish capital

From shows to museums, historical monuments and more, there are plenty of attractions scattered around the Scottish capital for visitors to enjoy.

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Whether you’re coming from elsewhere around the country, or a tourist making the most of their time on holiday, here is your guide to getting around Edinburgh.

How to get around Edinburgh without a car

If you’re visiting Edinburgh, there are plenty of public transport options available to you including buses, trains, and trams.

If you are interested on getting your steps in, it’s a very walkable city or if you are interested in covering more distances there are bike hires available across town.

Here’s everything you need to know to get around Edinburgh.

By foot

That being said, many top attractions are all in the city centre and within walking distance of one another.

Edinburgh is very walkable for the most part, though make sure you are prepared for crowds if you’re planning on checking out areas such as Princes Street, the Royal Mile, or the Grassmarket.

As it is a historic city, those who wish to walk should be aware that there are many cobbled and uneven streets — particularly in the old town — which could prove hazardous, as well as many hills.

It may not be the most suitable for disabled travellers, but there are plenty of other options in that case.

Quieter walking routes around Edinburgh

If you would prefer to avoid busier routes, Edinburgh City Council have provided a list of quieter streets to travel instead, such as:

• Cockburn Street
• Johnston Terrace on to Castle Terrace
• Jeffrey Street on to Market Street
• New Street on to Calton

Bike

Even if you don’t have your own bike with you, you can hire one through Voi while in Edinburgh.

The number of bikes is soon set to increase from 800 to 1,000 in time for the beginning of the Edinburgh Festival, with the scheme having expanded a number of times due to its popularity around the city.

Unlike other forms of public transport the bikes are available 24/7, though there are restrictions regarding where the bikes are able to go.

However, if you’re interested in touring the sights of Edinburgh, there are also tours run by companies such as Baja Bikes which offer various packages including bike and helmet hire.

Getting around Edinburgh by bike

If you choose to cycle around Edinburgh you will find there are plenty of cycle paths located around the city. There are many off-road cycle paths, cycle lanes on roads and other bike priority measures such as forward stop lines.

That being said, depending on where you are in the city you may encounter heavy traffic or areas where bikes aren’t allowed so make sure to plan your journey in advance, and follow the rules of the road.

In addition, cyclists should always be mindful of tramlines when cycling in Edinburgh — especially in the city centre. In general, cyclists should be mindful of others, obey the rules of the road and stay on the left.

You can find out more about cycle routes around Edinburgh on the council’s website or by exploring the National Cycle Network map.

Tram

Depending on where you’re going in the city, hopping on the tram could be a good option for getting from A to B.

The Edinburgh tram route runs from Edinburgh Airport, through the city centre and out to Leith, Ocean Terminal and Newhaven.

However, it is worth noting that at the time of writing (August 3), Edinburgh Trams are running a partial route between Edinburgh Airport and the West End.

It follows a building fire on Princes Street in July, with road closures expected to be in place until mid-August as safety work is carried out.

With that being said, tram tickets will be accepted by ScotRail services between Edinburgh Gateway and Edinburgh Waverley only and on Lothian Buses services 16 and 25. This will also apply to Service 17, but for airport return tickets from Ocean Terminal or Newhaven only.

In addition, tickets will be accepted for Airlink 100 customers with return tickets for travel between West End/Haymarket and Edinburgh Airport.

You can find out more on the official Edinburgh Trams site to stay up to date with all the latest news.

What to know about Edinburgh Tram tickets

If you’re hopping on the tram, you must purchase your ticket before boarding.

This can be done either through the official Lothian Bus app or website, as well as on the platform using one of the ticket machines – most of which will accept cash or card.

Alternatively, travellers can use the Tap On, Tap Off system. All journeys within the City Zone will be charged as a standard single adult fare, and additional journeys throughout the day will be capped daily at the price of a City Day Ticket.

To make use of Tap On, Tap Off, find a Platform Validator — the grey and white machine with a pink square — and tap your device or contactless card against the machine before you board and again when you get off to complete the journey. Make sure you use the same card each time.

Don’t forget to tap on, as if you don’t have a valid ticket you will automatically be charged the onboard fare of £10. On a similar note, if you forget to tap off once you have exited the tram, you will be charged a single airport fare.

There are also two types of passes which can be used on the trams, both of which can be purchased through TravelHubs. Also including bus services, these offer good value for money for those who plan on using public transport often.

However, even if you have one of these cards you must remember to tap them against the Platform Validators before boarding.

Tram ticket types

There are a few ticket types to keep in mind for travelling around the city.

• Single: Valid for one journey on the day of purchase/activation and must be used within 30 minutes.
• Return: Valid for a return journey on the day of purchase/activation and must be used within 30 minutes for outward journey.
• Day: Valid for unlimited travel on Edinburgh Trams within the city zone. Valid on day or purchase/activation.

The above fares are city zone travel prices only. There are far more options which also include airport zone tickets, multi-day tickets and more available for both adults and children.

In addition, there are also a series of Family Ticket options for those travelling with youngsters. You can find out more about these group tickets here.

Finally, while there are some student discounts available these must be purchased in advance. For seniors, those with a Scottish National Entitlement Card (Saltire card) issued by the City of Edinburgh Council will be able to travel for free. This does not apply to other local authorities, unless visual impairment is indicated.

Bus

Lothian Buses also operate services across Edinburgh, with stops located around the city.

There are a number of bus journeys which have diversions in place due to the Princes Street closures at the moment, but most routes will be helping to the close the gaps caused by the partial tram routes in operation.

The best way to figure out how to get where you need to go is to download the Lothian Bus app, or use the journey planner on their official website.

The first thing you need to do in order to get going is find the right bus stop. For those unfamiliar with UK buses, the services which stop there will be indicated by the flag at the top of the bus stop.

To get off, it’s simply a case of pushing the stop button in plenty of time for your desired stop.

Depending on where you are going, your bus may either arrive or depart from Edinburgh Bus Station, the entrance of which can be found on Elder Street in the city centre.

Travelling around Edinburgh by bus

If you are hopping on the bus you can purchase tickets in advance via the Lothian Buses app.

You can also pay as you board. If you’re travelling in the city, like with the trams, you can Tap On and Tap Off with your contactless card or mobile device. No need to validate here, just make sure that you use the same card both times so that you can take advantage of the cheapest fares, with day services capped at £5.70.

Paper tickets can be purchased from the driver by cash — only the exact fare — or contactless.

As is the case with trams, you can also use season tickets such as Ridacards or Citysmart cards to travel. These must be purchased in advance of travel at one of the Lothian Bus Travel Hubs.

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Taxi

As with any city, Edinburgh also has plenty of taxis available to use. There are two licensed black cab companies, Central Taxis and City Cabs, both which can be prebooked as well as other services such as Uber.

Train

If you’re coming into Edinburgh from elsewhere, or are looking to explore other parts of the city, there is always the option of travelling by train.

As well as Edinburgh Waverley in the city centre - the largest and with services across the UK - there are three other railway stations.

Haymarket in the West End is the second biggest and it serves passengers going to Glasgow as well as elsewhere around Scotland.

Then there is Edinburgh Gateway in the West of the city, where you can change for tram services or the airport and Edinburgh Park which serves a business park as well as other local areas.