Edinburgh is blessed with transport. It has a bus service second to none that runs 24 hour a day seven days a week throughout the year. It also has plenty private taxis, and taxi's that you can flag down on the street. They are easy to recognize as they are of the London type taxi. If you arrive at Edinburgh International Airport there is a dedicated bus service that runs to the centre of the town and terminates directly outside Edinburgh Waverley Station, or you can choose to go by taxi. Or by a modern tram service. There is also a bus service dedicated to visitors and tourist. Those buses have open tops and go around the main attractions of the city with historic comment on tape. During busy times with a qualified guide. You pay one fare and you can jump of and on those buses all day. Below is information relating to main players in transport in the City of Edinburgh. There are also plenty who are not named. Those can be found in local directories. It should be noted. Edinburgh now has a tram service. The links to this can be found here. Like all major cities Edinburgh has traffic problem and be aware if you park any vehicle you have responsibility for, it will be booked or towed away. Edinburgh Parking Wardens operate a no nonsense policy on inconsiderate parking. You have been warned.
Lothian Buses
Lothian buses are one of the major operators in the City of Edinburgh It offers over 50 bus services covering Edinburgh, East and Midlothian. It also offers around 12 night routes giving a good service during the small hours. The fleet is modern and well maintained and carry cameras for safety. The company was formed under it's present name in 2000 form Lothian Regional Transport. Lothian buses are publicly owned the major shareholder being The City of Edinburgh Council. The fleet colours are Red and White, the newer ones sporting a harlequin livery. Click here for time tables. Lothian Buses operate over 650 buses on the local services and around 60 or so on other tasks such as the Air Link and City Tours. The fares and tickets can be accessed here and you can download any other info from the home page of the main site. If you know the area you can download route map from here while sitting in the comfort of your own. This will save you valuable time. If you are staying on the outskirts of the city you can run your car to the nearest park and ride. Park your vehicle and within minutes you will be whisked into the city centre. Thus avoiding the traffic on busy times. The photograph on the left shows one of the city tour buses in the historic High Street. Contact with this company can be made from any other links given or by telephoning 0131 554 4494.
First Bus
The other main bus operator in the City of Edinburgh is First Bus. The difference between the two companies is that Lothian Buses operate mainly with the confines of the City of Edinburgh and immediate surroundings, while First Bus cover many areas of the United Kingdom. They call themselves First Edinburgh within the area. Because First Bus tends to travel out with the city. Not every bus stop has a time table for them. But they do run a local bus service and you can obtain the time table from here. First bus run a complicated fare systems the areas being divided into zones. You can obtain the details and the cost of the fare from here. Nationwide First is a massive company and runs all manner of transport including trains. If you intend to go further afield on your stay in Edinburgh, First run trains to all parts of the United Kingdom. You can access the train time tables from here. Once again you can do that from the comfort of your own home. Thus saving valuable time. The photograph on the left shows the livery of First Bus to enable you to identify between the companies. Contact with this company can be made here or by telephoning 0345 646 0707.
Stage Coach
Another bus company that runs local services and express travels throughout the United Kingdom is Stage Coach. It connects over 100 towns and cities in the UK and has a fleet of around 7000 buses. They also run services under the Megabus and Citylink logo. Once again if you intend to travel out with Edinburgh you can plan your journey from the comfort of your own home, and information of the journey can be accessed from here. The buses are easy to use and how they work can be accessed from here. Obviously being on holiday you may not have access to computer. If that is the case you can contact the travel line on 0871 200 2233. The line is open 24 hours a day, and local information can be obtained.
William Hunter
If you are arriving by groups you may require the services of a private coach operator. One of the oldest and best in the area is William Hunter Coaches. They operate 49, 53 and 22 seater coaches They will take you the length and breadth of the country. Remember that if you require a coach with a toilet ask for it. The 53 seater's extra seats take up the room where the toilets are. The company has been in business for over 120 years. There familiar fleet livery of Brown and Gold is a well known sight in and around Edinburgh. Or for that matter the United Kingdom. The company has ecently been taken over but for the foreseeable it is being run as it alway has. The buses are now coloured white. Contact can be made on 0131 440 0704 or here
Cameron Executive Travel
Coach and Bus Hire in Edinburgh and Luxury Chauffeur Car and Coach company based close to Edinburgh Airport. They are ideally located for Coach and Bus Hire in Edinburgh, Glasgow and throughout Scotland.. They can offer the best in Leisure and Corporate Travel and Transport Operations throughout Scotland. In their fleet they have a variety of suitable vehicles, 8 seater coaches, 16 Seater Mini Bus, 35 Seater coaches and a number of Executive standard luxury cars. Vehicles for all occasions. Your wish is their command....They have over 30 years experience as transport operators and travel services for business and leisure to clients throughout the UK. Their luxury chauffeur cars service and chauffeur hire coaches are ideal for all types of events. Cameron Executive Travel have consistently provide many satisfied customers with a thorough, professional travel service. All you have to do is ask. 0131 333 3111 or here.
Taxi's
Like any other major city Edinburgh has a good Taxi service. The city operates the London style cab and many are decorated with weird and wonderful livery advertising everything under the sun. The can be identified by the plate on the back. They can be flagged down on the street. Private hire cab cannot pick up on the street. Listed below are a few taxi numbers. The list is never ending but note a few of those numbers before you start your trip. Could save you a headache. These numbers have been taken of local directories and no responsibility for the service offered can be accepted. The choice is entirely up to you. A wee bit further information regarding transport. If you have taken your car with you and had one to many, need to get back to where you are staying , but require your car right away the following morning..No problem. Just phone the Scoot link listed below. A man with a fold away motor bike will arrive. He will fold up the motor bike, put it in the back of the car, drive you and your car home, then park the vehicle where you want it...Nice one.
Trainline
As described the transport system in Edinburgh is second to none.That also applies to the rail system. Edinburgh Waverley station is sited bang in the middle of the city centre, next to the Balmoral hotel on the east end of Princess Street. Here you can arrive by train from anywhere in the world. If that is your mode of transport you can also leave from here to anywhere in the world. Trainline is a dedicated service. It is Europe’s leading train and coach app. To put it simply, it is a one-stop-shop for train and coach travel. Every day, they gather routes, prices, and travel times from over 270 rail and coach operators in 45 countries, so that everyone can buy tickets quickly and save time, effort, and money. To access their website click here