How to Get to Edinburgh
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How to Get to Edinburgh
By plane
Edinburgh and Glasgow can be reached from the main European airports. The international airport is situated 13 km west of the city, and can be reached in 25 minutes by taxi or by bus, frequent night and day. It is as well possible to rent a car at the airport. All major companies serve Edinburgh, like British Airways and Easyjet and the new low cost company Jet 2.
Car parks
There are two car parks at the airports: a short- term park outside the terminal, available for about 6£ per day, and a long-term park, reachable by shuttle, for about 5£ per day. You may also choose to arrive at Glasgow airport, situated about 130 km from Edinburgh, then reach the capital city by train, bus or car. To reach Edinburgh from Glasgow it takes about 1 hour car or bus, or 45 minutes by train.
From Edinburgh airport to the city centre
There are bus shuttles operating connections between the airport and the city.
Service is provided by the "Lothian Buses".
The bus shuttle which serves the airport and the city is called Airlink, leaving every 10 minutes from 4.45 am to 0.22 am, and calling at 7 places before reaching WaverleyBridge, in the heart of the city centre close to the train station.
The journey from the airport to the city takes about 25 minutes. Ticket price is 3,50 £ for adults (6£ for a return ticket), and 2£ for children over 5 (3£ for a return ticket). Children under 5 travel free. The night service is provided by the NightBus N22, with departures every 30 minutes.
More details on : http://www.flybybus.com/index.php
The mini bus service offered by the Scottish company Lothian Buses is also a good option (see the company website http://www.edinburghshuttle.com/ ). The mini buses leave every 15 minutes and offer a door to door service, taking you directly to your hotel street. Depending on the number of passengers, prices range from 10£ for individual travellers to 18£ if you are a couple. Or, if you are in a group of 7 persons, with 7£ you can be accompanied directly to your hotel. The journey takes 25-30 minutes depending on traffic.
Traditional taxi and trains are also available.
By car
The best way to visit the Highlands in total liberty and to enjoy in full autonomy the natural beauties of the region is by car. If you don’t have many days available, or prefer a more relaxing holiday, we recommend the "fly & drive" formula.
By bus
There are obviously tours which include a visit to Scotland by bus, but they are generally long and tiring.
By train
It is possible to reach Edinburgh and Scotland by train. Normally this option is chosen by those who make a complete tour of the United Kingdom, or maybe as part of a larger Inter-Rail journey across Europe. Everything depends on the time you have available. The fastest way is obviously by plane.
Fly & Drive
This formula indicates a holiday package which includes the use of two means of transport to visit a country. Once you get to your chosen destination by plane, you will use a car to move across the country. One of the advantages of this formula is the possibility to combine the car rental with a low cost flight in total autonomy, together with cheap accommodations. The only obstacle to this kind of independent holiday may be the driving on the right, which is in use in the UK. However, the difficulty soon goes away after you take confidence with the car. A good solution could be the rental of a car with automatic gear, where driving is on the left side.
From the United Kingdom
Local transports
If you are already in the United Kingdom, there are multiple options to reach Scotland and Edinburgh.
By Plane
From London it is possible to reach Edinburgh with a domestic flight in about one hour. Prices depend on the air company. Domestic flights are only operated by British companies.
By car
From London, Edinburgh is 600 km distant. The connection route is a high speed highway, where traffic may represent a problem for those who are not expert with driving.
By bus
Bus from London is much cheaper than the plane, even though the journey is longer. Buses may especially represent a good alternative to visit the surroundings of Edinburgh.
By train
Travelling by train represents a good alternative way for your journey, which preserves a certain charm. From London there are trains leaving to Edinburgh and Glasgow, but it is also worth to use train to visit the surroundings of Edinburgh as well as the rest of Scotland. A trip not to miss by train is the Highland tour and the Hogwart Express. Departure is from Fort William with destination Mallaig, running through the Glenfinnan viaduct (set of the famous film “ the Room of secrets”) with a stunning view on the Loch Shiel. The ticket costs about 25£.
Finally, train lovers may choose to spend their holiday on the Royal Scotsman, a luxurious train which offers tours along the finest Scottish itineraries for up to 36 people. These tours are pretty expensive, with a minimum fare of 800€ per person per night. http://www.royalscotsman.com
The sea
There are many offers of ferry boat to visit the islands, both from London and Edinburgh.