Edinburgh City Guide

Public transport

Operator. Lothian Buses operates the city bus network, Edinburgh Trams the single tram line between the airport and Newhaven. Both operators belong to the municipal group Transport for Edinburgh and share fares and sales channels. Airlink 100 is a separate express line run by Lothian Buses to the airport, supplemented by lines 17 and 18, which since 6 April 2025 have replaced the former Skylink services 200 and 400 along with their night lines. Tickets for bus and tram are sold jointly through the Bus & Tram App as well as contactless with automatic daily and weekly capping under the TapTapCap brand.

Network. Buses and one tram line. On buses you pay the exact fare; no change is given.

Modes of transport. Bus · Tram

Operating hours. On the regular route the tram runs daily from about 5:34am from the airport until 11:44pm, every seven minutes during the day, every ten minutes early morning and evening. Most Lothian bus lines run until around midnight, after which NightBus lines take over service across the city and the Lothians from midnight until 4:30am. The Airlink 100 to the airport runs around the clock, every ten minutes during the day, every twenty minutes at night between about 1am and 4am. Exact first and last departures vary by bus line and are listed in the Journey Planner.

Night service. Once the regular daytime lines stop, NightBus services run through Edinburgh and the Lothians every night from midnight to 4:30am, closing the service gap. Since 6 April 2025, the former separate night lines N200 and N400 have been folded into the regular services 17 and 18, which run around the clock including at night. The Airlink 100 to the airport is the only line running around the clock, with departures every ten minutes during the day and every twenty minutes at night.

Buying tickets. Bus tickets can be bought in advance in the Bus & Tram App, at one of the TravelHubs around the city, or with the exact fare directly from the driver. A different system applies to the tram, every stop has a machine for card and coin payment, or you can buy in advance in the app. Anyone paying contactless taps the readers both when boarding and when getting off, only then is the trip correctly charged for the relevant zone and the daily or weekly cap applied properly.

App and payment. The official Bus & Tram App from Transport for Edinburgh sells single, day and weekly tickets for bus and tram in advance at a fixed price. In parallel, contactless payment works directly with a debit or credit card as well as with a smartphone, with the TapTapCap cap applying automatically, capping the daily price at 5.70 pounds and the weekly price at 26.50 pounds, provided the same card or device is used throughout. Cash is accepted on the bus, at the tram stop the machines accept both cards and coins.

Which ticket. A single trip by bus or tram within the City Zone costs 2.40 am pounds for adults and 1.20 am pounds for children aged 5 to 15. The City Day at 6 am pounds gives unlimited travel on bus and tram within the City Zone and so costs as much as 2.5 single trips, from the third trip on the same day the day ticket pays off mathematically. Anyone paying contactless doesn't need to buy a day ticket at all, TapTapCap automatically caps at 5.70 pounds per day and 26.50 pounds per week, as long as the same card or device is used throughout. For trips to the airport the City Day isn't enough, instead either the Network Day at 2 pm pounds covering all zones applies, or a separate Airport Zone ticket, from 7.90 pounds for a single tram trip or 6 am pounds for the Airlink 100 bus, with 8.50 am pounds for its return ticket. A family City Day ticket for up to two adults and three children costs 1 pm pounds.

Fare zones. For trips within the city, only the City Zone matters, one ticket covers bus and tram together. Only a trip to or from the airport needs a more expensive Airport Zone ticket.

Tip. The old town is steep. Going via the bridges saves climbing.

Links

• Lothian Buses – Tickets & Fares
• Lothian Buses – Network Maps
• Airlink 100 – Express Bus to the Airport
• Edinburgh Trams – Fares and Zones
• Edinburgh Trams – Timetable and Frequency
• Network map

Getting there

Main station

Location. Sits in the valley between the old and new towns, both starting right at the exits.

Long-distance trains. Seven rail operators serve Edinburgh Waverley. ScotRail covers the entire Scottish network, TransPennine Express connects with the north of England, Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry run long-distance services across Great Britain. LNER and the operator Lumo take passengers direct to London Kings Cross, LNER also via Newcastle. The Caledonian Sleeper runs overnight between Edinburgh, other Scottish destinations and London. Five minutes away by train is Haymarket in the West End, a second long-distance station, handy for anyone staying there, ScotRail and long-distance trains stop there too.

Opening hours. The ticket office is staffed daily from 6am to 10pm, from 7am on Sundays. Staff are on duty at the station from as early as 4am until 12:45am.

Airports

Local quirks

• In August everything is different. During the Fringe the population effectively doubles. Without a booking you'll find neither a room nor a table.
• Royal Mile car-free in August. Between 7 and 30 August the Royal Mile is closed to cars from the High Street to St Giles', Monday to Friday from 10:30am to midnight, at weekends until 9pm. The Cowgate is also closed to vehicles daily from 3pm from 27 July to 7 September, only cyclists may pass through. Buses are rerouted during this time, current line changes are shown on the Council's edintravel page.
• A second long-distance station in the West End. Alongside Waverley, Haymarket in the West End also serves long-distance trains, the journey between the two stations takes around five minutes by train. Anyone staying in the West End saves the trip back to the Old Town.

Good to know

Currency

GBP £

Emergency number

112

Plug type

G

Time zone

Europe/London

Driving

left

Speed limits. built-up areas 30 mph (48 km/h), outside towns 60 mph (96 km/h), motorway 70 mph (112 km/h)

Limits are given in mph, not km/h, and rethinking the speedometer takes some concentration at first. In Wales, the default within built-up areas has been 20 mph instead of 30 mph since September 2023, a separate value just for that part of the country. On single-carriageway rural roads without an additional sign, the speed drops from 70 to 60 mph, indicated only by a small circular sign with a diagonal line through it, easy to miss.

Tipping. Ten percent in restaurants, and a service charge is often already on the bill. In pubs you order at the bar and do not tip.

Tolls. Motorways are free. Charges apply at individual bridges and tunnels such as the Dartford Crossing and Mersey Gateway, usually paid online afterwards.

Access restrictions. London charges a congestion fee plus the ULEZ for older vehicles, both camera-enforced. Other cities have Clean Air Zones. Not paying gets expensive.