Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
spots. Parking is very expensive and controlled areas
stretch far out into the suburbs. Most on-street parking
regulations don't apply on Sundays or after 6.30pm
Mon-Sat and after 5.30pm Mon-Fri a little further out
from the centre.
Car rental
There are a few car rental desks in Waverley
train station which arrange for customers to be shuttled to
collect cars from nearby depots. Also in the centre of town
try Hertz at 10 Picardy Place (
T
0843 309 3026) or Avis, 24
East London St (
T
0844 544 6059). In addition, all the main
rental companies have desks at the airport.
BY BIKE
Although hilly, Edinburgh is a reasonably bike-friendly city,
with several cycle paths, particularly in the university areas
south of the centre. The local cycling action group, Spokes
(
W
spokes.org.uk), publishes an excellent map of the city with
recommended cycle routes; pick up a copy at the tourist o
ce.
Bike rental
Available from Biketrax, 11-13 Lochrin
Place, Tolcross (£17/day then £13 for additional days;
T
0131 228 6633,
W
biketrax.co.uk) and Edinburgh Cycle
Hire, 29 Blackfriars St (from £15/day;
T
0131 556 5560,
W
cyclescotland.co.uk).
INFORMATION
Main tourist o
ce
Princes Mall, 3 Princes St, near the
northern entrance to the train station (June Mon-Sat
9am-6pm, Sun 10am-6pm; July & Aug Mon-Sat
9am-7pm, Sun 10am-7pm; Sept-May Mon-Sat
9am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm;
T
0845 225 5121,
W
edinburgh.org). Although inevitably hectic at the height
of the season, it's reasonably e
cient, with scores of free
leaflets and a bank of computers available for free if you
want to search for travel-related information or £1 for
20min of general surfing.
Airport tourist o
ce
In the main concourse, directly
opposite Gate 5 (daily: April-Oct 6.30am-10.30pm; Nov-
March 7am-9pm). A much smaller affair than its town
centre counterpart.
TOURS
BUS TOURS
Open-top, hop-on, hop-off
bus tours are big business in
Edinburgh. All cost the same (currently £13/person) and
depart from Waverley Bridge; see
W
edinburghtour.com for
more info. Recommended companies include MacTours,
which uses a fleet of vintage buses and a live guide, and
Majestic Tour, ideal for seeing the harder-to-reach sites like
the Royal Yacht Britannia (see p.83) and The Royal Botanic
Garden (see p.82).
stories, town history and other jovial banter, the tours focus
on Edinburgh's narrow closes and vaults, one of which
contains a torture exhibition.
Mercat Tours
T
0131 225 5445,
W
mercattours.com.
Offers a wide range of history and ghost tours from Mercat
Cross, High St (£11-14); some depart late in the evening
and include a candlelit poke around the underground
vaults of Blair St.
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
T
0800 169 7410
W
edinburghliterarypubtour.co.uk.
Mixing a pub-crawl
with extracts from local authors acted out along the way,
this tour is a fun way to explore Edinburgh's fine drinking
establishments. While being introduced to the scenes,
characters and words of the major figures of Scottish
literature, including Burns, Scott and MacDiarmid, you'll
have the opportunity to nip in for a swift ale at each stop.
Tours depart from outside the
Beehive
Inn
, Grassmarket
(see p.96) at 7.30pm (Jan-March Fri & Sun; April & Oct
Thurs-Sun; May-Sept daily; Nov & Dec Fri; £14; online
discounts available).
WALKING TOURS
Several companies offer walking tours, many of which depart
from the central section of the Royal Mile near the High Kirk
of St Giles, or further uphill on the High Street's Merkat Cross.
Advance booking is recommended during peak season. The
following companies are worth singling out.
Auld Reekie Tours
T
0131 557 4700,
W
auldreekietours.com.
Departs from The Tron Kirk, 122
High St daily at noon, 2pm, 3pm (Sat only), 4pm, 6pm,
8pm & 10pm (£9-12). With a friendly mixture of ghost
ACCOMMODATION
As befits its status as a busy tourist city and important commercial centre, Edinburgh has a greater choice of
accommodation
than anywhere in Britain outside London. Hotels, hostels and rental apartments are essentially the only
options you'll find right in the heart of the city, but within relatively easy reach of the centre the choice of guesthouses,
B&Bs, campus accommodation and even
campsites
broadens considerably.
while £120-150 will get you something more stylish. Self-
catering apartments - of which there are many in
Edinburgh - are often the most economical option,
especially if you're travelling in a group.
Reservations
It's worth making advance reservations at
ESSENTIALS
Rates
Room rates are significantly higher in Edinburgh
than elsewhere in Scotland, with double rooms starting at
around £80 a night. Budget hotel chains offer the best
value if you want basic accommodation right in the centre,
