Lothian Buses and First Group will get you there...
if your legs can't face it!

There are two major bus companies operating in the Edinburgh area - Lothian Buses and The First Group. The bus services of these two companies are so extensive, it is possible to get to any point of interest from most areas of the city, even the outskirts.

In fact, Lothian Buses are often voted the best bus company in the UK. Not bad at all for the seventh largest city in the UK!

Despite the fact that almost all of Edinburgh's main tourist attractions are within walking distance of each other, with a population of 477,000, Edinburgh is a sizeable place. When the knees begin to creak it's a great comfort to know that  public transport in Edinburgh is very impressive and efficient!

Our buses will whisk you from Edinburgh International Airport to the city centre in 30 minutes for as little as £1.20 making your arrival in Edinburgh straight-forward and stress-free.

Bus travel around the city is also very affordable and I'll tell you how to make the most of it! So there is no excuse for missing out on top tourist attractions or hidden gems. All you need to know is what bus to take!

Start at the very beginning...

So let's say you have decided to fly to Edinburgh and you have just touched down. What's your next step?

Well, of course, you could take a taxi into the city centre. You will always find a number of taxis waiting outside the arrivals area of the terminal building. A taxi into the city centre will likely cost you around £20. You could try to agree a price before you set off but the taxi driver will probably be keen to use his taxi meter.

Black taxis in Edinburgh take 5 passengers. However it is often possible to find larger 7-seater taxis at the airport catering for larger groups. If you are with a group of friends or your family, taking a taxi is obviously a reasonably good option as you will be able to split the taxi fare.

A taxi ride into the city centre could take anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes depending on the traffic and time of day. Therefore, a taxi ride might not be the most cost-effective option.

Your two other options are to take either the 'Airlink 100' bus service into the city centre or take the number 35 run by the Lothian Buses company.

These large double decker buses leave from the stands in front of the airport terminal. Most people automatically take the Airlink 100 bus into Edinburgh city centre being the bus service specifically designed to ferry people to and from Edinburgh Airport. The Airlink 100 buses also offer free WIFI on board.

However, and not many people know this, the number 35 bus will only charge you £1.20 to get from the airport to the city centre! It leaves roughly every 20 minutes from in front of the airport terminal and will take you to Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament at the foot of the Royal Mile! The journey time is around 45 minutes, which is a little longer than the Airlink 100, but it is certainly the most cost-effective option and a real bargain to be honest!

The Airlink bus to the city centre

The journey time for the Airlink 100 bus is around 30 minutes and a single adult ticket costs £3.50. If you plan to take the bus back to the airport, buy a return ticket for £6.00. If you have under-16s with you, they (or you!) will pay £2 for a single ticket and £3 for a return ticket.

The Airlink 100 leaves from the airport every 10 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes between 4.50am and 6.50am. There is also a night bus service running every 30 minutes between 12.47am and 4.13am.

For the Edinburgh Airport Bus timetable and the exact route please click here!

The main advantage of the airport bus is that the journey time of 30 minutes is almost guaranteed as Edinburgh has an excellent and strict bus lane system enabling buses to zip through the city avoiding the traffic.

Whatever decision you make you will get into the city centre of Edinburgh for a reasonable price. Just remember to make your decision according to your circumstances. If you are on your own or with one other person, the Airlink 100 Bus is by far the best option!

So you've made it into Edinburgh city centre!

Now that you are at the heart of the action you will be itching to see some great sights. Let the fun begin!

The first thing you will notice when you are standing in the heart of the city is how beautifully imposing Edinburgh Castle is. You will no doubt want to stand and take in our majestic centre-piece for a little while.

Then you will probably get the impression that you are within walking distance of many key attractions. You are. Edinburgh is a city made for walking, sauntering, strolling or whatever you want to call it! Just wander...

The red and white Lothian Buses

Edinburgh tourist attractions such as the Castle, the High Street (Royal Mile), Holyrood Palace, Arthur's Seat, the Scott Monument and Calton Hill to name a few are all within walking distance. Take advantage of it!

Should you want to venture further afield to some of Edinburgh's less frequented yet enticing attractions or uncover some of our hidden gems, Edinburgh's bus network is there for you.

Throughout this website I will provide you with bus route information to make finding your points of interest a stroll in the summer. Check out my Edinburgh Tourist Attractions and Insider Tips pages for all the help you need.

The majority of Lothian Buses and First Buses run either through or close to Princes which is regarded by the locals as the city centre of Edinburgh. Princes Street tends to be the half-way point of bus routes as most routes run from one side of the city to the other.

This means that you can get to almost every place of interest from the Princes Street area. Once you have identified your bus, look for that bus' number at the numerous bus stops along Princes Street.

For all the information you need on bus routes in Edinburgh visit the Lothian Buses and First Group websites. On the Lothian Buses website you can scroll down to the bottom and click on 'route maps' for an excellent interactive route map detailing every route available and some of the attractions these routes pass by.

For example, the routes 12, 26, 31 and 48 will all take you from the Princes Street Gardens side of Princes Street to Edinburgh Zoo in around 15 minutes.

The number 10 route to Bonaly will to take you from Princes Street to the beautiful yet rarely talked-about Pentland Hills in around 30 minutes.

The purple and white First Group buses

On Princes Street you will notice that buses usually only stop 2 or 3 times so you will have to get yourself to the correct bus stop. Lothian Buses  are highlighted in red and First Group buses in pink. If you are in doubt, simply ask one of the locals and they will help you!

A single ticket to anywhere in the city will cost £1.20 for an adult and £0.70 for under-16s.

If you plan to make more than two bus journeys in one day the most cost-effective option for you is to buy a  day ticket. This will cost £3.00 for an adult and £2.40 for under-16s. Not bad at all for unlimited travel!

A very important point to note is the payment system on public transport in Edinburgh. Lothian Buses and First Group only accept exact change! If you want to purchase a single ticket and you only have two £1 coins you will not receive any change back! So please remember to have exact change for bus or you will be throwing your money away!

The vast majority of bus services run until between 11.30pm and midnight. If you find yourself out on the town after midnight and your accommodation is outside the city centre, you can take advantage of one of Edinburgh's many night bus routes.

The price for all-night travel on Lothian Buses night bus routes is £3. Much cheaper than getting a taxi! But please.....remember to have the correct change!

Night buses operate an hourly service. Therefore it is important to check in advance what time your night bus leaves at and where from to make this a feasible option for getting home!