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| Scotland
Travel - Internal |
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Taxis
Edinburgh’s taxis are mainly black hackney cabs and
can be safely hailed in the street. All are licensed and have
meters fitted. Some form of driver ID should be prominently
displayed. Taxi companies include City
Cabs (tel: (0131) 228 1211) and Central
Radio Taxis (tel: (0131) 229 2468). Rates are fairly expensive
at about £1.80 per kilometre (£2.30 per mile).
A tip of 10 per cent is expected.
Public
Transport
Traveline
(tel: (0870) 6082608), provides information on all bus, coach
and train routes within Lothian. The office is open from Monday
to Friday 0830 hrs-1700 hrs (telephone lines operate
until 2000 hrs). There is no light rail or tram system within
the city and Edinburgh commuters rely on the frequent bus
services.
Lothian
Buses, 27 Hanover Street (tel: (0131) 555 6363), provides
bus services within the city and to outlying districts, as
does First Edinburgh
(tel: (08708) 727271). The Council ‘Greenways Scheme’
makes it illegal for drivers to park on the city’s main
arteries and gives buses exclusive, green tarmac lanes. As
a result, the bus service flows fairly freely 0600 hrs-2400
hrs, after which the night bus service comes into operation.
Fares range from 80 pence to £1.00 – night
buses charge £2 and exact change is required.
There are a number of passes allowing reduced
fares. Lothian Buses sell a Daysaver ticket
that gives unlimited travel on its routes (including those
outside the city) for £2.50 before 0930 hrs and £1.80
after 0930 hrs and at weekends. Lothian Buses
also sells weekly (£11.00) and four-weekly (£33.00)
passes, which allow unlimited travel on Lothian Buses within
these time frames. First Edinburgh has a
£2.20-4.75 (depending on zones) day pass, allowing unlimited
travel throughout the whole of Edinburgh and some outlying
areas in a 24-hour period.
A new One-Ticket covers travel on both bus
and train throughout Edinburgh and the outlying areas. A One-Ticket
daily pass for all buses (Lothian and First Edinburgh) costs
£2.90 or £5.50 for use on buses and trains. A
weekly One-Ticket for all buses costs £13.50 or £23
for use on buses and trains. Tickets and Daysaver
passes are available for purchase on the bus, although exact
change is required. All other passes must be purchased
at the Waverley Bridge Ticket Centre, Waverley Bridge (tel:
(0131) 555 6363), open daily 0830-1730 (summer) and 0830-1600
(winter).
Rail service in Edinburgh is as bad as it is in the rest of
Britain. While long distance services are fairly reliable
(especially the GNER service to London), other trains can
be cancelled at the last minute, with no explanation. The
major rail service provider for routes to and from the south
is Great North East Railway
– GNER (tel: (0845) 722 5225), while Scotrail
(tel: (0845) 755 0033) operates all services within Scotland,
as well as a London-Edinburgh link. National Rail Enquiries
(tel: (0845) 748 4950) provides 24-hour timetable and fare
information for all train companies.
Edinburgh has two train stations – Waverley
station (located right in the heart of the city,
at the East End of Princes Street) and Haymarket station
(at the junction of Dalry Road and Haymarket, in the West
End). Facilities at Waverley include a food mall, a newsagent
and a pub.
Scotrail
(see above) operates a train service from Glasgow
to Edinburgh every 15 minutes (journey time –
50 minutes). Scotrail’s Caledonian Sleeper, between
London (Euston) and Edinburgh,
runs every night except Saturday (journey time – 6 hours
and 45 minutes). Virgin
Trains (tel: (0845) 722 2333) operates a direct service
between Manchester and Edinburgh, three times
a day (journey time – 3 hours). GNER
operates a direct half-hourly service between London (Kings
Cross) and Edinburgh (journey time – 4 hours and 30
minutes).
Waverley station and Haymarket station are within walking
distance of the Old Town and the New Town. The stations are
also served by numerous bus routes and taxis.
Strathclyde
Passenger Transport (tel: (0870) 608 2608, for the Traveline
information hotline) is the region’s passenger transport
authority and manages the underground. Information and tickets
can also be obtained in person from the Travel Centre,
St Enoch Square (Monday-Saturday 0830 hrs-1730 hrs) and at
Buchanan bus station (Monday-Saturday 0630
hrs-2230 hrs and Sunday 0700 hrs-2230 hrs). There are also
Travel Centres at domestic arrivals at Glasgow Airport and
Hillhead underground station.
Glasgow is served by a 15-station underground
system known as the ‘Clockwork Orange’,
which runs in a six-mile loop through the city centre and
the West End, every four-eight minutes, Monday-Saturday 0630
hrs-2320 hrs and Sunday 1100 hrs-1750 hrs. There are connections
to overland rail services at Queen Street station via Buchanan
Street underground and to commuter rail services at Partick
station. Underground tickets cost £0.90 and are available
for purchase from ticket machines or counters, which are located
in the station.
The suburban commuter rail network, run by
Scotrail (tel: (0845)
755 0033) on behalf of the SPT (see above), is the largest
in Britain outside of London. Services run between 0630 hrs
and 2400 hrs, although different services vary, with later
starts at the weekend. National
Rail Enquiries (tel: (08457) 484 950) provides 24-hour
information on timetables and fares. Fares start at £0.85
within the city centre and are available for purchase from
ticket machines or counters, which are located in the stations.
These services are complemented by an extensive bus
network, which is provided by a number of competing operators.
Services run roughly between 0600 hrs and 2300 hrs Monday-Friday,
with a slightly later start at the weekend. However, some
specific routes continue through the night. Fares start at
£0.57 and rise to £1.07 for most journeys. Tickets
are available for purchase (exact change only) from the driver.
The Discovery Ticket pass offers unlimited
underground travel for one day for £1.70 (not valid
before 0930 hrs Monday-Saturday), while the Roundabout
Ticket costing £3.50 allows for unlimited travel
by train and underground for one day (not valid before 0900
hrs Monday-Friday). The Daytripper Ticket
costs £8 for one adult plus two children (£14
for larger families) and is valid for the underground, rail,
most buses and some ferries. Passes are available at Travel
Centres and larger rail stations.
Limousines
Little’s
Chauffeur Drive (tel: (0131) 334 2177; fax: (0141) 891
5766; e-mail: reservations@littles.co.uk) has a fleet of Daimlers,
Mercedes, people carriers and Volvo limousines. A ride from
the airport to the city centre costs £40-55 (plus VAT),
while hire for eight hours and 60km (40 miles) costs £160-220
(plus VAT).
WL
Sleigh Ltd (tel: (0131) 337 3171; fax: (0131) 346 8335;
e-mail: info@sleigh.co.uk) hires out Mercedes and people carriers.
Eight hours hire in the city centre costs £216 (plus
VAT), hourly hire is from £27.00 in the city centre,
£35.00 outlying areas and airport transfer costs from
£45.00.
Car Hire
Regulations vary from company to company, however, in all
cases, drivers will require a valid driving licence
to hire a car in the UK. In most cases, this can
be a national driving licence, although an International
Driving Permit may be preferred if the licence is not in English.
Separate proof of address is often required. A credit
card is also essential. It is important for visitors
to check what level of insurance is included in the price
of car hire. In general, drivers have to be over 23
to hire a car.
Avis
(tel: (0131) 337 6363 or (08700) 100 287) charges from £44.50
per day, including unlimited mileage, collision damage waiver,
theft protection and tax. Hertz
(tel: (0131) 556 8311; or (0870) 846 0013) charges from £40
per day, including unlimited mileage, collision damage waiver,
service charge and tax. Arnold
Clark Car Rental (tel: (0131) 228 4747) charges from £18
per day. |
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