Getting to Edinburgh
With excellent air links and rail and road network, getting to Edinburgh from overseas or within the UK has never been easier.
Plane:
 |
Edinburgh International Airport is located 10km (6 miles) from the Congress venue of the EICC. Currently 155 scheduled routes are available with new routes continuing to be added. For information on current routes available, please click here.Examples of direct daily European flights includes:
|
Estimated flying time:
| Edinburgh – London | 1hr 25mins |
| Edinburgh – Paris | 2hrs 10mins |
| Edinburgh – Amsterdam | 1hr 40mins |
| Edinburgh – Frankfurt | 4hrs 45mins |
| Edinburgh – New York | 10hrs |
With most European destinations within 3 hours of Edinburgh, this offers a short journey time and low cost travel.
From Edinburgh Airport by Bus
The Airlink 100 operates a frequent bus service (every 10 minutes at peak times) between Edinburgh Airport and the city centre, with designated stops en route. The service starts at 04.30 and runs until 00.22 at night, with the journey taking 20 minutes. Tickets cost £4.00 single and £7.00 return.
Delegates wishing to make their way directly to the EICC are advised to disembark at Haymarket Railway Station and to follow signs for EICC on foot (5 minute walk).
The N22 bus also departs from outside the Airport entrance and runs every half an hour through the night until the Airlink service starts again. For more information about these services, please visit www.flybybus.com.
From Edinburgh Airport by Taxi
There is an excellent taxi service from the airport to the city. Official airport taxis can be found at the taxi rank outside the terminal building (follow the signs within the airport). It costs approximately £20 to get a taxi from the airport to the city centre and the journey takes 30 minutes depending on the time of day.
From Edinburgh Airport by Tram
Trams offer a frequent and reliable service linking the airport and the city centre. Interchange with rail services is available at Edinburgh Park and Haymarket stations. Other stops include Murrayfield Stadium and Princes Street. Trams run approximately every 8-12 minutes and the average journey time to the city centre 35 minutes. Fares are: Adult single £5.00, adult return £8.00 amd tickets can be purchased from the ticket machines at the tram halt.
Rail:
 |
Edinburgh is easy to reach by train. Regular services run to the capital from around the country and the East Coast line is the fastest intercity railway in the UK, meaning trains from London to Edinburgh take less than 5 hours.Edinburgh has great rail links to other major cities too. York, Newcastle, Inverness and Aberdeen are all about 2 hours away while Glasgow is just 50 minutes away on the First ScotRail service which leaves Waverley train station every 15 minutes.ScotRail also operate an overnight service, the Caledonian Sleeper between London (Euston) and Edinburgh every night of the week. |
The following companies can provide more information on cross-border rail services:
- East Coast: For routes to Edinburgh Waverley train station from London via the East Coast main line
- Virgin Trains: For routes to Edinburgh Waverley train station from Birmingham via the Lake District, Carlisle and Lockerbie
- First TransPennine Express: For routes to Edinburgh Waverley train station from Manchester and Manchester Airport via the Lake District, Carlisle and Lockerbie
- Cross Country Trains: For routes to Edinburgh Waverley train station from south west England via Birmingham and Newcastle
- First Scotrail: For routes to Edinburgh Waverley train station from stations around Scotland
For all your timetables and fares UK wide
National Rail Enquiries – contact number: 08457 48 49 50
For all your rail travel requirements
Traveline Scotland – contact number: 0871 200 22 33
Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket Stations
Edinburgh has two main train stations: Edinburgh Waverley, which is in the heart of the city centre and Haymarket which lies a mile or so west of Princes Street.
Both stations operate security barriers so you need to buy your tickets before boarding the train (for some services you can’t get onto the platform without a ticket).
There are other stations in the area which operate local and fast express services, tickets for these trains can be purchased at the station you’re travelling from or on board the train. Remember that it may be better value to buy your ticket at the station rather than on the train.
Road:
 |
Scotland has an extensive motorway road network. The city of Edinburgh is linked to Glasgow with the M8 and routes from England on the M6.If you’re travelling from the north of Scotland, for example, Edinburgh is only 3 hours from Inverness and just over 2 hours from Aberdeen. Journey times from England are just as good; you can get here from Birmingham in about 5.5 hours, from Manchester and York in about 4 hours, and the city is just 2.5 hours from Newcastle. |
The EICC is right in the centre of Edinburgh. The main entrance is on Morrison Street. For directions from your home or office, please visit www.multimap.com and input EH3 8EE for the destination postcode.
Bus:
 |
Edinburgh’s main bus terminal is located at St Andrews Square. Bus connections stretch right across the UK. For details of these routes visit: www.nationalexpress.com or www.citylink.co.uk.For information on local bus services throughout Edinburgh visit www.lothianbuses.com. |
Getting around Edinburgh
Getting around Edinburgh is easy as it’s a compact city that’s easy to explore on foot, by bike or using the excellent local bus network that covers the majority of the city. Good train and bus services also allow you to explore the wider Lothian region.