In August, all roads lead to Edinburgh. Find out the best ways of exploring the Festival City and how to get here.

Getting around Edinburgh

We encourage you to think green and explore the city on foot, by bike or by public transport wherever possible.

Walking and cycling

Edinburgh is best explored by foot; it's the greenest option and also allows you to discover the city’s labyrinth of secret alleyways and staircases. Given the sheer volume of visitors to Edinburgh in August, it’s often quicker to walk anyway!

If walking isn’t your thing, the City of Edinburgh Council is an excellent source of information on cycle paths and routes, bike security and bike parking options.

Public transport

Edinburgh has a comprehensive local bus service that covers all of our International Festival venues. Lothian Buses have won awards for their service and have heavily invested in hybrid technologies, making their buses among the greenest fleets in the UK.

They also run a convenient Airlink Bus and Tram service from the airport directly into the city centre.

Visit First Buses for information on bus services to Edinburgh from in and around central Scotland.

Edinburgh taxis

ComCabs: 0131 272 8000
Central Taxis: 0131 229 2468
City Cabs: 0131 228 1211

Taxis are also available from ranks throughout the city.

Parking

Parking in the city centre is limited, but there are some pay and display on-street parking opportunities as well as NCP car parks around the city.

You can find out more information about parking on the City of Edinburgh Council website.

Travelling to Edinburgh

If you are travelling from another UK city, please consider the environmental impact of your chosen form of transport. Travelling by train or bus can often take the same length of time as flying when you consider check-in times.

Read our tips below and visit Forever Edinburgh or VisitScotland for more information.

By rail

Waverley Station is located in the heart of the City. Edinburgh enjoys frequent and direct train services from all major towns and cities in the UK. These services are provided by LNER, Virgin Trains, ScotRail and more.

Services between Edinburgh and Glasgow are very frequent and operated by ScotRail. During August, they run more services, late night trains, and extra carriages to help get you to and from the festival.

For all train times, fares and disruption information, visit National Rail.

By road

Reduce your carbon footprint, and save money in the process, by considering a car share. Information about car sharing can be found at Tripshare Edinburgh.

You can easily get to Edinburgh by road from around the rest of Britain using coach services. Stagecoach, National Express and Megabus all provide frequent services to Edinburgh.

By air

Edinburgh Airport operates over 333 flights per day to destinations around the world. The airport is only a short bus or tram ride away from the city centre and Edinburgh Waverley station is very central and has frequent arrivals from all over the UK.

Travelling from Edinburgh

Taking the train down South the last weekend of the Festival (24-26 Aug)? Please note there is planned engineering work. The statement from LNER is as follows:

Overview

Between 22:00 on Saturday 24 August and 08:00 on Monday 26 August, major upgrade work will be taking place on the southern part of the LNER route between St Neots and London Kings Cross as part of the East Coast Digital Programme. The biggest impact to LNER’s planned timetable will be on Sunday 25 August when there will be no direct trains to or from London Kings Cross.

Customer advice:

LNER services will be largely unaffected on Sunday 24 and Monday 26 August, although there are some changes to late night services on the Saturday and early morning trains on the Monday. We are advising customers to check their journey before they travel throughout this period.

On Sunday 25 August, southbound LNER services from Edinburgh will terminate at St Neots. Rail replacement coaches will provide a connection to Bedford, where customers can join alternative train services operated by Thameslink towards London St Pancras. This adds approximately 90 minutes on to the usual journey time between Edinburgh and London.

LNER have created a robust rail replacement plan to connect with fast and frequent trains to London to ensure that customers can complete their journey on Sunday 25 August. Alternative routes via Carlisle and the West Coast Mainline to London Euston are expected to be busier than usual due to the closure of our route and we would encourage customers travelling south to make use of our alternative route via St Neots to complete their journey.

For further information on the project, please visit: www.eastcoastdigitalprogramme.co.uk

*Car Hire Offer T&Cs

Hire must be collected between 1st April – 31st August 2024 (both dates inclusive and subject to availability) to receive this offer. 24-hour minimum hire. Offer valid on daily car rental bookings only. Excludes vans, nine-seater vehicles, dual control hires, business hires and additional services (additional driver, dash cam, excess waiver, refund guarantee and child seats). The discount code ‘FEST’ must be quoted in person, over the phone or redeemed online. For a full refund, cancellations must be made at least 48 hours before hire. One day of vehicle hire will be charged for cancellations made less than 48 hours before the hire is due to commence. If you opt to pay the refund guarantee charge when booking, you can cancel at any time and receive a full refund, including the £5 original fee you paid for the guarantee. Mileage restrictions apply. Cars rented up to three days are given 250 miles per day free of charge, with additional mileage charged at 10p per mile. Mileage is unlimited for car hires of four days or more. If a car hire exceeds 28 days or more, 2,500 miles are included free of charge, with additional mileage charged at 10p per mile. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer, discount or promotion. No alternative options available. Arnold Clark reserves the right to refuse rental and to amend terms and conditions without notice. Valid while stocks last.