Bicycle

Thanks to the efforts of local cycling campaign group Spokes and a bike-friendly city council, Edinburgh is well equipped with bike lanes and dedicated cycle tracks. You can buy a map of the city’s cycle routes from most bike shops.

Biketrax rents out mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, road bikes, Brompton folding bikes and electric bikes. You’ll need a debit- or credit-card deposit and photographic ID.

Bus

Bus timetables, route maps and fare guides are posted at all main bus and tram stops, and you can pick up a copy of the free Lothian Buses Route Map from Lothian Buses Travelshops on Waverley Bridge and Hanover St. On Lothian Buses you must pay the driver the exact fare, but First buses will give change. Lothian Bus drivers also sell a day ticket (£4) that gives unlimited travel on Lothian buses and trams for a day; a family day ticket (up to two adults and three children) costs £8.50.

Night-service buses, which run hourly between midnight and 5am, charge a flat fare of £3.50. You can also buy a Ridacard (from Travelshops; not available from bus drivers) that gives unlimited travel for one week for £19.

Car & Motorcycle

Though useful for day trips beyond the city, a car in central Edinburgh is more of a liability than a convenience. There is restricted access on Princes St, George St and Charlotte Sq, many streets are one way, and finding a parking place in the city centre is like striking gold. Queen’s Dr around Holyrood Park is closed to motorised traffic on Sunday.

Car Hire

All the big international car-rental agencies have offices in Edinburgh, including Avis and Europcar.There are many smaller, local agencies that offer better rates. Arnold Clark charges from £46/230 per day/week for a small car, including VAT and insurance.

Taxi

Edinburgh’s black taxis can be hailed in the street, ordered by phone (extra 80p charge) or picked up at one of the many central ranks. The minimum charge is £2.10 (£3.10 at night) for the first 450m, then 25p for every subsequent 184m – a typical 2-mile trip across the city centre will cost around £6 to £7. Tipping is up to you – because of the high fares, local people rarely tip on short journeys, but they occasionally round up to the nearest 50p on longer ones.

Tram

Edinburgh’s tram system (www.edinburghtrams.com) consists of one line from Edinburgh Airport to York Pl, at the top of Leith Walk, via Haymarket, the West End and Princes St.

Tickets are integrated with the city’s Lothian Buses, costing £1.70 for a single journey within the city boundary, or £6 to the airport. Trams run every eight to 10 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 12 to 15 minutes on Sunday, from 5.30am to 11pm.