LOCAL TRAVEL EDINBURGH
Getting around town and to your university will most likely be done on foot, by bus, or via use of a bike on cycle routes that most university towns have. Some towns also have a subway system such as London (Underground), Glasgow (Subway), Newcastle (Tyne and Wear Metro) or Birmingham (Midland Metro). Other cities have a Tram network such as Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield. In these particular cities, you will find that the various modes of transportation are linked under one payment system such as is the case with the Oyster Card which can be used to access the Underground as well as any of the red public buses in London. Click on your city below and find out how to secure your preferred mode of transport.
Bike
Where can I buy a bike?
Edinburgh is cyclist-friendly with plenty of lanes and safe zones and there are a few options for where you can buy a bike. The first of which is online through Gumtree. With Gumtree, you can pay only on collection and in cash. So do not feel the need to advance any money to any seller even if they demand this.
There are also local shops across town that sell bikes with some offering student discounts of up to 10%. They include: BG Cylces, Pedal Forth, Projektride, Soul Cycles, The Bike Station, The Wee Spoke Hub and Velow.
If you would rather hire a bike, you may want to consider EZ Bike Tours.
Bus
Young Persons’ Travel Scheme: Anyone under the age of 21 can apply for a YPTS card which entitles you to FREE travel on all bus services in Scotland. To qualify, you must meet the age requirement and be resident in Scotland for majority of the year (at least 6 months). You can apply here.
The best thing about the public transportation system in Edinburgh is that the bus and tram service are all managed by the same operator, Lothian Buses. Those of you arriving via Edinburgh Airport can get the tram from the airport to the city centre. It even extends to Newhaven and Leith, if you will be living that far.
Because you will staying in Edinburgh for a considerable length of time, we strongly recommend you get a RIDACARD. It is simply a pre-paid ticket that allows you to travel on all the networks at any time of the day. There are 1-week, 4-week and 9-month RIDACARD tickets that you can get depending on your usage. Once you pay for one, you never have to worry about paying a fare before hopping on a bus or a tram. You simply show your RIDACARD to the bus driver or tram conductor.
1-week Advance Purchase: £19
4-week Advance Purchase: £57
9-month Advance Purchase: £500.
4-week Advance Purchase: £57
9-month Advance Purchase: £500.
You may apply for a RIDACARD here.
Taxi
Train
Can I get Student Discounts on Rail Travel?
Access to Scotland and the wider UK is served by an extensive rail network from Edinburgh Waverley Station. We highly recommend you apply for the 16-25 Railcard which saves you 1/3rd off the price of any rail ticket. If you are older than 25, do not worry. You can apply as a mature student. It costs only £30 for the whole year and is renewable if you are staying beyond a year. You can apply here.
Where can I buy train tickets?
Once you have got your Railcard, we recommend you use the Trainline ticketing platform to buy your ticket. You can download the app here and not only get tickets but also check timetables and updates.
REMEMBER!!! Before checking-out, make sure you include that you have a Railcard in order for your 1/3rd discount to be applied. Also remember to carry your Railcard with you (whether physical or digital) as it will be checked on the train by the train conductor.