Edinburgh is considered the most walkable city in the United Kingdom— and for good reason! Shops are clustered close together, sidewalks line every street, and almost everything you could need is within a 20-minute walking distance. I’m lucky to live in an especially central location: 12 minutes from my classes, five minutes from the nearest grocery store and only two minutes from the gym! While I’ve stuck to walking since I arrived, other popular forms of transportation include buses, trams and taxis. Read on, and I’ll walk you through the basics of the different transportation systems here in Edinburgh.
Walking is by far the most popular way to get around Edinburgh. With all of the narrow pathways and spiraling streets, walking around the city is especially convenient. It’s also a great form of exercise, and with all of the hills in Scotland, breaking a sweat is pretty easy. Fun fact: many American universities have Mountaineering Clubs (groups of people who climb mountains), but since Edinburgh has hills instead of mountains, the University of Edinburgh has its very own Hill-walking Club!
Besides walking, people here use buses, trams and taxis. Lothian Buses is the name of the major bus company used in Edinburgh, and tickets are reasonably priced at £1.70 for a single ride, or £4.00 for the full day.
