Her flat is a 40-minute walk from campus, and rather than making that trek by foot every day, she takes a 15-minute bus ride instead. Although Edinburgh is a very walkable city, the public transportation system here makes getting around more convenient for everyone.
Walking is part of the charm of Edinburgh. For example, one of the most popular and historic parts of Edinburgh is the Royal Mile. Within 20 minutes, I can walk down the Royal Mile and see most of the famous spots in the city, like Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles’ Cathedral and Holyrood Palace, with plenty of local restaurants and bagpipe players along the way. Instead of trying to appreciate all of the sights and sounds from the seat of a car, walking puts me right in the middle of the bustling activity.
Some Edinburgh students also bike to get around the city, but bikers are much less common here than they are in other European cities. The hills in Scotland make it much more tiring for bikers to get around. Meanwhile, if you go to cities in Europe with flat terrain, like Amsterdam in the Netherlands or Copenhagen in Denmark, you’ll see groups of bikers everywhere you go. That being said, Edinburgh does have a few public bike racks for the few people who are brave enough to cycle the hilly terrain.
Whether you take a bus, tram or taxi, you’ll be doing your fair share of travelling by foot here in Edinburgh. It can be tiring going up and down these hills every day, but without a doubt, walking has helped me fully appreciate the magic of this city.
