Edinburgh Castle

By bus

Edinburgh has two main bus companies, Lothian Buses, which is majority-owned by Edinburgh City Council, and First, a private operator. These two companies share the same bus stops, but the route numbers and tickets are not interchangeable and they operate different fare structures.
Lothian Buses is the largest operator in the city and its distinctive burgundy and cream colored buses have become as much a symbol of Edinburgh as its buildings. Many routes have different colored buses, which can help to identify at a glance which bus is approaching.
Edinburgh Coach Lines, a bus of use to many visitors as it is the only route serving the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Dean Gallery.  
Lothian buses that operate sightseeing buses in several different brandings. All have a policy that a sightseeing ticket is valid for 24 hours, so you can get around central Edinburgh quite handily using the sightseeing buses. Each sightseeing bus follows a different route around the city, but they all start and finish at Waverley Bridge, adjacent to Waverley Station on Princes Street. 

By train

A small number of suburban rail routes run from Waverley station, most of the stations lying in the south-west and south-east suburbs of the city, and are useful for reaching the outer suburbs and towns of Balerno, Currie, Wester Hailes, Wallyford, Prestonpans, Musselburgh, South Queensferry, Newcraighall and a useful link to Edinburgh Park which is adjacent to the Gyle shopping complex. Services to North Berwick, Bathgate, Fife or Glasgow Central will make stops at these various stations. Note that standard National Rail fares apply to these trains - there are no credible daily season ticket options available. Check at the station before you board!

By car

Central Edinburgh is a nightmare to drive in, particularly the Old Town with its tangle of medieval streets with their associated one way systems. The New Town fares slightly better, but the scourge "Blue Meanies" who mercilessly swoop on vehicles which may have only been illegally parked for a matter of minutes. It is best to take a bus and/or walk. Park and Ride facilities provide access to the city center.
Edinburgh operates a Controlled Parking Zone in the city center. On-street parking is mostly for residents with a parking permit. However, some Pay and Display on-street parking bays are available for anyone. To find these bays, the Edinburgh Council provides an interactive and detailed map for on-street parking bays. It lists charges for different parking areas as well as days and times when the charges are required. Typically parking tickets are free of charge after 18:30 and before 8:30, and for the entire day on Sundays.
Drivers should beware of trams.

By foot

Edinburgh is a beautiful city that's full of history. There is no better way to see it than to walk, though it should be noted that this is not for the faint-hearted as they city consists of many steep hills.

By tram

A single tram line has recently been built which links St Andrew Square in the center of Edinburgh to Edinburgh Airport on the west, passing through the New Town along Princes Street. Between Haymarket station and the airport, the tram runs on an off-road track but runs on the road between Haymarket and St Andrew Square. 

By taxi

Like most major British cities, Edinburgh offers a choice between Black Cabs, carrying up to 5 passengers, which can be hailed on the street, and minicabs, which must be pre-booked. Black cabs display an orange light above the windscreen to indicate that they are available to hire. It's usually quite easy to find a cab in and around the city center, and on the main radial routes running out of the center. There are also Taxi Ranks dotted around the city, where black cabs will line up to be hired. Taxi Rank locations include:

• Outside the main entrances of Haymarket and Waverley train stations.
• Opposite the Caledonian Hotel and Sheraton Hotel (both near the West End), The George Hotel (east end of George Street) and the Crowne Plaza Hotel (High Street, Royal Mile).
• St Patrick's Square, off South Bridge
• Leith Bridge, close to The Shore and Commercial Quay, in Leith

The main taxi firms operating within the city are:

• Central Radio Taxis, ☎ +44 131 229-2468. Black Cabs.
• City Cabs, ☎ +44 131 228-1211. Black Cabs.
• Edinburgh Taxi, ☎ +44 131 610-1234. Minicabs, saloon cars, MPV's with 8 seats and chauffeur driven vehicles.
• Festival Cars, ☎ +44 131 552-1777. Minicabs - mostly saloon cars but also have people carriers with up to 8 seats. Let them know the number in your party when you book.

By bicycle

The Edinburgh Innertube map gives a good overview of off-street cycle paths in and around the city center. Many paths are along canals or rivers, through parks, and on former railway lines.
You can rent bikes from the following places:

• BikeTrax, 11-13 Lochrin Place, Tollcross, ☎ +44 131 228-6633. 
• Leith Cycle Co, 276 Leith Walk, ☎ +44 131 467-7775. 
• Pedal Forth, 17 East Cromwell St, Leith, ☎ +44 131 554-9990. 
• Cycle Scotland, 29 Blackfriars Street, EH1 1NB, ☎ +44 131 556-5560.

Edinburgh is well connected to the National Cycle Network (NCN) and there are many routes around Edinburgh (see also OpenCycleMap) with a variety of places accessible within a days cycling - Glasgow, Stirling, Falkirk, Musselburgh, and Dunbar - all of which have train stations for the return journey. The number 1 route which goes south from Edinburgh to Melrose in the borders and then east to Berwick-upon-Tweed (and then back on the train) can be done in one weekend with a variety of accommodation available for an overnight stay in the historic border town of Melrose.