Travelling to the ESB2010 Congress in Edinburgh

The 2010 congress is taking place in the George Square campus of The University of Edinburgh. This is located in the centre of the city just over half a mile south of Waverley Station and Princes Street.

Edinburgh has excellent transport links with the UK and with Europe.

For additional travel information, visit the Scottish Tourist Board web site: www.visitscotland.com

By Train

Trains (GNER) from London Kings Cross leave every hour, with a journey time scheduled at slightly under 4.5 hours. GNER trains travel up the east coast line. The GNER web site is www.gner.co.uk.

Virgin trains provide direct cross country services to many other cities in England. The Virgin trains web site is www.virgin.com/trains.

For details on timetables, see www.nationalrail.co.uk or telephone 08457 48 49 50.

Edinburgh's principal railway terminus is Waverley Station, less than 15 minutes walk from the University. A taxi from here to the University will cost around £5 and you can find them inside the station. There is also Haymarket Station, at the west end of Princes Street where trains from the West Coast or from Glasgow will also stop.

By Coach/Bus

Coaches arrive in St Andrews Square Station located north of Princes St.  From here you can walk to the University in 20 minutes or find a taxi rank outside of the bus station.

There are frequent services from London Victoria Bus Station to Edinburgh. Further information can be obtained from www.nationalexpress.com or telephone 08705 808 080.

By Air

Edinburgh Airport (tel: 0870 040 0007 / web: www.edinburghairport.com) has direct flights to most UK airports and to most European capitals. It is located about a 20 minute drive west of the city centre. A taxi from the airport to the University should cost £17-£20, depending on the time of day. Lothian Region Transport operates a frequent Airline bus from the airport to Haymarket and Waverley train stations (£5 return fare, journey time 25-30 mins).

Discount carriers Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) operate services between London Gatwick, Luton and Stansted airports to Edinburgh, along with services to other regional airports around the UK. Flybe (www.flybe.com) operate services between Birmingham airports and Edinburgh. Advance purchase fares can be as little as £35 return fare on these routes if booked well in advance. A similar fare is also available between Edinburgh and Dublin, and Belfast.

British Airways and British Midland fly between Edinburgh and London Heathrow (BA also has flights to London Gatwick). Advance purchase fares from these airlines are usually around £70 but are seldom available at peak flight times. British European flies between London City Airport and Edinburgh.

Parking

There is parking available throughout the central area of the George Square campus.  A ticketed system is operated for street-side parking spots and limits time restrictions to between 4 and 8 hours.  Public car parks are available within walking distance for a cheaper cost and have no time restrictions. 

Travel within Edinburgh

The congress venue is within walking distance to both the reserved accommodation the main shopping areas. Edinburgh's city centre is compact, so you may find that walking is the best way to get around. The city does not have an underground system and a new tram system is under construction and expected to be fully operational by July 2011.  Edinburgh does have a frequent and comprehensive bus service. The main operator within Edinburgh in Lothian Regional Transport website www.lothianbuses.co.uk / tel: 0131 555 6363. Please note LRT buses do not give change so the correct amount is useful.  Single journeys of any distance will cost £1.20 and unlimited travel ‘day-tickets’ will cost £3. Taxis are also easy to find on most major thoroughfares. There are some taxi numbers detailed below:

Central Taxis Tel: 0131 229 2468

Direct Cabs Tel: 0131 444 1313

Radiocabs Tel: 0131 225 9000

Disclaimer: these links are for information only. Inclusion does not imply any endorsement of content by The University of Edinburgh nor any responsibility for accuracy or maintenance.

If at any point you have difficulties planning your journey, please do not hesitate to contact the congress office on esb2010@ed.ac.uk or Tel: +44 (0) 131 651 1819.