Edinburgh is a small but mighty city. As Scotland’s capital, it’s packed to the brim with stuff to see and do, but whether you fancy hiking up Arthurs Seat or chilling out in one of it’s many, many fabulous brunch spots, you can pretty much walk to and from anywhere you like.
That said, if you find yourself in need of public transport to get you somewhere, this city has your back. In Time Out’s global best cities survey 2025, 80 percent of Edinburgh locals told us that they have a positive view of its transport network, making it the 15th best city in the world for public transport.
Attractions that are a little further outside the city centre, such as Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh Zoo and Portobello Beach, are made easily accessible by Edinburgh’s reliable fleet of 730 Lothian Buses that run day and night along 2,900 stops. You can even get from Waverley Bridge (right by the main train station) to Edinburgh Airport by bus in just half an hour via the Airlink 100, which runs every 10 minutes.
Then there’s the trams, which run every seven minutes and efficiently ferry people through key places like the airport, Murrayfield Stadium, Haymarket, Princes Street and down into Leith. They’ve been about since 2014, but the whole network only just reached completion in 2023.
The bus and tram fares across the city will increase by 10 percent in April, but getting around Edinburgh still remains relatively cheap. Adult single fares have gone up to £2.20 and kids’ fares have been pushed to £1.10. Adult return fare will rise from £3.80 to £4.20 while day tickets are increasing to £5.50.
There’s even more innovation going into Edinburgh’s public transport offering over the next few years. Right now, there’s a consultation happening over whether to introduce a controversial new tram route and rumoured discussions going on about launching a hovercraft service between the city and Fife.
See Time Out’s full ranking of the world’s best cities for public transport here.
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