To go off the campus, we had to take transport. There is no subway. You have the possibility to take a taxi or buses. There are a lot of buses that come to Heriot-Watt University (Riccarton Station) so it is very easy to get about.  

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FROM THE AIRPORT:

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Airlink/Skylink :

Shuttle buses every 10-30 minutes, depends on the line could be jam-packed an old bus. Nonetheless, we DO NOT recommend public transports to go from the airport to HWU especially if you carry heavy luggages.

Tickets: You can buy a ticket through the app, from the driver, contactless on the bus or at the airport.

Adult price:  single: £4.50               return: £7.50

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Tram :

One line, every 10 minutes on average

Tickets: You should buy a ticket just before the journey.

Adult price:  single: £6.00               return: £8.50

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Transportation Network companies:

Uber or you can use the app "cheaper" which is great

Gett is one of its competitors well used in Edinburgh

Prices are a little bit lower than in France. For instance, a trip from the airport to HWU (5,8 miles) costs around £15 and takes 10 minutes.

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TO THE CITY CENTER:

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From the university to Edinburgh's downtown, you should use the Lothian City Buses network. There are stops near the campus.

The range of buses is the following: 25, X25, 34, 45, 63 and N25/N34 (night bus). The most frequent is bus 25

 

Price: £1.60 single/ £4.00 day ticket

Frequency: leave every 10 min and 15 min after 8pm

Duration: ~40 min from the Campus to Edinburgh Center

Timetables: CityLink ad National Express Website

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IN THE CITY:

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Bikes:

This is the ideal way to get around in Edinburgh. 

The "Just East Cycles" are the equivalent of "Vélib" in Paris. It is really simple to use : you have to download the app, create an account with your phone number and enter your credit card details. Cycles are geo fenced, there are virtual and physical docks and areas where you can rent and leave a bike.

Price: £1.50 per hour or you can pay £3.00  for unlimited journeys up to 1h each day.

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You may want to rent a "real" bike for a longer period which is possible too. There are shops in town, and the prices are between £15 and £25 per day and about £75 per week. Moreover, for the cycle lovers, the "spoke maps" lists great tours (also good for walking) if you want to discover the region and is £5.95.

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Buses:

The Lothian buses network comprises more than 50 lines accross Edinburgh. This is the only but also best way to move in the city and its region (apart from bikes).

Tickets: single: £1.70               day: £3.00

16 lines are  on duty during the nights for £3.00.

 

Some buses can also take you to the coast. If you want to go far away you might reach new zones, as the network is dividedinto zones, and that you can increase the price of the ticket.

The most economic for a usual use is the Ridacard, which allows you unlimited travel all on the services. It is £16 a week or £48 for four weeks for students. To get one you have to complete an application and visit a Travelshop. They are other kinds of tickets such as Family DAYticket that could be interesting for groups. 

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I advise you to check out the website : https://www.lothianbuses.com  where you will find all the information that you will need. It is relally practical, provides the details of each line, stops etc... Finally, the twitter account @edintravel shares the traffic information in real time.

One last thing to know is tat tge law in the UK is quite strivt about motor vehicles which has as consequences that you will not find any scooters in the streets, from Lime, Bird, or any other company. You should even rarely be able to see "hoverboards" and that kind of stuff in Edinburgh.

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TO THE REST OF THE UK:

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If you want to travel in the UK, buses are once again the solution.

There exist different services that can carry you to Glasgow in 1h21min for £12 or to London in 9h for a price between £15 and £30.

you can visit the websites and look for journeys :

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www.uk.megabus.com

www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

www.citylink.co.uk

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The best boat to Ireland is called the StenaSuperfast. You can get onboard in Cairnryan or Liverpool and it goes straight to Belfast. This cruise is included in some bus trips.

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The easiest and mainly the fastest way remain the plane.

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In addition, please note that it is quite difficult to rent a car if you are under 21. Besides, shared car journeys thanks to Blablacar (and other companies obviously)  are available there although people don't use it much. It might be difficult to find some