The only thing I can say against the place is that they need better signage to direct the tourists…read morefrom Waverley Station. Or if they have a kiosk located in the station, it needs to be better posted. Once you find the place, expect to be extremely pleased. Courteous service from a clerk who probably deals with tourists like me (unlikely they can be even more clueless than me) all day but was patient in explaining the day ticket deal (£3 all day) and how the tickets work (just scratch off today's date and go) and providing me with a map of the bus routes. Five minutes later, I was at the bus stop. And five minutes later than that, I was taking a front row seat in the double-decker that brought me to the hotel. The day pass is probably the best method if you're planning on riding at least three buses in a day, otherwise you can pay on board. Exact change only. Or if you're in Edinburgh for more than a few days, consider one of the weekly/monthly/annual passes. Yes, they accept credit cards. Even the swipe and sign ones we Americans carry. And yes, they spoke English that was clear enough for me, a Yank, to understand. :)

One of my favourite things about Edinburgh is Lothian Buses. The bus services that they run across…read morethe city are unmatched, and it is one of the best bus providers that I have come across in the UK. They have three city centre travel shops, which provide information about all of the services that they offer, and I visited the one on Waverley Bridge. I went in as I needed to purchase a Ridacard - a card which you can pay for a period of time, whether it is a week, month, or year and get unlimited travel on their buses during this period. Staff were quick and efficient in providing me with the form I needed to fill, taking a photo for the card there and then, and producing the card itself. All in all, the process must have taken around 10 minutes. The shop is well stocked with timetables and all of the information you could possibly need for bus travel in and around Edinburgh. There was also a selection of information for tourists, and during the time I was there, a number of tourists came in asking for directions, which the staff were happy to provide. This travel shop is a great reflection of a superb bus company. Once the trams are up and running, they will be able to add another string to what is already a pretty large bow.

Fantastic ride! The driver was incredibly kind, drove safely, and kept the car spotless. I really…read moreappreciated the great conversation and the smooth, efficient route. Highly recommended!

We researched numerous companies when looking to charter a bus/coach and were most impressed with…read moreCTC coach hire. Our point of contact was Cecile and she could not have been more wonderful. She was very responsive via email about the vehicles available and helping with itinerary questions while planning our week long trip from Edinburgh into the highlands and back. The bus we selected was a 25 passenger Mercedes bus. We found their vehicles much nicer than anything else we came across during our research and the photos were accurate to what we received. The bus itself had plenty of storage and it was in excellent high end condition. Bob was our driver and he could not have been any better. We expected a driver but what we got was a wonderful driver/tour guide wrapped into one. Bob knows his stuff and guided us every step of the way. I could not have been more pleased and all 17 in our group shared the same opinion.

We purchase a round trip ticket at the ticket vending machines. When we were on board, we had our…read moretickets checked by an inspector. Overall, it was an easy way to get around.

If you're traveling from the airport to the city/the city to the airport, the Tram is absolutely…read morethe most efficient, cost-effective, and fastest way to travel. There are plenty of signs throughout the airport indicating where you need to go to get the Tram (though, heads-up, depending on what gate you're coming from/going to, it could be a very long walk). Pass the enormous E D I N B U R G H letters outside the airport, and you'll see the ticket kiosks (pricing is currently £7.50 for a single, or £9.50 for an open return - the better value! I think you also save 50p if you pre-purchase online). Trams to the city from the airport run every seven to ten minutes, it takes about thirty to thirty-five minutes from the airport to either the Princes St or St Andrews Square stop (admittedly, I've never traveled beyond these two stops). There's spacious luggage racks to store your bags, plenty of seats for everyone, and it's noticeably clean as well. Make sure you have your ticket on you so they can check it (because they will). This is definitely the least stressful way to travel to/from the airport!

This is customer service at its finest. If you have any worries about managing to secure your…read moreluggage (b/c you packed everything including the kitchen sink), then these guys are glad to help. Located at the arrivals gate, just a mere few meters from the escalators, Onward Travel has its own door and fleet of taxis (think silver cars, wagons, mpv's, etc....). You can book in advance (online or over the phone) and should you have any questions, the guys here are fantastic. Think response turnaround time of a few minutes. For a mere 5 pounds, they will even meet you at the greetings area (perfect if you're wanting them to guide you through the airport, collect your luggage so you do not have to lift, etc...) Did I mention that the guys are super personable and friendly? Their cars are impeccably clean and well-maintained (unlike those that you might find in New York City, LA, DC, Chicago, etc...) As for a first impression, they make a smashing one and will be the only airport transfer service that I will have all of my family and friends use. My driver was so kind to give a tour of the city as we drove into the City Centre -- are you kidding, 80% of the drivers in Chicago are too busy talking on their cell phones or finding ways to rack up the meter. Not Onward Travel - you know exactly how much it'll cost (on avg. a metered cab will run about 20 pounds or more and they'll only fit a certain amount of luggage as UK cars are generally smaller than in the US). I much prefer having the service that I received and pay a tad more (i.e. 30 pounds). Will definitely use again - keep up the good work, gentlemen!

Indeed, the Airlink city to airport buses are far cheaper than the taxi alternative, however,…read moreoccasionally your flight may be really early in the morning and in this case the bus times can be less frequent. Allow me to flesh out my case: I need to be at the airport for 6am, I live in Bruntsfield ( a fair distance away from the nearest Airlink bus stop), no conveniently timed buses run at such an early time in the morning in order for me to get to the Airlink bus stops. Solution: book a taxi with Onward travel the night before your journey. They will always call when approximately 1-2 mins away and, from my experience, always pick you up exactly on time. If your circumstances meet the above, than paying £15-20 is not such a bad idea for the punctual traveller.

This was a slightly confusing spot but with helpful staff. They have boards all over with the…read morearrivals and departures but you have to be pretty clear headed to understand where to go for your check in. However there are airport staff around who are super helpful! It is clean and bright with some coffee shops and a local Sainsbury attached if you need to pick up some items for traveling or upon arrival. We found some good spots to sit and wait as our flight was delayed. It is a lot of walking but also very helpful in finding lots of shops and duty free for browsing. Not a ton of seating in the early areas but once you get to the gates there are some options. The gate is only announced when the flight is closer to boarding, so you can loiter and browse until you know your gate departure. We only missed a place to fill our water bottles, but a helpful bartender gave us tap water which was all we needed. A good spot and thankful for the airport buses that take you right there easily!

I had a smooth check-in process with British Airways. Then had to wait around and look at the Duty…read moreFree shops as gates were not announced until closer to boarding time. This gave me time to see that you could fill out a quiz and get a free biscuit. Something gained at least. After my gate was announced, it was a mad rush to the gate as they started boarding. I wish they would announce the gate sooner allowing time to relax at the gate. Just a matter of preference but that's not how they do it there.

My friends and I decided to hop on board the Majestic Tour the other bus with a few of his friends…read morewho were visiting from America. Out of all the tours buses we chose the Majestic Tour because it went a bit further out. It doesn't go to the castle, Royal Mile or the other predictable tourist stuff but all of those things are within walking distance anyway so we decided to go further afield. The key points on the Majestic Tour are; Royal Botanic Gardens Newhaven Royal Yacht Britannia Leith Through-out the tour there's a commentary which is probably the worst I've ever heard in my life. There were two narrators one called Willy the other called Evelyn and they were just having a general chat but they had the worst chat ever and kept making "jokes" like "oh no he didn't Evelyn... Oh yes he did Willy." Just awful. In between the terrible banter they played music that sounded like something out of The Little House and the Prairie. Awful. To be honest, I'm still trying to figure out what was Majestic about it, in all honesty it was a bit of a waste of £12 and the No. 22 bus goes on pretty much the exact same route for a smidgen of the price.

Besides being a rip off (£14 just to enter!), these lazy double-decker tour buses shuffle tourists…read moreall around Edinburgh, jet-lagged and nodding off as they listen to boring prerecorded "tour guides" on the complimentary headphones. If they only knew you could hop on an actual city bus for £1.50 (or £3 for the day), riders of these Majestic tours would see far more of the city and get to the Royal Yacht (or whatever) much more quickly. Shut up, take my money and lead me to the nearest bagpiper! And step on it!

If you are looking for a great convenient way to travel to different parts of Scotland. I highly…read morerecommend Haymarket Station. The customer service is above par. The staff are always helpful and genuinely care about the passengers. Very Clean Station. The toilets are very clean and you feel very safe at this station. You have a few choices to buy food and coffee. It should be noted I am from the United States of America, served with the United States Marines all over the World and travelled all over the United States. I definitely know a great train station from all my travels and life experiences. You definitely won't be disappointed by utilizing this train station upon your travels across Scotland. Lastly definitely recommend utilizing this station when visiting Edinburgh.

This is where got off from our train from Inverness. It is very conveniently located and just a 5…read moreminute walk to our hotel. The station itself is pretty basic, not much to look at, and pretty small. The amenities are pretty limited and finding a restroom was a bit of a chore.