Travel Information

How to reach Edinburgh

By plane

Edinburgh International Airport (EDI) is served by most major airlines, including British Airways, American, Delta, United, KLM, Air France, EasyJet, Ryanair, flybe, and Etihad. There is direct service to/from London, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, and many other major hubs; EasyJet, Ryanair, and other low-cost airlines also connect EDI to smaller airports around Europe.

By car

Driving to the conference venue is not recommended since there is little all-day on-street parking within walking distance of the venue. It is suggested that attendees arriving by car look for accommodation with parking included and travel to the venue by walking or local bus services.

By train

The main railway station is Edinburgh Waverley, which is in the city centre. Waverley is a 10-15 minute walk from the conference venue and several hotels are located in between.

Edinburgh is easily reachable from London via York and Newcastle on the East Coast Main Line, via Birmingham and Carlisle on the West Coast Main Line, or from elsewhere in Scotland via ScotRail. Rail schedules and tickets are available from National Rail and from a number of train operator sites.

It is technically possible (but not necessarily advisable) to travel to Edinburgh by rail from mainland Europe by first traveling to London St Pancras via Eurostar.

By bus

Edinburgh's main bus station is on St Andrew Square, near Waverley rail station. There are buses to/from many other UK cities, serviced by Megabus, Citylink and National Express.

Arrival

Airport buses

The cheapest option to travel from the airport to the city centre is Lothian Bus #35, which costs £1.60 but takes around 1 hour.

The AirLink bus stops at Haymarket and Waverley stations (taking 25-30 min) and costs £4.50; tickets can be purchased when boarding or from a kiosk at the airport. Return (round trip) tickets are £7.50 and the return ticket is valid indefinitely. The buses pick up passengers from immediately in front of the airport to the left as you exit the terminal doors.

Tram

Edinburgh's (controversial and expensive) tram line opened in 2015 and links the airport to Haymarket Station and St Andrew Square (connecting to bus and rail services). Tickets are £5.50 and must be purchased before boarding. Despite being more expensive, the tram is actually slower than the airport bus; admittedly it can be somewhat more pleasant to ride. The tram terminus at the airport is a little further from the airport entrance than the bus stop; on exiting the airport turn left and look for signs.

Taxi

A taxi from the airport to city centre will set you back £20-25 but will typically be faster and take you exactly where you are going. There are also usually taxis waiting at Haymarket or Waverley so it is also cost-effective to take the airport shuttle or tram to one of those first and then get a taxi to wherever you are going.

Getting around in Edinburgh

Directions to the main venue

The main registration desk is in the atrium of the Informatics Forum, the home of the School of Informatics. Maps and information on how to get to the Forum from elsewhere in Edinburgh is maintained on the School web page here.

Walking and buses

Edinburgh is a walkable city and the city centre is also well-served by buses. Route information is available at Lothian Buses.

Taxis, Uber, etc.

Taxis are routinely available and safe in Edinburgh (but not cheap). Uber service is available but not yet pervasive.