Getting Around Edinburgh: A Theatre Visitor’s Transport Guide
Coming to Edinburgh for a musical or theatre break? One of the nice things about the city is that you don’t necessarily need to spend half your day travelling from one place to another. Many of Edinburgh’s theatres, restaurants, attractions and hotels are relatively close together, and if you’re staying centrally, you may find that walking is the easiest way to explore.
But Edinburgh does have its quirks. There are hills, cobbled streets and plenty of steps, and the city can become extremely busy during festivals and major events.
The trick is to plan your day around your theatre performance rather than trying to squeeze too much in. Here’s how to get around Edinburgh and make the most of your theatre trip.
Arriving in Edinburgh
How you get around will partly depend on where your Edinburgh visit begins.
If you’re travelling from elsewhere in Scotland or the UK, you’ll probably arrive at Edinburgh Waverley or Haymarket. If you’re coming from further afield, you may be flying into Edinburgh Airport.
Edinburgh Waverley
Waverley is right in the heart of the city, making it a particularly convenient arrival point for a theatre break. Once you’ve left the station, you’re between Edinburgh’s Old Town and New Town, with many hotels, attractions, restaurants and entertainment venues within walking distance. If you’re only visiting for the day, you may find you don’t need any further transport at all.
Haymarket
Haymarket is slightly further west but still well connected to central Edinburgh. Buses and trams make it straightforward to continue towards the city centre, or you may be staying around Haymarket or Edinburgh’s West End.
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is outside the city centre, but there are several ways to continue your journey, including trams, buses and taxis. If you’re staying overnight, we’d usually suggest heading to your accommodation first, dropping off your luggage and starting your Edinburgh visit from there. Trying to sightsee or head to the theatre while dragging a suitcase around Edinburgh isn’t much fun!
Do You Need a Car in Edinburgh?
If you’re spending most of your theatre break in central Edinburgh, you probably won’t need a car. Walking and public transport are often easier, particularly once you’ve checked into your accommodation.
A typical theatre visit might involve:
Hotel → sightseeing → dinner → theatre → hotel
If all of those are in or around central Edinburgh, there may be very little reason to drive between them. Bringing a car can also mean thinking about city-centre traffic and parking every time you move somewhere new.
There will, of course, be exceptions. If you’re staying outside Edinburgh, travelling with someone who has particular mobility requirements or combining the city with somewhere further afield, driving may suit you better. But don’t assume you need a car simply because you’re spending a few days in Edinburgh.
Exploring Edinburgh on Foot
Walking is one of the best ways to experience Edinburgh. You can wander from the New Town into the Old Town, explore the Royal Mile, stop somewhere for lunch, visit an attraction and continue towards your restaurant or theatre later in the day. It’s also much easier to discover places you weren’t necessarily looking for when you’re exploring on foot.
But there’s something every first-time visitor should know: Edinburgh isn’t flat.
A journey can look incredibly short on a map without showing you quite how much uphill walking may be involved. You’ll also come across cobbled streets, steps and uneven surfaces, particularly around the Old Town. So don’t try to judge your entire day purely by mileage.
If you’ve spent six hours walking around Edinburgh before sitting down for dinner, that final “short walk” to the theatre can suddenly feel considerably longer! Comfortable shoes are a very good idea, and there’s nothing wrong with using a bus or taxi for part of your day if you’ve already done plenty of walking.
Using Public Transport in Edinburgh
You probably won’t need public transport for every journey, but Edinburgh’s buses and trams are useful when you want to travel further across the city.
Buses
Edinburgh has an extensive bus network, so buses can be particularly useful for reaching areas away from the immediate city centre. Rather than trying to memorise bus numbers before your visit, use current journey-planning information to work out the easiest route on the day. Routes and diversions can change, particularly during major events and the festival season.
Trams
Edinburgh’s tram network connects the airport with Haymarket, the city centre, Leith and Newhaven. That makes it useful if you’re arriving from Edinburgh Airport or staying somewhere along the tram route. Again, check current routes and service information when planning your journey rather than relying on information you found months before your trip.
When Does a Taxi Make Sense?
You certainly don’t need to take taxis everywhere, but there are times when one can make your theatre trip much easier.
You might consider a taxi if:
- You’re travelling with luggage
- The weather has taken a turn for the worse
- Someone in your group has limited mobility
- You’ve spent the entire day walking
- You’re staying further from the city centre
- You’re travelling as a group
- It’s late after an evening performance
After a show, remember that plenty of other people may have exactly the same idea. A large theatre audience can all leave at roughly the same time, so don’t assume you’ll necessarily step outside and immediately find a taxi.
Planning Your Day Around the Theatre
Work backwards from your performance time.
Your restaurant reservation can be changed. You can spend slightly less time sightseeing. You can move an attraction to another day. The curtain time can’t move. If your musical begins at 7.30pm, for example, a relaxed day might look something like this:
Morning
Explore Edinburgh or visit an attraction
Afternoon
Continue sightseeing, have coffee or return to your hotel for a break
Around 5.00–5.30pm
Pre-theatre dinner
Around 7.00pm
Arrive at the theatre
7.30pm
Showtime!
After the performance
Walk back to your hotel, use public transport, take a taxi or head for your train. You don’t need to follow those exact times. They’re simply an example of how much more relaxed the day can feel when you plan backwards from the performance. The mistake to avoid is trying to squeeze one more attraction into the afternoon and then spending your pre-theatre dinner watching the clock.
Keep Your Day in the Same Part of Edinburgh
Another simple way to make your theatre day easier is to avoid crossing Edinburgh unnecessarily.
If you’re seeing a show at Edinburgh Playhouse, you could spend part of your afternoon around the New Town or St James Quarter before heading for dinner near the theatre. If you’re going to Festival Theatre, spending time around the Old Town before your meal may make more sense.
That doesn’t mean you have to stay within a few streets of the theatre all day. It simply means thinking about where you’re going next.
If an attraction closes at 5pm, your restaurant is booked for 5.30pm and your musical begins at 7.30pm, choosing three places on opposite sides of Edinburgh isn’t going to make for a particularly relaxing evening
Going for Dinner Before the Show?
We’d usually recommend choosing a restaurant within comfortable walking distance of your theatre. That gives you one less journey to worry about.
For a relaxed sit-down meal, allowing around 90 minutes is a useful starting point. You’ll then need time to pay the bill, leave the restaurant and walk to the theatre. Aim to reach the theatre around 30 minutes before your performance rather than arriving at the advertised start time.
We’ve created dedicated guides to help you find somewhere nearby:
Restaurants Near Edinburgh Playhouse
Restaurants Near Festival Theatre Edinburgh
Or compare more options:
Leave Yourself Some Breathing Room
It’s tempting to pack as much as possible into a trip to Edinburgh, particularly if you’re only visiting for a day or weekend. But you don’t need to schedule every minute.
Leaving half an hour spare between plans gives you time to deal with a delayed bus, busy restaurant, unexpected queue or simply somewhere interesting you discover along the way.
It also means your theatre performance feels like part of an enjoyable day rather than the final appointment in a race around Edinburgh.
Getting Around After an Evening Show
Think about what happens after your musical before you travel. If you’re staying in central Edinburgh, getting back to your accommodation may be straightforward. You might be able to walk, use public transport or take a taxi. If you’re travelling home that evening, you need to plan more carefully.
Before your visit, check:
- Your show’s expected finishing time
- Your last train home
- How long you’ll need to reach the station
- Evening public transport options
- Whether you have an alternative if your plans change
Don’t make the timings too tight. The show needs to finish, you’ll need to leave the auditorium and potentially leave alongside a large audience before you’ve even started your journey to the station.
Or Stay the Night
Sometimes the easiest solution is not to travel home at all. Turning your musical into an overnight theatre break means you don’t have to spend the final part of the performance worrying about whether you’ll catch the last train.
You can enjoy the show, have a drink afterwards if you want to and return home the following day. It also gives you more time to explore Edinburgh.
Accessible and Less Strenuous Ways to Explore
Not everyone wants or is able to spend an entire day walking around Edinburgh. If hills, steps, cobbles or longer distances are difficult for someone in your group, consider using public transport or taxis for parts of your day.
You could, for example, take transport to the area you want to explore and then spend your time there rather than repeatedly walking across the city. It’s also worth looking at the actual route rather than simply the distance. The shortest route isn’t necessarily the easiest.
For information specifically about arriving at and accessing a theatre, use our individual venue guides:
FAQ
Visiting Edinburgh for a musical or theatre break? Here are answers to some common questions about getting around the city and reaching its theatres.