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Scotland’s vibrant capital is known for its Georgian architecture, medieval castles, bookshops, and festivals such as Fringe Festival and Hogmanay. While public transport is the main way of getting around the city, car hire is also popular for tourists. Hiring a car can enable you to see more places around the city in instances where public transport can’t be relied upon. There are also numerous road trip possibilities from Edinburgh, making Edinburgh and its airport a hub for car hire. Some essential tips for hiring a car in Edinburgh include:
Whether you’re visiting Edinburgh for business or pleasure, Enjoy Travel offers an extensive range of vehicles to suit your needs and preferences. When you’re looking for reliable, convenient and trustworthy car hire in Scotland, choose Enjoy Travel.
Exploring Edinburgh by car is arguably the best way to see and truly appreciate everything the city has to offer. Edinburgh’s surrounding countryside and resident ‘mountain’ Arthur’s Seat allows for some of the most picturesque views you’ve ever seen, which you can seamlessly explore with the right vehicle.
Exploring Edinburgh by car is arguably the best way to see and truly appreciate everything the city has to offer. Edinburgh’s surrounding countryside and resident ‘mountain’ Arthur’s Seat allows for some of the most picturesque views you’ve ever seen, which you can seamlessly explore with the right vehicle.
During peak tourist seasons, car hire can be expensive and more in demand. Peak seasons include August and December/January, thanks to Edinburgh’s annual Fringe Festival and Hogmanay celebrations. Because of this, try to book your vehicle around 1-2 months before you need it.
Driving around Edinburgh is generally easy, with signposted roads, excellent road links and easy-to-navigate routes. However, as some Scottish driving rules might be different from England or the rest of the UK, here are some of the main things to consider and know before you drive in Edinburgh:
Edinburgh enjoys widespread parking, with many streets offering on-street parking between certain hours of the day, usually listed on street signage. In most of Edinburgh’s main inner city suburbs and areas, such as Royal Mile, Old Town and West End, you can also find multi-storey car parks or undercover parking. These types of car parks are sometimes the top choice for people who want a little more security for their vehicles.
Parking in non-designated zones or some residential streets can incur fines of up to £150, so bear this in mind before you park. If you do receive a parking ticket, it usually must be paid within 14 days of receiving it.
Free parking is available in areas that don’t have controlled parking zones, which are more common in the city centre and main streets. Many locals park their cars at supermarket car parks or in areas outside of the centre. Edinburgh has several Park & Ride facilities mainly located outside of the main downtown areas. People can enjoy free parking and a cheap bus or tram ride into the centre from one of the many Park & Ride car parks.
Edinburgh is rife with attractions, from its medieval castles to its entertainment venues and Old Town. Some attractions are seasonal or annual, such as the Fringe Festival and Hogmanay (New Year), which attract hundreds of tourists each year.
Some of the city’s best attractions include:
Edinburgh has many low-cost and efficient transport options, from buses to trams. The transport that’s right for you depends on the places you want to reach and how much you want to spend. Public transport is great for places where parking is difficult or unavailable, or if you want to avoid long traffic queues. The main modes of transport in Edinburgh include:
Buses are by far the most common mode of transport across the city. Bus fares can range from £2-£5 for adults, and around £1-£3 for children, depending on the type of ticket you buy. Payments include cash or contactless card payments, and routes include most Edinburgh suburbs.
Another convenient transport option in Edinburgh includes trams. Tram lines run across the city, with most routes including Edinburgh Airport and surrounding suburbs, as well as the city centre. Tram tickets are around £2 for adults and £1 for child tickets. Payment options include ticket machines at the tram stop, where you can pay contactless or with cash, as well as in advance on the website.
Dunfermline A historic city, with many cultural attractions and parks that are ideal for walking. Dunfermline also hosts numerous entertainment venues, such as the Alhambra Theatre and Vintage Bus Museum.
Distance from Edinburgh: 18.2 miles
Kirkcaldy A small town north of Edinburgh, but with many things to see and do, including parks, historical monuments, castles, a beach and natural attractions like Wemyss Caves.
Distance from Edinburgh: 31.5 miles
Falkirk Although a small town, Falkirk holds numerous interesting attractions, the most notable being the Kelpies monument. The Kelpies is based on a creature from Scottish folklore, and consists of two giant horse heads protruding from the ground– truly a magnificent sight. Falkirk also hosts castles, parks and various entertainment venues.
Distance from Edinburgh: 26.3 miles
Ensure that you have an itinerary or plan in place for when you visit Edinburgh. Knowing what you’re going to do and see can make the trip even more memorable and more convenient, as you won’t be stuck wondering where to go first. Also, ensure that you familiarise yourself with the roads or any public transport routes if you’re going to be taking the bus or tram.
Avoid driving on certain dates like Fringe Festival and Hogmanay when roads are likely to be closed or traffic will be excessive. Edinburgh’s peak travel times include rush hour, which is usually 7-9am and 4-6pm on weekdays.
While public transport in Edinburgh is abundant, driving is by far the most convenient way to access areas that are a little more off the beaten path or that aren’t served by public transport routes.
Having a car means you can avoid public transport delays, overcrowding and timings, and can travel according to your own schedule. Public transport timings may not align with your itinerary, which is when having a car comes in handy.
The potential cons of hiring a car in Edinburgh include traffic, especially in the inner city, and unfamiliar roads. You may also struggle to find a place to park if you don’t know the city well.
The range of vehicles on offer from Enjoy Travel includes small, economy cars like Fiat, Peugeot and Ford, SUVs and large cars like Tesla, BMW X2, minivans and Mercedes Benz, and luxury cars like BMW 3-series and Mercedes, among many others. You can find cars from some of the most well-known and trusted suppliers in Europe.
Depending on your personal circumstances, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect car for you. Business travellers may opt for a luxury car, families will enjoy the extra room in SUVs or minivans, and solo travellers or couples will usually opt for economy cars.
The car hire providers you can rent within Edinburgh include Alamo, Enterprise, Europcar, Sixt, National, Avis and Drivalia. These are common and popular UK car hire companies that are well-trusted and relied upon by many car renters.
Read reviews of car hire companies before renting, to ensure that the services and cars offered by the company align with your personal expectations and circumstances.
Name | Review | Rating |
---|---|---|
Jessica Taylor | Great experience overall with Enterprise. The pickup process was quick and painless, and the staff were lovely. We rented a Kia Sportage which handled the Highlands beautifully. | |
Mark Sutherland | Rented a Peugeot 208 through Enjoy Travel for a few days while visiting family. No complaints at all, the site made booking super easy. Clean car, easy return, and the price was fair. | |
Rachel Kenny | The staff at Sixt were super helpful with directions and even recommended a scenic route to Stirling. Our Skoda Octavia was comfortable and fuel-efficient. | |
Jonathan McBride | The rental was okay, but the queue at the counter was longer than expected. The Toyota Corolla we got was in good condition though. | |
Priya Patel | Perfect for our quick business trip. We had a Vauxhall Astra and everything from the paperwork to the return was efficient. | |
Daniel O’Brian | Booked last minute and was pleasantly surprised. The Mini Cooper was a fun drive around the city. Would book again. | |
Laura Jensen | Everything went smoothly from start to finish. The Citroen C3 was perfect for our weekend getaway and very economical. | |
Samuel Ross | The car itself was decent (Nissan Qashqai), but we had a bit of a wait at the airport. Not a dealbreaker, just a bit frustrating after a long flight. | |
Claire Moriarty | We were visiting from Canada and hired a Ford Focus. Driving on the left took a bit of getting used to, but the car was in excellent shape and ideal for the countryside. | |
Ben Howard | Family holiday with two kids. The Renault Captur fit all our luggage and was surprisingly comfy for longer drives. Would recommend. | |
Hannah Godfrey | I was impressed by how clean the Volkswagen Golf was when we picked it up. Great service and easy drop-off downtown. | |
Leo Martinez | Booked a Seat Ibiza for a friend’s wedding weekend. Everything went to plan and the car was exactly what we needed. Reliable and modern. | |
Freya Dawson | We hired a Hyundai i10 for three days and it was perfect for zipping around the city. No issues and friendly service. | |
Matthew Carter | A bit of a delay on arrival, but they upgraded us to a Volvo XC40, so no complaints in the end. Great for our road trip up to Inverness. | |
Aisha Khan | First time hiring a car in Scotland. The Fiat 500 was small but mighty! Easy to park and very clean. | |
George MacLeod | Had a decent experience. The car was fine (Opel Corsa), but they were a bit pushy with the insurance upsell. | |
Emily Brennan | Top marks all around. The BMW 1 Series we got was spotless and handled beautifully in the wet weather. | |
Oliver White | Rented a Mazda CX-3 for a business meeting in Glasgow. Pickup and return were both fast, no fuss, and the car ran like a dream. | |
Natasha Reid | Loved the experience! The staff were welcoming and our VW T-Roc was just what we needed for exploring Loch Lomond. | |
Nigel Staniland | Great service, good pick up location and easy process. | |
Trusted Customer | Booked a Honda CR-V, got a cheap MG ZS . . . The cars don't feel like from the same class level, as I have now driven both cars. To begin with the boot capacity on Honda is - 617-litre / plug-in hybrid 587. And for the MG ZS - 448 litres . . . Very disappointed with the rental | |
Lauren Hodge | Both thw man and the lady (Magdelena?) were lovely on my arrival to collect my car. They explained the out of hours key drop off system so I was able to keep the car for an extra few hours that I wasn't expecting. Would definitely recommend to friends. |