Car Travel in Edinburgh

Downtown Edinburgh centers on Princes Street, which runs east-west and is closed to all but taxis and buses for most of its length. If you're driving from the east coast you'll come in on A1, with Meadowbank Stadium serving as a landmark. The highway bypasses the suburbs of Musselburgh and Tranent; therefore, any bottlenecks will occur close to downtown. From the Borders the approach to Princes Street is by A7/A68 through Newington. From Newington the east end of Princes Street is reached by North Bridge and South Bridge. Approaching from the southwest, you'll join the west end of Princes Street (Lothian Road) via A701 and A702; if you're coming west from Glasgow or Stirling you'll meet Princes Street from M8 or M9, respectively. A slightly more complicated approach is via M90—from Forth Road Bridge/Perth/east coast; the key road for getting downtown is Queensferry Road, which joins Charlotte Square close to the west end of Princes Street.

Driving in Edinburgh has its quirks and pitfalls, but competent drivers should not be intimidated. Metered parking in the city center is scarce and expensive, and the local traffic wardens are a feisty, alert bunch. Note that illegally parked cars are routinely towed away, and getting your car back will be expensive. After 6 PM the parking situation improves considerably, and you may manage to find a space quite near your hotel, even downtown. If you park on a yellow line or in a resident's parking bay, be prepared to move your car by 8 the following morning, when the rush hour gets under way. Parking lots are clearly signposted; overnight parking is expensive and not permitted in all lots.