Can someone explain buses in Edinburgh please?

[BelfastSmile]

We’re going to Edinburgh next month, and I’m trying to figure out how the buses and trams work. We’re flying in, and staying in Corstorphine (it looks like our nearest bus stop is the zoo); we’ll probably go into the city centre every day, plus buses to and from the airport.

I looked up the Lothian Bus website and it looks like we can just tap on and off with cards, but what about the kids? How do we get tickets for them? And is it cheaper to just pay for each journey as we go, or can we buy a special ticket of some kind? And are they all Lothian buses or are there other operators?

How do the teams fit into this?

Thanks for any help!

You would be better off posting on Scotsnet to get more answers.

I would get a family ticket - the Lothian Bus app tells you all the pricing and the zones they cover.

Not all ticket types are valid across the whole region and on the trams. Look on the bus app and the tram app for ticket types and what you need.

Have a read of this to learn about price capping.

If you want to buy multiple tickets on one card just tell the bus driver and they will put it through the till rather than using the tap on tap off thing.
buses in Edinburgh are great, it is easy to get from costorphine into the city centre

Family day ticket. 2 adults and 3 children. I think £13 a day. Can go on any Lothian bus with it. All day long!

The app for Lothian busses and trams is really helpful. Explore the website and feel free to contact them for help.

You'll be best with day tickets, probably a family day saver, that will cover bus and tram. If buying for children you'll need to ask the bus driver for those or buy from the tram kiosk (under 21s travel free in Scotland so only non-residents without passes need to pay for kids).

The day ticket won't cover travel to/from the airport though, you'll need to buy those separately for that journey.

You can't purchase children's tickets on the app.

Download this app. It will tell you everything you need to know. Timetables. Routes. And you can buy tickets on it including family tickets.

You can buy family tickets on the app

You can tap on the bus. No need to tap off. You need to tap on and off the tram. The bus will be handier in Corstorphine.
as above. You could download the app and buy tickets in advance. The buses are very handy and regular. I think the 26 and 31 will take you into town.

there a bus shop if that's what there called at west end i would go in and ask tram staff can be dicks too say the least

can you write this again as I don’t understand? Are you saying she should avoid the tram?

The tram drivers are lovely, and the tram is a smooth experience with good luggage storage and a variety of seating.

Unlike the bus, you need to buy a ticket (physical or online) before boarding. You can buy a ticket from the tram stop machine. You can also tap on and tap off, but this needs to be done on tram stop machines before boarding and after disembarking.

Lothian buses are all one company. They cover more routes than the tram.

Pro-hint - LRT Drivers are not Tourism Guides, and the rest of the bus will despise you for standing at the door asking 5 minutes worth of questions about how you get to A,B,C, where the bus goes, how long it takes, what bus you need to get to the next stop etc.

You might actually get a driver who just tells you straight "I'm not tourist info, get on or get off" which is always amusing when it happens, but the info you need is all on the bus stop itself. Route, stops, approx arrival times, connecting services, the lot. Please avail yourself of it 😛

Holiday Inn by the zoo by any chance?
If you want to pay for more than 1 ticket you just tell the driver "1 adult, 2 kids please" (or whatever) and tap your contactless card. Use the same card every time you travel and it caps at a daily fare. If you pay cash you need the correct change.
The Airlink100 bus from the airport stops right outside your hotel if that's where you're staying.
www.lothianbuses.com for ticket prices and routes etc. Download the app as that shows your nearest bus stops, routes and next due buses.
The no26 and 31 stop outside the zoo and are very regular services. You can also use the Airlink100 bus on a city zone fare.
Other operator buses will come along that road past the hotel from further afield (the citylink from Glasgow and some "lothian country" buses that are green and go out to West Lothian. I'm not sure if they're included in the daily price cap as they have a different fare structure once you go beyond the city. I'd say don't worry about these, you won't be waiting long for a 26 or 31!
You won't need to use the tram if you're at the holiday inn (unless you use it from the city centre to Leith). If you do, buy a family day ticket on the first bus your board that day and it includes tram travel except to the airport.

Google maps is also great for finding the routes and buses to use.

There are screens at most bus stops telling you when the next bus is due which are a lot more reliable than they used to be.

31 and 26 pretty regular.

Thanks everyone, that’s all very helpful! Sounds like we won’t need to use the trams, although the kids love tram rides, so we might just do that some day!

sorry i mean tram staff can be rude if your not used to the trams and needing to buy tickets before boarding although tram is quicker depending on where your going

Trams don’t go past the zoo. Buses are plentiful.

a 26 or 31 will take you to the zoo the new buses tell you the next stop as well prices on there website

You could get the tram from the city centre ( plenty of stops) and travel out to Leith. Great food markets, restaurants and a nice vibe. The Royal Yacht Britannia is out that way as well, at Ocean Terminal

as far as i know there's one food market on Saturdays?

in the grass market but theres also the street food area next to the omni as well

Just to warn you the Edinburgh bus queueing system at the stops is unofficial but you will get tutted at ( possibly by me) if you don’t follow it. If you stand in the main queue at the stop - usually snaking out from the sign - then you have priority to board. If you mill around in the general area, you need to wait until the people in the queue have boarded, even if you were there before them. Nobody will say anything regardless of what you do, but there will be harrumphing!

Oh I assumed you meant food markets in Leith.