Dublin, Liverpool, Edinburg Hop On/Off Bus tours

[Free and Easy]

Am cruising on Caribbean Princess in August. Plan to use the hop on/off bus in Dublin, Liverpool, and Edinburg. Grateful if fellow cruisers can advise your experience in the Hop on/off buses of these ports:-

 

1. What is the best way to get from the Cruise terminal to the nearest Hop On/off bus stop in these cities?

2. If there is more than one Hop On/Off Bus operators in the City, is there one you can recommend?

3. General experiences of the Hop On/Off bus in these cities.

 

Many thanks in advance!!

[tartanexile81]

I created a thread which shows how to use the shuttle bus in Edinburgh.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2046842

 

There are 5 hop-on / hop-off lines in Edinburgh and the easiest is The Edinburgh Bus (the green line) which picks up at the same place as the shuttle bus would drop you off.

[Go-Bucks!]

I created a thread which shows how to use the shuttle bus in Edinburgh.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2046842

 

There are 5 hop-on / hop-off lines in Edinburgh and the easiest is The Edinburgh Bus (the green line) which picks up at the same place as the shuttle bus would drop you off.

 

 

We'll be tendering into the New Haven area. Is this where the shuttle is? If not, what transportation can we use to get to the Royal Mile?

[tartanexile81]

We'll be tendering into the New Haven area. Is this where the shuttle is? If not, what transportation can we use to get to the Royal Mile?

 

No Newhaven is closer to the city centre and from the main road, about 200 yards from the tender pier, you can get a bus into the city centre (Number 16) for £1.60 per person. You pay the driver the correct money and get on the bus at the same side of the road as the tender drops you off.

[Free and Easy]

Dear tartanexile81,

 

Thank you for the very elaborate information in your thread. Most useful! I now also read that once we reach Princes Street, most attractions are well within walking distance and it may be more fun to walk than to use the Hop On/Off. We are fairly fit and walking up/down hills for a day will not bother us :). Only question is time. With limited time in your lovely city, is it better to walk or do the Hop On/off? Grateful for your insight.

 

Thanks again!

[tring]

We used the green hoho buses in Dublin last week:-

 

https://www.dublinsightseeing.ie/citytour.aspx

 

There are different companies operating hoho's there and I have not used the others. We were in Dublin for two days so we got the online ticket which covers two days and entry to the little museum of Ireland (which was good) and a walking tour which we did not use. There are two hoho routes covered by that company with one going to the Docklands area, but the buses are less frequent on that route and it would still be quite a walk from the docks - you could check that for yourself. We used our ships shuttle bus into town. The main route was very frequent (about ten minutes), and most buses had a live commentary with some good Irish humour thrown in. I would decide what you wanted to see before going though, and if you want to visit the gaol you will probably need to book online before you go as it books up.

 

 

Liverpool is the city of my birth and I still live locally. If your interest is purely to get access around the City forget the hoho as it is not really needed. You will find most attractions withing a easy walking distance of the docking location, which is at the heart of the city. The only area that is a bit distant is the Cathedrals, but if you want to go there it would be easy to get a local bus up the hill if you want to. You may want the info from the tour though or have walking difficulties - I have done the old Duck tour (not run now) with a group of friends and it was fun with the commentary, but I do not know anything about the hoho bus.

 

There is a very big thread on Liverpool on this forum, so I suggest you search for what you want to know and details will likely come up from there.

Edited June 14, 2016 by tring

[Free and Easy]

Dear Tring, thank you so much for your information!

[showingdiva]

For anyone tendering to Newhaven in Edinburgh, the Majestic Tour hop on/hop off bus stops on the opposite side of the harbour you will be tendering into. The cost is £15 and this particular tour bus incorporates stops at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle (or close to due to pedestrianisation), the New Town and the Royal Botanic Garden. Tour takes approximately 1.5 hours if not getting off at any point. Please note the first hop on / hop off bus doesn't arrive at the harbour until approximately 10am.

 

If your ship is providing a shuttle bus into Edinburgh, the pick up points will be Newhaven Harbour next to the tender and Waterloo Place (close to Princes Street and Waverley Station)

 

If wishing to travel on local transport, the closest bus service is the No.10, which stops next to the harbour and takes you to Princes Street (Royal Mile / Edinburgh Castle is approximately 10 minutes (uphill). As Tartanexile81 correctly said, cost is £1.60 per person for a single journey or £4.00 for a "day ticket" which allows unlimited travel on any Lothian Bus and the Edinburgh tram network (as far as the Gyle Shopping Centre).

 

The Royal Yacht Britannia is a 15 minute walk from Newhaven Harbour at our main port of Leith.

[tartanexile81]

Dear tartanexile81,

 

Thank you for the very elaborate information in your thread. Most useful! I now also read that once we reach Princes Street, most attractions are well within walking distance and it may be more fun to walk than to use the Hop On/Off. We are fairly fit and walking up/down hills for a day will not bother us :). Only question is time. With limited time in your lovely city, is it better to walk or do the Hop On/off? Grateful for your insight.

 

Thanks again!

 

Well I would definitely walk. One example of a route where you'd see many of the attractions:

 

From the shuttle bus stop, walk round Charlotte Square then East along George Street as far as Hanover Street - beautiful Georgian buildings.

 

Turn right down Hanover to Princes Street - you can visit Princes Street gardens, admire the Scott Monument and admire the Royal Scottish Academy and the National Gallery of Scotland.

 

You will also see Edinburgh Castle on your right. Walk up the street(a hill) to the right of the galleries and you will reach the Royal Mile. There are many historic sites along the Royal Mile, starting with the Castle at the highest point and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom end. All very very easy to find and all within walking distance

[Free and Easy]

Dear tartanexile81,

 

Thank you again for your advice. Some more questions, if I may:-

1. Roughly how long do you reckon it will take to do the whole Royal Mile from the Castle to the Palace?

2. Whereabout is the University of Edinburg? Will it be around that area or somewhere else?

3. We would want to visit the Royal Yacht Britiannia. Someone told me earlier that it is close to the Cruise terminal but unsure if it is the South Queensferry where we'll dock. Any advice how to get there will be much appreciated.

 

Thank you so much for your invaluable advice!

[tartanexile81]

Dear tartanexile81,

 

Thank you again for your advice. Some more questions, if I may:-

1. Roughly how long do you reckon it will take to do the whole Royal Mile from the Castle to the Palace?

2. Whereabout is the University of Edinburg? Will it be around that area or somewhere else?

3. We would want to visit the Royal Yacht Britiannia. Someone told me earlier that it is close to the Cruise terminal but unsure if it is the South Queensferry where we'll dock. Any advice how to get there will be much appreciated.

 

Thank you so much for your invaluable advice!

 

1. If you don't stop it takes 20 minutes approximately to walk down the Royal Mile.

 

2. I'm an Edinburgh graduate! It's not far from the Royal Mile. Look on Google for a street called George IV Bridge just off the Royal Mile. Walk up there, it becomes Bristo Place and the University is all around there. Also if you turn left at the end of George IV Bridge and walk along Chambers Street you will come to the Old College, the Law School and beautiful Georgian buildings. Have a look at page 3 of these maps http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/imports/fileManager/campus_maps.pdf

 

3. No the Royal Yacht Britannia is nowhere near South Queensferry. However if you take the shuttle bus then walk along Princes Street as per the photos, you will come to a Number 22 bus stop, and you can take the bus from there to Ocean Terminal where Britannia is. It costs £1.60 each way to go on an Edinburgh bus.

 

What date will you be on Caribbean Princess? I'm boarding in Invergordon on August 20th to do a presentation about Edinburgh. Last couple of times it's been in Club Fusion at 9:15.

[Free and Easy]

Dear tartanexile81,

 

Thank you again for the very useful information. It helps tremendously in planing our day in your lovely city! Just two more questions, hopefully last ones :):-

1. Presumably it will be the same bus coming back to the City if we go to visit Britannia. Yes?

2. Your suggested route was very useful! If we want to fit Britannia in, how would you suggest we do it together with what you proposed, route-wise.....and if we finish at Palace of Holyroodhouse, what will be a nice route back to the Shuttle Bus stop at Charlotte Square to go back to the Cruise ship?

 

Nice to hear that you'll be on board our Cruise ship on 20th August. Unfortunately we have booked an excursion in Invergordon and shall have missed you :(. Million thanks again for all your advice!!!

[cynbar]

RE: Dublin, we also used the green ho ho bus, bought tickets online and turned the vouchers in for real tickets when we boarded. We were on Princess, used their shuttle to get into the city --- the bus stop was only a few yards away, and there were reps to guide us when we got off the shuttle. Very easy.

[Piper77]

Dear tartanexile81,

 

Thank you for the very elaborate information in your thread. Most useful! I now also read that once we reach Princes Street, most attractions are well within walking distance and it may be more fun to walk than to use the Hop On/Off. We are fairly fit and walking up/down hills for a day will not bother us :). Only question is time. With limited time in your lovely city, is it better to walk or do the Hop On/off? Grateful for your insight.

 

Thanks again!

 

Not tartanexile81 but am back from the May 20th sailing. I'm a fan of HOHO buses and used them in Dublin, Liverpool and Belfast but chose not to do in Edinburgh and don't think we missed the key sites. We walked the Royal Mile, visited Holyrood Castle and walked up Calton Hill and had a drink in the Grass Market. There is tons to see and take in in the Old Town. I guess we missed the newer area that the HOHO might take you through, but for the limited time you have the Old Town was our priority. For us, we like walking and experiencing the city and I think we made the right choice forgoing the HOHO bus.

[LondonTowner]

We used the green HOHO bus in Dublin last summer. The ship's shuttle stopped very close by.

 

There were loads of touts from both the HOHO companies, so I asked for a discount. We paid 5 Euros each, the cheapest HOHO we have ever done and one of the best.

 

It was a live commentary by a very knowledgeable young lady with a great sense of humour.

[tartanexile81]

Dear tartanexile81,

 

Thank you again for the very useful information. It helps tremendously in planing our day in your lovely city! Just two more questions, hopefully last ones :):-

1. Presumably it will be the same bus coming back to the City if we go to visit Britannia. Yes?

2. Your suggested route was very useful! If we want to fit Britannia in, how would you suggest we do it together with what you proposed, route-wise.....and if we finish at Palace of Holyroodhouse, what will be a nice route back to the Shuttle Bus stop at Charlotte Square to go back to the Cruise ship?

 

Nice to hear that you'll be on board our Cruise ship on 20th August. Unfortunately we have booked an excursion in Invergordon and shall have missed you :(. Million thanks again for all your advice!!!

 

1. YES!

2. I'd do Britannia first walking to Princes Street for the bus, visiting the yacht then bus back to Princes Street because you'll be closer to the shuttle bus stop. There is no pretty route back to Charlotte Square so best route back is walk up the Royal Mile again to North Bridge, turn right and walk to Princes Street. Great views! Walk the length of Princes Street to Charlotte Square and if time allows visit Princes Street Gardens.

 

BTW my presentation will be at 9:15 p.m. in Club Fusion. Have a great time on your cruise.

[tartanexile81]

Not tartanexile81 but am back from the May 20th sailing. I'm a fan of HOHO buses and used them in Dublin, Liverpool and Belfast but chose not to do in Edinburgh and don't think we missed the key sites. We walked the Royal Mile, visited Holyrood Castle and walked up Calton Hill and had a drink in the Grass Market. There is tons to see and take in in the Old Town. I guess we missed the newer area that the HOHO might take you through, but for the limited time you have the Old Town was our priority. For us, we like walking and experiencing the city and I think we made the right choice forgoing the HOHO bus.

 

You can easily fill much more than a day in the Old Town as you have now discovered and as the OP is in Edinburgh during the Festival there will be more to see - unconnected to the buildings, but it will be very different and so much busier. If you took the shuttle bus it will have taken you to the New Town (Charlotte Square) or even by train you will have seen Princes Street part of the New Town. I prefer the New Town because I love symmetry. Sure it's because I'm a Virgo :D

Edited June 16, 2016 by tartanexile81

[Free and Easy]

Dear tartanexile81 and all,

 

Thank you so much for all the info. Much appreciated. I now have more than enough to go for, only regret is that there is just one single day in Edinburg:rolleyes::p

[itsawonderfullife]

Not tartanexile81 but am back from the May 20th sailing. I'm a fan of HOHO buses and used them in Dublin, Liverpool and Belfast but chose not to do in Edinburgh and don't think we missed the key sites. We walked the Royal Mile, visited Holyrood Castle and walked up Calton Hill and had a drink in the Grass Market. There is tons to see and take in in the Old Town. I guess we missed the newer area that the HOHO might take you through, but for the limited time you have the Old Town was our priority. For us, we like walking and experiencing the city and I think we made the right choice forgoing the HOHO bus.

 

How was the HOHO in Liverpool? Did you get off? How long was the whole route?