Traveling to Edinburgh to use HOHO from Newhaven

[nadeki]

I would like to make our stop in Newhaven do it yourself. Can anyone assist me in how to catch the bus into town? From what I read that is the easiest way instead of waiting for an expensive ship transport.

 

Things I would like us to do ( and any advice is appreciated).

 

Take HOHO bus to Edinburgh castle. And have a visit to Arthurs Seat.

 

Thank you very much.

[nadeki]

The other part of my question is.....if you buy a day pass for the bus system in Edinburgh it says tickets for  the Edinburgh castle and Royal Yacht are included. Yet, when you purchase on line it says they are timed entry. Does anyone know if the lines are longer or how the process works? Thank you very much.

[edinburgher]

Will respond to your second question first.

 

Think you are confusing an ordinary city bus day pass with the Royal Edinburgh 48 hour pass which costs £59pp.  it does indeed include Edinburgh Castle, Royal Yacht Britannia and bus tours (but does not appear to include fares on  the regular city buses).

 

IMHO  if you are only in Edinburgh for one day, you would be cheaper paying for entry to both the casrtle and Britannia and if you still wanted to take a HOHO bus tour, there are a number of routes to choose from which are operated by different companies..

 

An all day ticket for local buses is currently priced at £4-50, and aflat fare single ticket for travel anywhere on the city network is currently £1-80pp.  Pay the driver with the exact fare as they do not give change, but if you are 2 persons or more, you can pay the amount as one sum  eg £3-60 0r £5-40 rather than eg2X1-80 or 3X £1-80. Info on everything city bus related can be found on the Lothian Buses website.

[edinburgher]

Edinburgh Castle is always popular and pre-pandemic it was always advisable to pre-book an entry slot to avoid long waiting lines. And the Royal Yacht Britannia is also popular and has a smaller capacityr so it may be best to pre-book entry there too.

 

When are you travelling to Edinburgh? On Wednesday, and only currently a few threads down from yours, Milolii has helpfully posted that bookings have opened for Edinburgh Castle for dates between April and September this year.

 

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by edinburgher

[edinburgher]

I would like to make our stop in Newhaven do it yourself. Can anyone assist me in how to catch the bus into town? From what I read that is the easiest way instead of waiting for an expensive ship transport.

 

How i wish this were an easy answer but sadly, it is far from it.

 

Used to be so easy.Simply take a local bus and get off in the city centre. The reverse for the return.

 

When are you travelling to Edinburgh?  The good news is that, in addition to city buses, there will one day be a tram service to/from Newhaven.

 

The bad news is that , that day is not yet here as the construction of the new tramline has been causing massive transport issues on the north  side of the city (Newhaven is on the north side)

 

And due to restoration works to the North Bridge, there are also road closures and diversions across the city centre  which have necessitated the diversion of many bus routes and the closure of many bus stops.  Impossible to advise you of your best option as every mode of transport in the city is affected by closures and diversions, and these change every few weeks or months as works progress.  At the moment it is not too bad heading INTO the city (ie southbound) but northbound is another matter but that could change before your arrival.

 

I would look at the Lothian buses website where  the maps showing diversions and bus stop closures are.to be found. I think you could probable get a bus (eg maybe #7or others) into the central area and walk to the castle from there. Just check with the maps nearer to your arrival date or the driver on the day, where you would be able to get off the bus as so many stops are currently closed.  i would also allow PLENTY of time for your return to the ship as the northbound routes are currently the worst and your journey could be longer than expected.

 

There is some good news. Once in the centre, and especially in the Old Town/Royal Mile area, everything is easily walkable and  a joy to explore.

 

Arthurs Seat is quite a climb/hike on foot and unless it is a top priority, I don't think you would have enough time in addition to your other choices.  For views of Holyrood Park, I suggest you go up Calton Hill (off Waterloo Place and very central) from where you can enjoy wonderful views of the park. Alternatively, if you have time to reach Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament building at the foot of the Royal Mile, Holyrood Park is only a few steps away.  Websites with maps of Holyrood Park  can be found online. The size of it may surprise you.

 

Bad enough for visitors trying to get around, but think of we residents who have endured this for years already. Navigating the city centre is a nightmare for us.

[nadeki]

Thank you very much for your detailed responses. I must now try to digest the information.

 

If I am understanding things might be more walkable than I previously thought ( except Arthurs Seat).

 

There is never enough time to see everything and safely return to the ship on time.

I will study this now.

 

Thanks again.

[edinburgher]

The Old Town is incredibly easy to walk, and, as its name suggests,  it is only one mile from the castle to Holyrood Palace (or reverse)  Within that mile there are many attractions,(eg Mary Kings Close, Camera Obscura and others.) museums , churches and a Cathedral, and many "closes" and courtyards to explore.

 

And just off to the side is George IV Bridge where you will find Grayfriars Bobby, a cafe where JK Rowling wrote some Harry Potter, and Greyfriars Kirk where several gravestones bear the names of folks which JKR based some character names on. That area is literally a 2 minute walk from the Royal Mile and even without the HP connection the church and graveyard are worth a short visit, and grayfriars Bobby's grave is just at the entrance, with the statue just outside. Some of the Outlander series were filmed in Edinburgh and there are some locations on the Royal Mile, but you would need to research these before arriving so you know where to look.

 

I think if you are spending time at the castle and sightseeing along the Royal Mile,, that would fill your day with no need for a HOHO Bus Tour, but if it is a dry day, I would definiotely recommend you go up Calton Hill for 360 degree city  views and some wonderful views across to Holyrood Park.

 

Best thing you could do, is to read, read, read.  Masses of Edinburgh info online and it would give you an idea of which sights you might want to prioritise to suit your interests and some of the history.. Tripadvisor Edinburgh should be part of your research,

 

Unfortunately one day is never going to be enough for any city, even a compact one like Edinburgh.

 

When are you actually going to be here?.

Edited February 21, 2022 by edinburgher

[nadeki]

Thank you again for sharing your knowledge. We will be there Tuesday June 14th 🙂

 

 

[edinburgher]

So soon.  In that case the city centre will still be chaotic due to major  tram and bridge works in addition to "normal" roadworks.

 

Won't impact your Old Town sightseeing once you get there and buses from/to Newhaven although likely to still divert for part of the route,  should not really impact you as I don't think you will need to get on or off a bus until you reach the more central Princes St/St Andrew Square/George St/Waterloo Place area.

 

I think!  It all changes every few weeks or months.

 

Check the Lothian Buses website close to your travel date. And especially remember to check where in the central area mentioned above, you will be able to get on a bus to get back to Newhaven.