Travel Information
Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is located in the southeast of Scotland. Edinburgh lies on the east coast of the Central Belt, along the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea. Owing to its spectacular, rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian architecture, including numerous stone tenements, it is often considered one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. The City is easily accessible by air, land and sea.
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Visa
The devolved country of Scotland is a member of the United Kingdom (UK) and thus is a part of the European Union (EU). European travelers can enter and leave the country with a European passport. Travelers from other parts of the world will want to visit the UK Border Agency website to make sure that they can enter and exit the country.
Currency
The currency of Scotland is Great Britian Pounds (GBP). As of September 2010, one Euro was equal to about .84 GBP. Try this currency converter for current conversions for Euros and other currencies.
The best deal for converting currency can be found at Marks and Spencer in Edinburgh at 54 Princess Street. Please check the site for hours of operation. M-S the shoppe is open until 19.00.
Hotels
The School of Informatics has made special arrangements with a variety of hotels of different categories within walking distance from the Informatics Forum at the University of Edinburgh.
To book a hotel room, please visit the REE Europe section of the Convention Edinburgh website.
You can book your hotel rooms at special REE Europe 2010 rates. Room rates range from £47.50 to £150 per night depending on the hotel and number of occupants.
All hotels are walking distance (within 1 mile) from the School of Informatics Forum, where the Stanford REE event will be held, as well as from the social venues, the Edinburgh Castle and the Royal College of Surgeons.
- Edinburgh First 2 stars
- Ramada Mt. Royal 3 stars
- Premier Inn 3 stars
- Barcelo Carlton Hotel 4 stars
- Hotel Du Vin 4 stars
- Balmoral Hotel 5 stars
Getting to Edinburgh
By Air
There is one Airport in Edinburgh, the Edinburgh International Airport. There are four other airports that serve Edinburgh as well. We have provided information about them below.
Edinburgh International Airport
A small, friendly yet busy airport that was recently remodelled, this airport should be your first choice. It is closest to the City Centre of Edinburgh (five miles). Airlines such as Easy Jet, Ryanair, Lufthansa, KLM, BMI, Flybe, Norwegian Air Shuttle, British Airways, Aer Lingus and a host of others fly in and out of Edinburgh.It is recommended that a taxi be taken into City Centre, which will cost about £20 one way and £40 return and takes approximately 45 minutes each way. There is no need to pre-book a taxi at the airport - you can find one there in the taxi queue easily and within minutes after going through customs. Alternatively, the Airlink Bus is excellent for transportation and will cost about £3 for one way and £6 for a return ticket. It also takes approximately 45 minutes each way to City Centre. There is no need to pre-book the Airlink Bus.
Glasgow International
The Glasgow Airport is approximately 1.5 hours from Edinburgh’s City Centre. Upon landing, take the Airport Bus to Queen Street Station in Glasgow and then the train to Edinburgh’s Waverly Station. Edinburgh is a one hour train ride from Glasgow. Scotrail is Scotland’s Railroad.Newcastle Airport
Newcastle is just over the border in England and is a 1.5 hour train ride from Edinburgh. Take the train from Newcastle to Edinburgh’s Waverly station.Glasgow’s Prestwick Airport
This airport is about 2.5 hours from Edinburgh. Take the train from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow’s Central Station, walk to Queen Street Station in Glasgow (a ten minute walk from Central Station), and take the train to Edinburgh.Aberdeen Airport Aberdeen is approximately 3 hours from Edinburgh. Take the train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh’s Waverly station. The train ride will take approximately 3 hours.
By Car
Some of our European visitors may wish to drive to Edinburgh. Please see Google Maps for directions. All driving times are estimates only.
- From London: 8 hours
- From Paris: 12 hours
- From Madrid: 24 hours
- From Rome: 26 hours
By Bus
National Express has buses from London to Edinburgh.
By Train
To take a train to Edinburgh from within the UK, you can book on Scot Rail, Scotland’s Railroad.
From London
Information on About.com about getting from London to Edinburgh
Getting Around
Car Rental
There is really no reason to rent a car in Edinburgh, unless you plan to travel out of the city and into the countryside. On the Saturday following the conference you can hire a coach to come with us to the Highlands of Scotland. The city is walkable, taxis are plentiful, and local business service abounds. If you must rent a car, most of the major car rental agencies are present in Edinburgh. Our favourite is Enterprise Rental Car, which supports student enterprise in Scotland.
Walking
The best way to get around Edinburgh is to walk. All of the conference venues are within walking distance from each other (1 mile maximum), so there is no need to take buses or taxis. Most of the citys attractions are within a 30-45 minute walk.
Taxis
Local taxis in Edinburgh are plentiful and provide excellent service in traditional British style taxi automobiles. There are a variety of companies serving Edinburgh, including the following. We prefer City Cabs at the University of Edinburgh.
- City Cabs
0 131 228 1211 - Central Taxis
0 131 229 2468 - Festival City Cars
0 131 552 1777
Local Bus Service
Edinburgh has an excellent local bus service, Lothian buses. The city is ranked No. 1 in the UK for local bus service. Lothian Buses operates over 50 bus services in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. The company also operates 10 Night Bus routes giving 24-hour service to many parts of the city.