Help w/ Edinburgh

[msled]

We want to do Edinburgh on our own.  Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, ...  

 

Will my 78 yo mother be able to walk to Edinburgh Castle from where the Princess Cruise 'On Your Own' bus drops you?  Mostly wondering if it is a severe uphill or anything like that.   I was thinking the OYO tour would be the way to go because we could get early tender tickets from the ship.   But maybe a HOHO would be better because it probably drops immediately in front and back at the cruise terminal.  Is that correct?  Also, the Princess excursion is $70 but I thought I read somewhere that there is a Princess shuttle that takes you downtown for £9.  Anyone know about that?

 

Thanks so much!

[Bob++]

The castle is at the top of a steep hill, with more hills inside. My mother at 78 would not have had a problem, but yours might - IDK.

 

They do have assistance for people who might struggle - "A mobility vehicle can take visitors unable to manage the steep slopes from the esplanade to Crown Square (and back again later). The service runs on a first come, first served basis so there may be a wait before the car is available – ask any staff member to arrange a lift for you."

 

This page may help: https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/plan-your-visit/access-guide

 

Not arriving at the same time as 50+ other people might be an advantage.

Edited May 4, 2019 by Bob++

[Blue and Green]

We hired a taxi tour for the day in Edinburgh (from reviews on Trip Advisor). While more expensive, we thought it was worth the money as we were greeted right at the dock, and our driver gave a great commentary as he drove us all around Edinburgh, yet left us with time on our own at spots as well. We visited in August, during the festival, so he drove us to a lovely, less-crowded, restaurant for lunch. When we were ready to return to the ship, he drove us. This made it very easy for Mr. Blue who has some mobility issues. No hassle with shuttle times or train tickets.The crowds would have been a bit overwhelming to manage without the help of our driver.

[gnome12]

Since unfortunately my cruise plans fell through, I have switched to Plan B. I will be spending 5 days in Copenhagen, then fly to Edinburgh, spend 4 full days there (with potential side trips), then an 8-day tour to Orkney, Skye and the Highlands, train to London (they finally opened up the date I wanted for Advance tickets), 4 1/2 days in London and then home.

 

@tartanexile81 I saw your information in the topic on Princess Shuttles. I know that you have suggested the green HoHo bus, but what about the 3 bridges tour? Do you recommend it? If you do, does it make sense to upgrade to the Royal Edinburgh ticket (including Edinburgh Castle, the Brittania - which I don't expect to see - and the Palace of Holyroodhouse), or will I find that trying to do it all in 48 hours is too crammed. Especially since I don't have a full 48 hours at the beginning of my stay; for 2 hours on the second day I am doing an Outlander walking tour, and on the fourth day I have to have laundry done - although I think I will have them pick it up and deliver it to avoid messing up my day.

 

Alternatively, even though it will cost more, take the Green HoHo the first day, go to Edinburgh Castle and maybe the Palace, and do the 3 bridges tour on the 3rd day.

 

Thank you in advance for your help. Your information has already been extremely helpful to me.

 

By the way, I am staying at Motel One - Edinburgh Royal, so conveniently right at Waverley Bridge.

Edited May 10, 2019 by gnome12

[gnome12]

35 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Since unfortunately my cruise plans fell through, I have switched to Plan B. I will be spending 5 days in Copenhagen, then fly to Edinburgh, spend 4 full days there (with potential side trips), then an 8-day tour to Orkney, Skye and the Highlands, train to London (they finally opened up the date I wanted for Advance tickets), 4 1/2 days in London and then home.

 

@tartanexile81 I saw your information in the topic on Princess Shuttles. I know that you have suggested the green HoHo bus, but what about the 3 bridges tour? Do you recommend it? If you do, does it make sense to upgrade to the Royal Edinburgh ticket (including Edinburgh Castle, the Brittania - which I don't expect to see - and the Palace of Holyroodhouse), or will I find that trying to do it all in 48 hours is too crammed. Especially since I don't have a full 48 hours at the beginning of my stay; for 2 hours on the second day I am doing an Outlander walking tour, and on the fourth day I have to have laundry done - although I think I will have them pick it up and deliver it to avoid messing up my day.

 

Alternatively, even though it will cost more, take the Green HoHo the first day, go to Edinburgh Castle and maybe the Palace, and do the 3 bridges tour on the 3rd day.

 

Thank you in advance for your help. Your information has already been extremely helpful to me.

 

By the way, I am staying at Motel One - Edinburgh Royal, so conveniently right at Waverley Bridge.

Correction: I realized that I do have 2 full days on arrival in Edinburgh, so I could do the 48 hours then.

[tartanexile81]

23 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Since unfortunately my cruise plans fell through, I have switched to Plan B. I will be spending 5 days in Copenhagen, then fly to Edinburgh, spend 4 full days there (with potential side trips), then an 8-day tour to Orkney, Skye and the Highlands, train to London (they finally opened up the date I wanted for Advance tickets), 4 1/2 days in London and then home.

 

@tartanexile81 I saw your information in the topic on Princess Shuttles. I know that you have suggested the green HoHo bus, but what about the 3 bridges tour? Do you recommend it? If you do, does it make sense to upgrade to the Royal Edinburgh ticket (including Edinburgh Castle, the Brittania - which I don't expect to see - and the Palace of Holyroodhouse), or will I find that trying to do it all in 48 hours is too crammed. Especially since I don't have a full 48 hours at the beginning of my stay; for 2 hours on the second day I am doing an Outlander walking tour, and on the fourth day I have to have laundry done - although I think I will have them pick it up and deliver it to avoid messing up my day.

 

Alternatively, even though it will cost more, take the Green HoHo the first day, go to Edinburgh Castle and maybe the Palace, and do the 3 bridges tour on the 3rd day.

 

Thank you in advance for your help. Your information has already been extremely helpful to me.

 

By the way, I am staying at Motel One - Edinburgh Royal, so conveniently right at Waverley Bridge.

 

The Green line tour (called the Edinburgh tour) is the best option but unless you are desperately keen to see the Priory on Inchcolm Island I wouldn't do the 3 bridges tour.  If you wanted to se the bridges, you'd be far better just hoping on a train from Waverley Station right by your hotel and taking a ride over the very historic  Forth Bridge to Inverkeithing and back at around £5 round trip. BTW I think your hotel is in a great central location. 

 

I would advise pre-booking a time slot for the Castle https://www.edinburghcastle.scot and after doing a full circuit on the hop on hop off I'd recommend you walk down the Royal Mile as it's partly pedestrianised and well worth a walk just to absorb the dozens of sites.  The following day you could easily fit in a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia. If you walk from your hotel up to Princes Street, turn right, you could get bus #22 from outside the Apple store right down to the Ocean terminal where the yacht is. It's one of my favourite things to do in Edinburgh.  Outlander is filmed around Edinburgh but not much in the city so you won't see many if any of the locations. I think it will probably be more of a historical talk round the bottom of the Royal Mile.  There are tours to the Outlander locations but you may  not have time for that.  Hope that helps

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, tartanexile81 said:

 

The Green line tour (called the Edinburgh tour) is the best option but unless you are desperately keen to see the Priory on Inchcolm Island I wouldn't do the 3 bridges tour.  If you wanted to se the bridges, you'd be far better just hoping on a train from Waverley Station right by your hotel and taking a ride over the very historic  Forth Bridge to Inverkeithing and back at around £5 round trip. BTW I think your hotel is in a great central location. 

 

I would advise pre-booking a time slot for the Castle https://www.edinburghcastle.scot and after doing a full circuit on the hop on hop off I'd recommend you walk down the Royal Mile as it's partly pedestrianised and well worth a walk just to absorb the dozens of sites.  The following day you could easily fit in a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia. If you walk from your hotel up to Princes Street, turn right, you could get bus #22 from outside the Apple store right down to the Ocean terminal where the yacht is. It's one of my favourite things to do in Edinburgh.  Outlander is filmed around Edinburgh but not much in the city so you won't see many if any of the locations. I think it will probably be more of a historical talk round the bottom of the Royal Mile.  There are tours to the Outlander locations but you may  not have time for that.  Hope that helps

Thank you. I will take your suggestions, and visit the yacht by bus.

 

As to the Outlander tour, I am less interested in filming locations than in connecting the story with the history, which is what I hope to get out of the walking tour.

[gnome12]

19 hours ago, tartanexile81 said:

 

The Green line tour (called the Edinburgh tour) is the best option but unless you are desperately keen to see the Priory on Inchcolm Island I wouldn't do the 3 bridges tour.  If you wanted to se the bridges, you'd be far better just hoping on a train from Waverley Station right by your hotel and taking a ride over the very historic  Forth Bridge to Inverkeithing and back at around £5 round trip. BTW I think your hotel is in a great central location. 

 

I would advise pre-booking a time slot for the Castle https://www.edinburghcastle.scot and after doing a full circuit on the hop on hop off I'd recommend you walk down the Royal Mile as it's partly pedestrianised and well worth a walk just to absorb the dozens of sites.  The following day you could easily fit in a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia. If you walk from your hotel up to Princes Street, turn right, you could get bus #22 from outside the Apple store right down to the Ocean terminal where the yacht is. It's one of my favourite things to do in Edinburgh.  Outlander is filmed around Edinburgh but not much in the city so you won't see many if any of the locations. I think it will probably be more of a historical talk round the bottom of the Royal Mile.  There are tours to the Outlander locations but you may  not have time for that.  Hope that helps

Thanks for all your help @tartanexile81. This might be a final question, who knows? 😉

 

I think that the Royal Ticket makes sense even if I don't do the 3 bridges tour. As a senior, it will cost me £50. Individually, the Edinburgh tour HoHo would cost £15, an advance ticket to Edinburgh Castle £14, the Royal Yacht Britannia £14.50, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse £13.50 for a total of £57. Does it make sense to use the Majestic tour HoHo just for transportation to the Royal Yacht Britannia, or should I just pay for the (presumably more) direct bus? This ticket also gives me anytime entry to the Castle without having to prebook a time slot. As I figured out, I have my first 2 days in Edinburgh completely free to get to all of these included sites. I could then take the train to Inverkeithing (by the way, why are you suggesting Inverkeithing rather than North Queensferry? Is it a better view of the bridges?) on one of my other days.

[tartanexile81]

2 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Thanks for all your help @tartanexile81. This might be a final question, who knows? 😉

 

I think that the Royal Ticket makes sense even if I don't do the 3 bridges tour. As a senior, it will cost me £50. Individually, the Edinburgh tour HoHo would cost £15, an advance ticket to Edinburgh Castle £14, the Royal Yacht Britannia £14.50, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse £13.50 for a total of £57. Does it make sense to use the Majestic tour HoHo just for transportation to the Royal Yacht Britannia, or should I just pay for the (presumably more) direct bus? This ticket also gives me anytime entry to the Castle without having to prebook a time slot. As I figured out, I have my first 2 days in Edinburgh completely free to get to all of these included sites. I could then take the train to Inverkeithing (by the way, why are you suggesting Inverkeithing rather than North Queensferry? Is it a better view of the bridges?) on one of my other days.

 

I understand about the Royal Edinburgh tickets. I really meant the 3 Bridges wasn't worth doing. The only reason I suggested Inverkeithing because there are more trains from there. I thought you might just want to cross the bridge, get a great view  then go back but if you want to go for a walk then North Queensferry is a much better choice.  You also get a great view of the bridges from South Queensferry and it's an historic town in its own right so well worth a visit.However you wouldn't cross the rail bridge which lots of people like doing. The timetables here: Edinburgh Waverley to Dalmeny (South Queensferry), North Queensferry or Inverkeithing - www.nationalrail.co.uk

The reason I suggested pre-booking the Castle is that it can get so busy some days in peak season that they don't accept anybody who hasn't booked. When you arrive, if they are full, you would be asked to book a slot for later. 

A round trip to the Royal Yacht is £3.40 on Lothian buses or you can buy an unlimited all day ticket for buses and trams for £4.

www.lothianbuses.com for timetables for bus #22 or any bus

The Majestic tour doesn't follow very interesting route after you leave the city centre so it just seems a waste of time to me unless you particularly want to see residential parts of town. 

Edited May 12, 2019 by tartanexile81

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, tartanexile81 said:

The only reason I suggested Inverkeithing because there are more trains from there. I thought you might just want to cross the bridge, get a great view  then go back but if you want to go for a walk then North Queensferry is a much better choice.  You also get a great view of the bridges from South Queensferry and it's an historic town in its own right so well worth a visit.However you wouldn't cross the rail bridge which lots of people like doing. The timetables here: Edinburgh Waverley to Dalmeny (South Queensferry), North Queensferry or Inverkeithing - www.nationalrail.co.uk

If I go to Inverkeithing (or North Queensferry) can I break up my return to get out in South Queensferry before returning to Waverley?

[Adventures ahead]

4 hours ago, tartanexile81 said:

 

I understand about the Royal Edinburgh tickets. I really meant the 3 Bridges wasn't worth doing. The only reason I suggested Inverkeithing because there are more trains from there. I thought you might just want to cross the bridge, get a great view  then go back but if you want to go for a walk then North Queensferry is a much better choice.  You also get a great view of the bridges from South Queensferry and it's an historic town in its own right so well worth a visit.However you wouldn't cross the rail bridge which lots of people like doing. The timetables here: Edinburgh Waverley to Dalmeny (South Queensferry), North Queensferry or Inverkeithing - www.nationalrail.co.uk

The reason I suggested pre-booking the Castle is that it can get so busy some days in peak season that they don't accept anybody who hasn't booked. When you arrive, if they are full, you would be asked to book a slot for later. 

A round trip to the Royal Yacht is £3.40 on Lothian buses or you can buy an unlimited all day ticket for buses and trams for £4.

www.lothianbuses.com for timetables for bus #22 or any bus

The Majestic tour doesn't follow very interesting route after you leave the city centre so it just seems a waste of time to me unless you particularly want to see residential parts of town. 

We're considering purchasing the 5-day Explorer Pass. On the Crown Princess in August, over a five-day period, we plan to visit Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Maeshowe and Skara Brae. We're already booked for the Kirkwall sites and visiting Stirling Castle on a local tour. With the Explorer Pass, even with 'Senior' entrance rates, a bit of money can be saved. More importantly, I understand that we'll be able to use the 'Pass' line that would be a shorter (aka faster) than buying entrance tickets for Edinburgh Castle on the day of the visit.  Do we still need to pre-book a time for Edinburgh Castle or would we be admitted whenever we turn up? I think the Pass is simply a way of paying and that we still need to book a time slot. How would we book a slot if we already have a Pass? We plan to take the X99 and book the Green line HOHO tour so would have trouble predicting when we might arrive at the castle. We're using the HOHO as a narrated tour, not actually a HOHO. Must allow time for other things! Appreciate your insight!

Edited May 12, 2019 by Adventures ahead

[GHChik]

On 5/4/2019 at 9:47 AM, Blue and Green said:

We hired a taxi tour for the day in Edinburgh (from reviews on Trip Advisor). While more expensive, we thought it was worth the money as we were greeted right at the dock, and our driver gave a great commentary as he drove us all around Edinburgh, yet left us with time on our own at spots as well. We visited in August, during the festival, so he drove us to a lovely, less-crowded, restaurant for lunch. When we were ready to return to the ship, he drove us. This made it very easy for Mr. Blue who has some mobility issues. No hassle with shuttle times or train tickets.The crowds would have been a bit overwhelming to manage without the help of our driver.

Hello fellow Michigander!  

We are just beginning to search for port info for our August 2020 booking.  We are interested in the Military Tattoo and our port is Glasgow.  

Any specific info you can share (taxi tour company/estimate of price etc) would be awesome if you have the time.  Thank you!

 

Go Blue. Go Green!

[tartanexile81]

19 hours ago, Adventures ahead said:

We're considering purchasing the 5-day Explorer Pass. On the Crown Princess in August, over a five-day period, we plan to visit Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Maeshowe and Skara Brae. We're already booked for the Kirkwall sites and visiting Stirling Castle on a local tour. With the Explorer Pass, even with 'Senior' entrance rates, a bit of money can be saved. More importantly, I understand that we'll be able to use the 'Pass' line that would be a shorter (aka faster) than buying entrance tickets for Edinburgh Castle on the day of the visit.  Do we still need to pre-book a time for Edinburgh Castle or would we be admitted whenever we turn up? I think the Pass is simply a way of paying and that we still need to book a time slot. How would we book a slot if we already have a Pass? We plan to take the X99 and book the Green line HOHO tour so would have trouble predicting when we might arrive at the castle. We're using the HOHO as a narrated tour, not actually a HOHO. Must allow time for other things! Appreciate your insight!

 

I've never used an Explorer Pass but checked the Castle website and according to the wording you're guaranteed entry so you should be fine. 

 

Timing would depend on how early you think you can get off the ship.  I'd be trying to get to the Castle for as soon as possible after it opens at 9:30. The first Edinburgh green line tour leaves at 9:05 from Waverley Bridge, arriving in The Lawnmarket (the stop for the Castle) just before 10.  If you decide to stay on for the whole circuit then keep sitting till it reaches the Castle it would probably be shortly after 11:00.

 

  

[gnome12]

7 minutes ago, tartanexile81 said:

 

I've never used an Explorer Pass but checked the Castle website and according to the wording you're guaranteed entry so you should be fine. 

 

Timing would depend on how early you think you can get off the ship.  I'd be trying to get to the Castle for as soon as possible after it opens at 9:30. The first Edinburgh green line tour leaves at 9:05 from Waverley Bridge, arriving in The Lawnmarket (the stop for the Castle) just before 10.  If you decide to stay on for the whole circuit then keep sitting till it reaches the Castle it would probably be shortly after 11:00.

 

  

The Royal Edinburgh Ticket also says it has "Guaranteed entry - no timeslot required" for Edinburgh Castle

https://edinburghtour.com/royal-edinburgh-ticket/

 

Rick Steves's guidebook suggests to go early to the Castle, or later in the day, about 2. Lonely planet has no suggestions. Am I better off to hop off at The Lawnmarket from the first HoHo tour, or do the whole loop in the morning and come back later for the castle?

[Adventures ahead]

3 hours ago, tartanexile81 said:

 

I've never used an Explorer Pass but checked the Castle website and according to the wording you're guaranteed entry so you should be fine. 

 

Timing would depend on how early you think you can get off the ship.  I'd be trying to get to the Castle for as soon as possible after it opens at 9:30. The first Edinburgh green line tour leaves at 9:05 from Waverley Bridge, arriving in The Lawnmarket (the stop for the Castle) just before 10.  If you decide to stay on for the whole circuit then keep sitting till it reaches the Castle it would probably be shortly after 11:00.

 

  

Thank you, very helpful!  10am for the castle sounds good.

[tartanexile81]

23 hours ago, gnome12 said:

The Royal Edinburgh Ticket also says it has "Guaranteed entry - no timeslot required" for Edinburgh Castle

https://edinburghtour.com/royal-edinburgh-ticket/

 

Rick Steves's guidebook suggests to go early to the Castle, or later in the day, about 2. Lonely planet has no suggestions. Am I better off to hop off at The Lawnmarket from the first HoHo tour, or do the whole loop in the morning and come back later for the castle?

 

As you'll overnight in Edinburgh I'd probably for for a late afternoon slot but no later than 4:00. But that is only my opinion

[Blue and Green]

On ‎5‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 11:00 AM, GHChik said:

Hello fellow Michigander!  

We are just beginning to search for port info for our August 2020 booking.  We are interested in the Military Tattoo and our port is Glasgow.  

Any specific info you can share (taxi tour company/estimate of price etc) would be awesome if you have the time.  Thank you!

 

 

We used Kevin of Taxi Tours Edinburgh: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186525-d10202091-Reviews-Taxi_Tours_Edinburgh-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

 

We booked Kevin to pick us up at the dock in Edinburgh (South Queensferry), but he does tours outside of Edinburgh as well. He was a great guide, with many stories to tell and a warm, friendly personality. 

 

When we docked in Glasgow (Greenock), we used Discover Scotland--a small group tour in a van. This was also a fantastic port and great tour.  We were picked up at the dock in Greenock, just outside the gate, and had a full day of touring which included Loch Lomond and the quaint village of Luss, the Trossachs National park, Stirling Castle (with a stop to photograph the “hairy coos”), and a stop in  Glasgow. This was probably one of my favorite days. We never felt rushed, it was a great blend of tour with a group and time on our own. 

 

We opted out of the Tattoo this trip, and for us that was the best decision, but I know others view it as a "must do." 

 

If you are interested, here is the link to my review of the trip. I'm sure you will enjoy your trip; it's a great cruise! We are headed to Scandinavia this year, but the BI are hard to beat.

 

 

 

[msled]

So has anyone 'been there, done that' and can verify that with the Explorer Pass you DO NOT need to pre-book a time at  Edinburgh Castle.  I have searched high and low and can't find anywhere that says you need to.  I'm also planning to use the pass at Stirling & Urquhart and think I need to do nothing there but show up.   Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks!

[gnome12]

On 5/12/2019 at 5:48 PM, gnome12 said:

If I go to Inverkeithing (or North Queensferry) can I break up my return to get out in South Queensferry before returning to Waverley?

@tartanexile81 I never got an an answer to this one. I tried to find it on the National Rail site, but can't find anything about stopovers. I definitely want to cross the bridge, but I'd also like to walk around and take a look out at the bridges, and it seems like South Queensferry would be the best place to do that. Realizing that there are fewer trains that stop in Dalmeny, would it be possible to get a return ticket to Inverkeithing, and on the way back do Inverkeithing - Dalmeny and Dalmeny- Edinburgh? Or would I have to purchase 3 separate one way tickets?

 

Thanks for all your help on this site.

[tartanexile81]

59 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

@tartanexile81 I never got an an answer to this one. I tried to find it on the National Rail site, but can't find anything about stopovers. I definitely want to cross the bridge, but I'd also like to walk around and take a look out at the bridges, and it seems like South Queensferry would be the best place to do that. Realizing that there are fewer trains that stop in Dalmeny, would it be possible to get a return ticket to Inverkeithing, and on the way back do Inverkeithing - Dalmeny and Dalmeny- Edinburgh? Or would I have to purchase 3 separate one way tickets?

 

Thanks for all your help on this site.

 

I'm sorry I missed your previous post gnome12 but I will gladly help now I've spotted it!  South Queensferry is well worth a stop-off. It is an historic village with great views of the three bridges. It also hascobbled streets and interesting old buildings.  I'd recommend a visit to the local museum to learn the story of the bridges and great views as well as a coffee in Orocco Pier a restaurant bar which also has amazing views. There are some  little alleys you can also go down to get to the river for lovely views.You can easily walk from one end of the village to the other. The only problem that I can see without knowing your level of fitness is that it's a steep walk to and from the station which is called Dalmeny. There are 120 steps down then back up so not easy IMO. I've got photos of it which I can post if you're interested.  Or would you like he number of a local taxi company? 

 

As far as your question about tickets is concerned I didn't really know is the honest answer  so I had to do some research to find out. You will need to buy a full price day return (cost about £9) then (according to the website)  "You may start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station along the route of travel" This is exactly what you want so you can start in Edinburgh, get off at Dalmeny then get back on later for Inverkeithing There will be lots of taxis at Inverkeithing to whisk you back to the port. 

 

Sorry for the delay in replying 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by tartanexile81

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, tartanexile81 said:

 

I'm sorry I missed your previous post gnome12 but I will gladly help now I've spotted it!  South Queensferry is well worth a stop-off. It is an historic village with great views of the three bridges. It also hascobbled streets and interesting old buildings.  I'd recommend a visit to the local museum to learn the story of the bridges and great views as well as a coffee in Orocco Pier a restaurant bar which also has amazing views. There are some  little alleys you can also go down to get to the river for lovely views.You can easily walk from one end of the village to the other. The only problem that I can see without knowing your level of fitness is that it's a steep walk to and from the station which is called Dalmeny. There are 120 steps down then back up so not easy IMO. I've got photos of it which I can post if you're interested.  Or would you like he number of a local taxi company? 

 

As far as your question about tickets is concerned I didn't really know is the honest answer  so I had to do some research to find out. You will need to buy a full price day return (cost about £9) then (according to the website)  "You may start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station along the route of travel" This is exactly what you want so you can start in Edinburgh, get off at Dalmeny then get back on later for Inverkeithing There will be lots of taxis at Inverkeithing to whisk you back to the port. 

 

Sorry for the delay in replying 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, and no problems that you missed the previous message. You are an incredible resource for many of us, and I know that you do it all voluntarily.

 

I would love to see some photos of the steps, and you might as well give me the number of a local taxi. I can do stairs (much better now than a year ago) but these might be a bit much.

[tartanexile81]

22 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Thanks, and no problems that you missed the previous message. You are an incredible resource for many of us, and I know that you do it all voluntarily.

 

I would love to see some photos of the steps, and you might as well give me the number of a local taxi. I can do stairs (much better now than a year ago) but these might be a bit much.

 

Hello again gnome12. Here's a link to a thread I started, with photos of the walk to and from the station. 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1952285-taking-the-train-from-south-queensferry-to-edinburgh/

 

A couple of local taxi companies

0131 - 300- 0767 - Dalmeny Cars 

07967 432485  McKenzie Cars 

[gnome12]

On 6/4/2019 at 2:01 PM, tartanexile81 said:

As far as your question about tickets is concerned I didn't really know is the honest answer  so I had to do some research to find out. You will need to buy a full price day return (cost about £9) then (according to the website)  "You may start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station along the route of travel" This is exactly what you want so you can start in Edinburgh, get off at Dalmeny then get back on later for Inverkeithing There will be lots of taxis at Inverkeithing to whisk you back to the port. 

 

@tartanexile81 I actually found the information on the Journey Planner, so I can give you some information. It looks that I don't need a full price day return; I can break on an Off-Peak Day Return. (And since I am travelling either Saturday or Sunday it is off-peak all day.) I have checked the schedules, and it looks like Saturday is a better choice since there are more trains, but it is nice to know that I can do either. I guess I do have to ask when I purchase it whether there are any restriction codes, but I don't think that it is too likely. I think I will cross to Inverkeithing first, then come back to Dalmeny to explore South Queensferry. I have marked down your information on the museum and the bar, so I think I'm all prepared. I'm staying in Edinburgh, so other than deciding whether I want a taxi at Dalmeny to get me to the High Street and back, Inverkeithing might be just to turn around.

 

This section comes from the Terms and Conditions of an Off-Peak Day Return, and a link to the page itself.

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/ticketterms/show?&ticketTypeCode=CDR&ticketRestriction=H1&callingPage=/service/timesandfares/EDB/INK/200719/1330/dep/200719/1400/dep

 

Break of Journey

	Outward	Return
	A break of journey is permitted on the outward portion off an Off-Peak Day Return unless otherwise indicated by a restriction shown against the ticket's Restriction Code.	A break of journey is permitted on the return portion off an Off-Peak Day Return unless otherwise indicated by a restriction shown against the ticket's Restriction Code.

[tartanexile81]

Enjoy your visit gnome 12 and thanks for the info.

 

 

[djh1959]

On 5/31/2019 at 10:17 AM, msled said:

So has anyone 'been there, done that' and can verify that with the Explorer Pass you DO NOT need to pre-book a time at  Edinburgh Castle.  I have searched high and low and can't find anywhere that says you need to.  I'm also planning to use the pass at Stirling & Urquhart and think I need to do nothing there but show up.   Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks!

We were in Edinburgh in January 2018 and purchased an Explorer Pass.  We did not have to book a time for Edinburgh Castle, we just showed up.  It was of course the off season, so it might be different in summer.  We went their first thing, but not particularly early, and went straight in.