Getting There By Road
British road designations are ‘M’ for motorways, ‘A’ for major trunk roads and ‘B’ for minor trunk roads (followed by up to four numbers). Traffic in the UK drives on the left and overtakes on the right. The speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Seatbelts are compulsory for drivers and front-seat passengers and for rear-seat passengers if fitted. Motorcyclists must wear helmets. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%. Non-British national driving licences and International Driving Permits are valid for driving in Britain for up to one year and drivers must be over 18 years. Insurance is mandatory. Overseas visitors bringing their own cars should bring registration documents and check with their insurance company as to whether a Green Card is needed.
Breakdown service and general motoring information is available from the Automobile Association (tel: (0870) 600 0371; website: www.theaa.com ), the Royal Automobile Club (tel: (0870) 572 2722; website: www.rac.co.uk ) and Green Flag (tel: (0845) 246 1557; website: www.greenflag.co.uk ).
Emergency breakdown services (toll free):
AA (0800) 887 766
Green Flag (0800) 590 590
RAC (08000) 828 282
Routes to the city: Edinburgh is linked to Glasgow by the M8 motorway and from there to England and Wales by the M74 – the A74 and M6 further to the south (toward Manchester). Edinburgh is also directly linked to London by the A1.
Approximate driving times to Edinburgh: From Glasgow – 1 hour; Manchester – 4 hours and 15 minutes; London – 7 hours and 30 minutes.
Coach services: National Express (tel: (0870) 580 8080; fax: (0121) 622 6526; website: www.nationalexpress.com ) operates regular daily coach services from both London and Manchester to Edinburgh. Scottish Citylink Coaches (tel: (0870) 550 5050; fax: (0141) 332 8055; website: www.citylink.co.uk ) is the largest provider of express coach services in Scotland, with a comprehensive network of destinations. There are frequent services to Glasgow (journey time – 70 minutes) and Aberdeen (journey time – 3-4 hours). All the coaches leave from Elder Street, near St Andrew Square.
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Getting There By Road