Getting to Edinburgh: How students travelled to their Open Day
By Maisie, Michael and Tymofii
Attending a university Open Day is often the first step in picturing yourself as a student, and getting there can be a story in itself. Whether you are travelling from nearby, across the country, or just across the city, the journey is all part of the experience. To help you plan, three students share how they made their way to the University of Edinburgh’s Open Day by train, bus and car, along with their tips for making the most of the day.
Travelling by car to Open Day: a long drive for a long weekend
By Maisie, from Suffolk, studying Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVM&S)
I think it’s safe to say that’s when I first set my sights to not only moving to Edinburgh but also that the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies was where I wanted to spend the next six years of my life. I attended my Open Day in October 2022, driving all the way up from Suffolk. It’s a 400-mile trip taking approximately eight hours each way.
First time visitor
Attending an Open Day was the first time I had ever visited Edinburgh. I came up with my aunt and we drove up on the Friday and back on the Sunday, leaving Friday evening, Saturday (where we spent the morning exploring and the afternoon at the Open Day) and Sunday morning to explore. Being such a long drive and at a time when petrol was expensive, I think it cost us about £120 in total for petrol. Our hotel, which was bed and breakfast, was about £300, bringing the total to approximately £420, or £210 each.
Although the drive was long, once we got off the motorway and up through the Northumberland hills/Scottish borders, the views were beautiful. I would always recommend going this way over the A1 any day! If I remember correctly, driving to Edinburgh was some of the worst weather I’d ever driven in. We had torrential rain for most of the journey, before the sun came out as we were driving through the Scottish Borders. But on the way back, we had good weather the whole way, making the drive seem quicker.
Keeping costs down to allow extra days for exploring
I would recommend spending more than one day in Edinburgh if you can afford it when coming to an Open Day, as it’s difficult to see everything Edinburgh has to offer in one day. However, Edinburgh is not a cheap city. To keep costs down, I’d recommend booking as far in advance as possible. As soon as you know you’re coming, get everything booked. There are lots of great hotels/bed and breakfasts in Edinburgh, or if you’re happy sharing a room, the hostels are also great and generally a lot cheaper.
I’d also recommend working out what’s best for actually getting here. We booked onto the Open Day quite late; however, if we had booked earlier, we would have flown from Stansted as flights start from just £15 each way, which obviously is much cheaper than driving. Also, depending on where you’re coming from, it may be cheaper to fly or get the train, especially as parking in Edinburgh is so expensive!
Travelling by train to Open Day: a short trip for big decisions
By Michael, from Scotland, studying Social Policy and Politics
Although I’m from North Lanarkshire and had been to Edinburgh plenty of times before, I’d never really ventured to the part of the city where the University is based.
Getting to the Open Day
I travelled with my mum by train, which was much quicker than the bus, taking around half the time. With our railcards, it cost us less than £20 in total, which felt pretty reasonable. Since we lived close enough, we didn’t stay overnight and just came for the day.
We chose to travel with LNER at the time, as they offered a direct service from Motherwell to Edinburgh. Unlike ScotRail, which stops more frequently, LNER and CrossCountry run non-stop services, making the journey faster and more comfortable. The InterCity trains were also a nice touch, with comfier seats, catering options, and, surprisingly, often cheaper fares than ScotRail.
Advice for attending an Open Day
Looking back, my only regret is not booking an accommodation tour. It didn’t feel essential at the time, but where you live really shapes your university experience. It’s where you eat, sleep, and often study. I loved my flat at Warrander Park Crescent, but now that I’m older and wiser, I’d always recommend viewing accommodation in person before deciding.
My advice to anyone travelling to an Open Day is to find a simple, reliable route that makes the travel part easy. Exploring the campus and the city can be tiring, so having a smooth journey home makes all the difference!
Travelling by bus and foot to Open Day: navigating Edinburgh as a local
By Tymofii, from Ukraine/Scotland, studying LLB Global Law
As someone who was already local to Edinburgh before getting into uni, I wasn’t sure if going to the Open Day was really a “necessary” thing to do. However, I still decided to go and explore the University and city in more depth.
Getting to the Open Day from across the city
My top piece of advice for people who use public transport is to use apps such as Google Maps to plan your journeys. It’s so much easier to plan ahead and keep your schedule organised when you know when and where exactly you should be to catch a bus or any other type of public transportation. Also, make sure to leave plenty of time in case of delays because traffic in Edinburgh can be really busy!
On the day, I caught the bus from my home to Princes Street, where I walked for 15 minutes to George Square, as that was where the main welcome events were happening. Getting there was pretty straight forward, with plenty of signs and student ambassadors around to guide me. There were lots of stalls and information desks, from admission offices to tours of the Main Library. Also, make use of the University Open Day map to find your way between buildings, as the University is much bigger than you think.
If I could go back
If I were to do the day again, I’d definitely bring a friend or a family member with me — even though going alone wasn’t a bad experience at all. It would have been nice to share it with someone and talk through what we saw. Also, don’t forget to wear a comfy pair of shoes! You don’t realise how much walking there is between different buildings and campuses!
Additionally, It is important to bring a notebook (or use your Notes app) – during the Open Day, as you will get a lot of useful information that might help you in your future studies, so take notes.
Finally, don’t be shy and prepare questions in advance. Trust me, everybody there wants to help and support you, so please, do prepare questions and make sure to ask them. You will find it very useful later.
Why I’m glad I went
Going to the Open Day really helped me visualise myself as a student at the University of Edinburgh. I loved the atmosphere and was impressed by how passionate and welcoming the community was.
Attending the Open Day helped me confirm my decision. If you’re sitting on the fence about whether you should attend Open Day or not, especially if you’re local, take a couple of hours out of your day and go exploring!
Find travel and accommodation discounts for Open Day visitors.
