Freshers' Note

Getting to Edinburgh

Plane:  British Airways

https://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_gb

From: London Heathrow Terminal 3
Destination: Edinburgh Airport
Duration: Around 1 hour ( give or take)
Normal baggage allowance:
Checked baggage - 1 piece at 23kg
Hand baggage - 1 piece of hand baggage (56cm x 45cm x 25cm) + a briefcase, laptop or handbag (45cm x 36cm x 20cm)

From airport to the city:

• By Bus

The Airlink 100 express bus service operates a 24-hour shuttle service between Edinburgh Airport and Waverley Bridge (near Princes Street and the main rail and bus stations), with designated stops en route. The service is frequent - every 10 minutes at peak times – with a journey time of about 25 minutes. Adult tickets cost £4.50 single and £7.50 return.

• By Taxi

Offical airport taxis, pre-booked private hire taxis and city black cabs are all available, each with separate ranks.

(if you already have an accommodation in Edinburgh, tell the driver your address and he/she will bring you straight to there, if not, ask them to drop you off the Waverley Station and one of the seniors could meet you up there)

• By Tram

Edinburgh Trams provide a convenient transport between Edinburgh Airport and the City Centre. Tickets can be bought at the respective tram stops but Ridacards are also accepted.

NOTE- For a first-timer, travelling to Edinburgh by plane is convenient as there’s no hassle on dragging your luggage through stairs etc but be aware of your baggage weight. The airline only allows 23kg which differ from the RBA that gives scholarship’s student 35kg so if you want to travel by plane, do not over-pack.  

- Here is a useful link for searching and booking flights to and/or from Edinburgh Airport
http://booking.edinburghairport.com/

Train:

Virgin Eastcoast - http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/

National Rail - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

From: London Kings Cross [KGX]
Destination: Edinburgh [EDB] / Edinburgh Waverley
Duration: Around 4-5  hours

NOTE- When buying the ticket, make sure you choose the ‘trains with NO CHANGES’ because it’s going to be a hassle dragging your stuffs from one platform to the other and you might miss your train.

-If you think that travelling by train is your preferred mode of transportation, you should register for 16-25 Railcard as you can get great deals and offers. Visit http://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/ for more info

Coach:

Megabus - http://uk.megabus.com/

National Express - http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

From: Victoria Coach Station, London
Destination: Edinburgh Bus Station, Edinburgh
Duration: Around 8-10 hours

NOTE- It’s one of the cheapest way to travel but it’s a VERY long journey and the road can be quite unpleasant sometimes. Not recommended if you’re easily car sick or impatient.

From the Waverly Train Station or the Edinburgh Bus Station, you guys can take the TAXI to your respective accommodation or just contact us if you want us to meet you up there J

*NOTE- It is recommended that you do your booking prior to leaving Brunei as everything will be much smoother and you can get a great price if you book early.

- Print your ticket(s) early so you'll have everything at the ready for your journey.

- Save your travel’s TICKETS and RECEIPTS as you can claim them back from the BSU. You’ll have to fill in some form and this is only applicable to scholarship’s students and only for your first time.

Welcome to Edinburgh!

Once you've reach Edinburgh, give us a call so that we know that you’ve manage to arrive safely (check the ‘Contact Us’ section). Its challenging being in a new place but no worries, we’ll help you settle in. We would bring you shopping, show you around the city etc

You will need stuffs and food to fill your new home. 

There are many supermarkets around the city where you could get food supplies such as:

• Tesco
• Asda
• Sainsbury’s
• Poundland
• Lidl
• Farmfood
• Bismillah (sells halal meat)
• Maqbools (sells halal meat)

For home appliances, there’s:

•  Argos
• Asda
• John Lewis
• Poundstretcher
• TK Maxx

Some halal restaurants around Edinburgh:

• Mosque Kitchen
• Nanyang
• Yocoko (only halal chicken)
• Kampong Ah-Lee (only halal chicken)
• Chicken Club
• Elfalafel
• Palmyra’s
• KFC Meadowbank
• Noodle 'n' Rice
• Zuhus
• Las Iguanas (halal chicken, duck and lamb)

Official Stuffs!

University Registration 

Get MARTICULATED and get your STUDENT ID. You should bring:

• Passport and Visa (prior to 2015)
• British Resident Permit (BRP)
• Acceptance letter from the University
• Financial guarantee letter (for sponsored students)
• Scholarship offer letter (for sponsored students)
• Evidence of your qualifications, i.e. certificates + photocopied ones

Open a UK bank account – HSBC, RBS, Lloyds, Bank of Scotland etc

•        Ask for a Bank Letter from your university.
•          Bring your passport + visa
•          Proof of home address (just in case)

Register with NHS 

You should visit your University Health Centre to register for free NHS treatment. You’ll need:

• print-out of your unconditional offer letter,
• proof of ID (your passport and student card)
• proof of address in the UK

NOTE -   It would be very convenient if you make copies of all your necessary documents in Brunei and bring them to Edinburgh as it’s cheaper to do it in Brunei and you should also bring about 20 of your passport sized photo.

-     Be patient with the procedures and do them accordingly because the last thing you want during your studies is another bunch of forms to fill in.

-     Fill in the necessary forms from the UPP and return them ASAP. http://upp.org.uk/forms

-  The University of Edinburgh created some guides and helpful tips for new students coming to Edinburgh. Although some of them are more relevant to the University's students, they are still very helpful. Check them out at http://www.ed.ac.uk/staff-students/students/new-students/new-students 

Travelling around Edinburgh 

I always feel that WALKING is the best way to explore the city. If you are living outside the city, getting a RIDACARD would be very useful. Top up £45 and you could travel everywhere around Edinburgh an unlimited number of times (day and night) for four weeks (1 week top ups is also available). For more info, check out: http://lothianbuses.com/ 

For those who do not wish to have a ridacard, adult single tickets are available with us £1.60. While day tickets are £4.00 (note there is a different fare for the night buses). When boarding the bus let the driver know the type of ticket you require and then place the correct change into the red fares box. Please have your correct fare ready as the drivers do not have access to cash and cannot give change.

Mobile bus tickets (m-tickets) are also available to download from the App Store and Google Play (minimum £10.00 spending).