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Edinburgh is a major transport hub in east central Scotland, with arterial road and rail routes that connect the city to the rest of Scotland and with England. It is connected to the north of Scotland by the famous feats of engineering, the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge.

Most public transport trips in Edinburgh are taken by bus, with Lothian Buses and First Bus operating an extensive system connecting most parts of the city, suburbs and surrounding city region.

Following a vote in the Scottish Parliament in June 2007, preliminary construction work (such as the diversion of utilities) has now started on the Edinburgh Tram Network, a light rapid transit tram line to connect Edinburgh Airport and Granton via the city centre and Leith Walk. Another loop may connect the city centre and the northern waterfront areas of Leith and Granton – areas which are undergoing major regeneration and redevelopment. Despite the reservations of First Minister Alex Salmond and the SNP minority Government, the project was voted through by the other parties in the Parliament.

Edinburgh Waverley is the main railway station for the city. It is on the East Coast Main Line and is a through-station as well as a terminus for many services to and from London Kings Cross operated by NXEC and to London Euston operated by Virgin Trains and First ScotRail, as well as services from within Scotland operated by First ScotRail. Haymarket Station is a smaller station located to the west of the city centre. The rail network in the city has expanded in recent years with the opening of Crossrail, from Newcraighall and Musselburgh in the east, to Curriehill, Edinburgh Park and Dalmeny in the west. The network is set to expand further with a new parkway station being constructed at Gogar for Edinburgh Airport and the electrification of the Haymarket - Edinburgh Park/Airport section in connection with the Airdrie - Bathgate Rail Link. Edinburgh and the East of Scotland's rail network are controlled from Edinburgh Signalling Centre, which with 240 route miles (470 track miles) has the largest control area in Europe. This will increase on completion of the Bathgate - Airdrie and Edinburgh - Galashiels rail lines which will also be controlled from Edinburgh.

The city is served by Edinburgh Airport (EDI), located about 8 miles (13 km) to the west of the city, with scheduled connections to many cities in Europe and an expanding international long-haul route network, including daily flights to New York and summer services to Atlanta and Toronto. Construction of an underground rail link to the airport had been due to commence in 2007 and be operational by 2009, however the project was amended by the SNP government in September 2007, in favour of a surface interchange at a new station at Gogar to the proposed Edinburgh Tram Network.

Attempts to make Edinburgh more "cycle friendly" have been made, particularly by Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign.

The Lib Dem manifesto promised to make the city a Model Cycle-Friendly (and Walk-Friendly) City. The manifesto also promised a number of specifics on cycling but it didn’t explain what a model cycle-friendly city is!!

So far, the new council seems to be following the pattern of the previous council, doing a fair bit for cyclists, but nothing really outstanding that could possibly live up to the promise of a Model Cycle-Friendly City.