Edinburgh Airport ground transportation
Edinburgh Airport sits at Ingliston, roughly 13 km west of Princes Street, and handled a record 16,980,588 passengers in 2025, the first time a Scottish airport has come close to 17 million. It is a single-terminal airport, which keeps ground transport simple: almost everything leaves from the plaza outside arrivals, marked by the large 'Edinburgh' sign.
For the city centre there are two main public options. The Lothian Airlink 100 is an express bus that runs around the clock from Stop A, up to every 10 minutes between 04:12 and 01:00 and up to every 20 minutes through the small hours, reaching Waverley Bridge in about 30 minutes. An adult single is £6.00 and an open return £8.50. Edinburgh Trams leave from the stop right beside the plaza, every 7 minutes for most of the day, and take about 30 minutes to Princes Street and 54 minutes to Newhaven via Leith. The tram costs more (£7.90 single, £7.50 if bought online in advance) and stops earlier: the last tram from the airport is at 22:52.
Two cheaper local buses also serve the terminal. Service 17 runs north-east through Blackhall and Muirhouse to Newhaven and Ocean Terminal in Leith, and service 18 runs across the south side to Fort Kinnaird. Since April 2025 both accept the normal Lothian city fare, £2.40 for an adult single.
Beyond Edinburgh, coaches go direct from the bus stops outside the terminal: Citylink AIR to Glasgow every 20 minutes for most of the day and hourly overnight, Ember E4 and Citylink 909 to Stirling, Stagecoach JET 787 to St Andrews, and both Fly and Ember E1 to Dundee. Rail is not at the terminal itself, but the tram links to Edinburgh Gateway (trains to Fife, Perth and Dundee), Edinburgh Park (Glasgow and Stirling) and Haymarket.
Taxis are run exclusively by Capital Cars from the East Terminus across the plaza. Fares inside the city are metered on the City of Edinburgh Council tariff; journeys that end outside the city boundary are quoted before you set off. Uber and other private hire cars use the pick-up zones in the multi-storey car park (charged) or the Long Stay car park (free for 30 minutes, about a ten-minute walk).
Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh city centre
City Centre (Princes Street / Waverley) is 13 km from EDI, about 25 min at the quickest. Edinburgh city centre is about 13 km from the airport. The 24-hour Airlink 100 bus is cheapest at £6.00 to Waverley Bridge in about 30 minutes; the tram costs £7.90; a metered taxi runs roughly £27–35.
| Option | Time | Fare | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lothian Airlink 100 Cheapest | 30 min | £6 | Up to every 10 min (every 20 min overnight) · 24/7: up to every 10 min 04:12–01:00, up to every 20 min 01:15–04:00 |
| Edinburgh Trams (Airport–Newhaven) | 30 min | £7.5–7.9 | Every 7 min daytime, every 10 min early and late · First 06:30, last 22:52 from the airport |
| Capital Cars (official airport rank) Fastest | 25 min | £27–35 | On demand · 24 hours |
| Pre-booked private car (e.g. City Airport Taxis) | 25 min | £43–66 | Book ahead · 24 hours |
Where are you heading?
Every destination from EDI: cheapest way and taxi fare
| Destination | Distance | Cheapest way | Taxi | Fastest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Centre (Princes Street / Waverley) | 13 km | Lothian Airlink 100 · £6 | £27–35 | 25 min |
| Old Town & Royal Mile | 14 km | Lothian Airlink 100 + walk · £6 | £28–36 | 30 min |
| Glasgow (Buchanan Street) | 65 km | Scottish Citylink AIR · £15 | — | 55 min |
| Haymarket Station | 10 km | Lothian Airlink 100 · £6 | £22–28 | 20 min |
| Leith (The Shore & Ocean Terminal) | 17 km | Lothian service 17 · £2.4 | £34–42 | 30 min |
| St Andrews | 79 km | Train · £18 | — | 1h 10m |
| Stirling | 49 km | Ember E4 (electric coach) · £6.6 | — | 40 min |
| Dundee | 86 km | Ember E1 (electric coach) · £9.6 | — | 1h 15m |
Buying tickets in Edinburgh
Airlink 100: pay on board by contactless (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay) or with the exact fare in cash; American Express is not accepted. Tickets can also be bought in advance in the Lothian Bus & Tram app. Adult single £6.00, open return £8.50, child (5–15) £3.00 / £4.25, family return (2 adults + 3 children) £22.00. Standard Lothian day tickets and DAY caps are not valid on Airlink.
Edinburgh Trams: buy before you board, either from the ticket machines at the airport tram stop, in the et app or Bus & Tram app, at edinburghticket.com, or by tapping on and off on the platform with a contactless card. The Airport Single is £7.90 (£7.50 pre-booked online) and the Airport Open Return £9.50 (£9.25 online); a city-zone ticket does not cover the airport. Combined tram-and-rail tickets are sold at machines in the check-in hall.
Services 17 and 18: the standard Lothian city single (£2.40 adult from 22 February 2026) is valid to and from the airport on these two routes.
Coaches: Citylink, Ember, Stagecoach and Fly sell tickets online and in their apps; Citylink also sells from the driver subject to space. Ember tickets can be booked up to 10 minutes before departure.
Taxi scams & safety in Edinburgh
The only taxi rank at the terminal is run by Capital Cars in the East Terminus, across the plaza from arrivals. A booking is required under council private hire rules: you can make it online in advance or at the rank desk. Inside the City of Edinburgh the fare is set by the council tariff (from 25 July 2026: £3.60 initial charge Monday–Friday 06:00–18:00, £4.80 evenings and weekends, then 30p increments). For any trip ending outside the city, the fare must be agreed before the journey begins.
Uber and other private hire drivers collect from the charged pick-up zone on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park or the free zone in the Long Stay car park. Be wary of anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride: licensed drivers do not tout, and every legitimate pick-up happens at the rank or the marked zones. Note that the airport tram fare is higher than the city tram fare; a cheaper city ticket bought by mistake is not valid from the airport stop.
Step-free access in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Airport provides free special assistance; it is best booked through your airline at least 48 hours before travel, and help points are placed around the terminal and car parks. Staff recognise the Sunflower lanyard for hidden disabilities, and wheelchairs can be provided for passengers with temporary injuries.
- Every Edinburgh tram has two wheelchair spaces in the middle carriage and six luggage racks.
- Blue Badge holders get one hour of free access in the airport car parks (press the intercom at the exit barrier), and there are Blue Badge bays near the shelter in the free drop-off zone.
- Citylink recommends wheelchair users book online so a space can be confirmed; Ember lets you reserve a wheelchair space free of charge.
Edinburgh Airport transport — FAQ
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