In this guide
💡 The Short Version: From Edinburgh Airport take the tram (£7.90 single, £9.50 open return) or the Airlink 100 bus (£6.00 single, £8.50 open return). The tram is 30 to 35 minutes to the city centre, every 7 minutes, but the first tram leaves the airport at 06:30 and the last at 22:52. The Airlink takes about 30 minutes to Waverley Bridge, runs 24 hours a day and is £1.90 cheaper. On the tram tap on and tap off, or buy a ticket before you board: there is a £10 fare on board. A taxi is metered and must be booked at the rank. Or book a bus voucher: the Airport Bus Transferad is from £6 (GetYourGuide).
The options compared
Fares are adult prices from Edinburgh Trams, Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council.
| Option | Fare | Time to the centre | When it runs | Where it drops you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tram | £7.90 single, £9.50 open return | About 30 minutes (35 to St Andrew Square) | 06:30 to 22:52 from the airport, every 7 minutes in the day | Haymarket, West End–Princes Street, Princes Street and St Andrew Square |
| Airlink 100 bus | £6.00 single, £8.50 open return | About 30 minutes | 24 hours; up to every 10 minutes 04:12 to 01:00 | Edinburgh Zoo, Murrayfield, Haymarket, Shandwick Place and Waverley Bridge |
| Taxi | Metered, from £3.60 | A 20-minute drive | Day and night | Your address |
| Private transfer | From £30 | 45 minutes to 1 hour | By booking | Your hotel |
| Lothian 17 and 18 | £2.40 | 50 minutes to 1¼ hours, not to the centre | Up to every 30 minutes | Ocean Terminal, Fort Kinnaird |
The tram
£7.90 single · £9.50 open return · about 30 minutes · first tram 06:30, last 22:52
The tram stop is outside the main terminal, next to the plaza and the Edinburgh sign. Trams run every 7 minutes between 06:30 and 19:00 and every 10 minutes early and late. The airport is the only stop in the Airport Zone, so every journey to or from it needs an airport ticket. From the airport it is about 25 minutes to Haymarket, 32 to Princes Street and 35 to St Andrew Square, from where Waverley station and the bus station are a short walk. The line continues to Newhaven, 54 minutes from the airport.
A tram at the airport stop. Photo: M J Richardson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Tickets. The £9.50 open return has no expiry when bought at a machine or on edinburghticket.com. A child (5 to 15) pays £4.00 single and £5.00 return. Three-, four- and five-day tickets that include one airport return and unlimited tram travel in the city zone are £20, £22 and £24.
- Board with a ticket. Buy at the machine at the stop, in the app or online, or tap on. A passenger without a valid ticket pays £10 on board.
- Contactless. Tap on at the validator and tap off at the end. If you do not tap off, the journey is recorded as incomplete and charged as the full Airport Zone fare. Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay work; American Express does not work on the platform validators, though it can be used at the ticket machines.
- Luggage. There are racks on every tram, and dogs on leads travel free.
Edinburgh public transport has the city-zone tickets, which do not cover the airport.
The Airlink 100 bus
£6.00 single · £8.50 open return · about 30 minutes · 24 hours
The Airlink 100 leaves from Stop A, next to the plaza, up to every 10 minutes from 04:12 to 01:00 and up to every 20 minutes from 01:15 to 04:00. In the other direction it leaves Waverley Bridge up to every 10 minutes from 03:40 to 00:20 and up to every 20 minutes from 00:35 to 03:25. The stops in the city are Edinburgh Zoo, Murrayfield, Haymarket Station, Shandwick Place, Princes Street (drop-off only) and Waverley Bridge, close to Princes Street, the railway station and the bus station.
An Airlink 100 bus at the airport. Photo: Calum Cape, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
- Tickets. The open return is £8.50 and has no expiry. A child pays £3.00 single and £4.25 return, a family open return is £22.00, and up to three children under 5 travel free. Contactless capping works on the Airlink: tell the driver your destination, and there is no need to tap off.
- A pre-booked voucher. Edinburgh Airport: Bus Transferad is sold by Edinburgh Bus Tours from £6 and is valid on the Airlink 100 only. It has 19,616 reviews, and the voucher is exchanged for a ticket.
- Standard Lothian day tickets are not valid on the Airlink. The Network Day ticket (£14.00) covers it, with the tram and every bus.
Taxis and private transfers
Taxis
Metered · from £3.60 · a 20-minute drive
The official taxi company at Edinburgh Airport is Capital Cars, and the rank is in the East Terminus, a short walk from arrivals: leave through the plaza and follow the signs. A booking is required to comply with the council’s licensing rules, and you can make it online beforehand or at the rank. Fares are set by the City of Edinburgh Council. Since 25 July 2026 the tariff for up to three passengers has started at £3.60 for the first 430 metres from 06:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, £4.80 from 18:00 to 06:00 and at weekends, with higher tariffs over Christmas and New Year, and then runs by distance and time. A pre-booked taxi adds a £1.00 call-out charge, and a hire that starts or ends at the airport’s pick-up and drop-off zone adds the airport’s own charge. A hire that ends outside the city needs the fare agreed with the driver first.
Private transfers
From £30 · 45 minutes to 1 hour
Edinburgh Airport: Private Arrival or Departure Transfersad is a driver who meets you in arrivals and takes you to your accommodation. The listing adjusts for a delayed or early flight at no extra charge. It has 271 reviews.
Pick-up by car
There is a free pick-up and drop-off zone in the Long Stay car park, a 10-minute walk from the terminal, which allows 30 minutes without charge. A charged zone sits on the ground floor of the multi-storey.
By train, or on to Glasgow and Stirling
The airport has no railway station. The tram connects with trains at Edinburgh Gateway, Edinburgh Park and Haymarket, and combined tram and train tickets are sold at machines in the check-in hall, at stations and online. Citylink coaches run from the airport to Glasgow (services 900 and 902, about an hour) and to Stirling (909 and 978, about an hour): see day trips from Edinburgh.
Which to take
- Cheapest, or arriving at night or before 06:30: the Airlink 100.
- Staying near Haymarket, Princes Street or St Andrew Square: the tram.
- Heavy luggage and an address off the main routes: a booked taxi or a private transfer.
- Only a night or two: the £8.50 open return, with no date fixed.
- Going on to Glasgow or Stirling: a Citylink coach from the airport.
What to book before you go to Edinburgh lists the sights that need tickets and their closed days. Edinburgh public transport covers the bus and tram tickets for the rest of the stay, where to stay in Edinburgh compares the areas, and hotels near the Royal Mile are a short walk from Waverley Bridge. The day trips from Edinburgh leave from Waverley and the bus station.
Common questions
What is the cheapest way from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre?
The Airlink 100 bus: £6.00 for a single and £8.50 for an open return. It takes about 30 minutes to Waverley Bridge, runs 24 hours a day, and leaves up to every 10 minutes between 04:12 and 01:00. The tram is £7.90 single.
How long does the tram take from Edinburgh Airport?
About 30 minutes to the city centre, and 54 minutes to Newhaven. It runs every 7 minutes in the daytime and every 10 minutes early and late. The first tram leaves the airport at 06:30 and the last at 22:52.
How do I pay for the Edinburgh tram?
Buy a ticket before you board, from the machine at the stop, the app or edinburghticket.com, or tap a contactless card on the validator at the start and again at the end. A passenger without a valid ticket pays £10 on board. Tapping on without tapping off is charged as the full airport fare, and American Express is not accepted on the platform validators.
Is there an overnight bus from Edinburgh Airport?
Yes. The Airlink 100 runs 24 hours a day: up to every 10 minutes from 04:12 to 01:00, and up to every 20 minutes from 01:15 to 04:00. The tram does not run overnight.
Do I need to book a taxi at Edinburgh Airport?
Yes. The official airport taxi company is Capital Cars, and a booking is required, which you can make online or at the rank in the East Terminus. Fares are metered at the City of Edinburgh Council's tariff, which starts at £3.60 for the first 430 metres on a weekday daytime.
Is there a train to Edinburgh Airport?
No. Take the tram to Edinburgh Gateway, Edinburgh Park or Haymarket, which all have rail stations, or to St Andrew Square, a short walk from Waverley. Combined tram and train tickets are sold at the machines in the check-in hall.
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