How to Get From Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre (2026)
Last updated on: 04 December 2025
You’ve landed at Edinburgh Airport, and now it’s time to get to your accommodation in the city centre. In this guide, we’ll cover all the ways to travel from the airport, from taxis and buses to trams, with tips on fares, journey times and more!
🎥 Prefer to watch? This post accompanies our YouTube video on how to get from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre – watch it for a visual walkthrough!
Edinburgh Airport Map
This 3D map gives you a quick sense of the airport layout, including parking, nearby hotels and transport connections.
Taxi
The fastest and most convenient way to get from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre is by taxi.
Outside the arrivals terminal, you will see a big sign for taxis. Capital Cars, a private hire company, operates at the taxi rank. You can choose between a traditional black cab or a private hire vehicle.
If you’re unsure what a private hire vehicle is, it’s basically a taxi that must be booked in advance, either online or by phone. Private hire vehicles come in a wider range of vehicle types than black cabs, and fares are usually cheaper and often fixed. Both taxis and private hire vehicles are licensed and regulated to ensure passenger safety and quality of service.
Heading out of the terminal, this walkway leads you towards the plaza and taxi rank.
After the walkway, you reach this open space with the taxi ranks straight ahead.
The taxi rank at the airport, where licensed taxis wait to pick up passengers.
Quick Facts
Duration: Around 25 minutes, depending on traffic.
Price: Approximately £25-40 (no flat fee).
Payment methods: Most taxis accept cash and card.
Pre-Booking Your Taxi
You can pre-book with companies like City Cabs, Central Taxis or Capital Cars. If you’ve pre-booked, go to the Pick-Up & Drop-Off Zone on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park, which is shown in teal on the airport map. Large signs point the way, but make sure you go behind the metal barriers to reach the actual pickup spot.
Uber
Uber also operates in Edinburgh, and you can use the app to book a car to collect you from the Pick-Up & Drop-Off Zone at the airport, the same location as pre-booked taxis.
One important thing to note is the airport’s drop-off and pick-up fee, which is £6 for drop-offs and £6 for pick-ups, applied when using the Pick-Up & Drop-Off Zone on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park (teal on the airport map).
If you’d like to avoid this fee, the airport has a free Drop-Off & Pick-Up area at the Long Stay car park (yellow on the airport map). There is no shuttle bus from the terminal, but it’s only a 5-7 minute walk. To reach it, head towards the taxi rank and follow the signs and walk path for the Long Stay car park.
Bus
Another convenient way to get from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre is by bus. Several Lothian buses serve the airport, including Services 17 and 18, but the Airlink 100 is the main express service that goes straight to the city centre.
The Airlink 100 bus is the main service connecting the airport to Edinburgh city centre.
Quick Facts
Frequency: Runs 24/7. Departures from the airport are every 20 minutes between 01.15 and 04.00 and then every 10 minutes outwith those hours.
Duration: Approximately 30 minutes to the city centre, finishing at Waverley Bridge.
Departure point: Bus Stop A, next to the plaza outside the arrivals terminal.
Fares
You can see the list of fares for the Airlink 100 in the table below.
| Airport Single (single journey to or from Edinburgh Airport on Airlink) | Airport Open Return (return journey to or from Edinburgh Airport on Airlink) | Network Day Ticket (unlimited travel on any bus and tram until 04.30 the following morning) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | £6.00 | £8.50 | £12.50 |
| Child (5-15) | £3.00 | £4.25 | £6.25 |
| Family (up to 2 adults and 3 children) | £22.00 |
Open Return Ticket
The open return ticket gives you a 2-way journey to or from Edinburgh Airport on the Airlink 100 bus. The return part of the ticket is valid for unlimited time, so you can use it any time after your initial outbound journey.
How to Buy a Ticket
There are several ways to pay for the bus:
Cash: Exact change is needed.
Contactless: Includes Visa, Mastercard, ApplePay and GooglePay. American Express not accepted.
Bus & Tram App: Purchase mobile tickets in advance using the app.
Tram
The tram is another convenient way to get from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre.
Trams run frequently from the airport to the city centre, with real-time arrival information available on the platform.
Quick Facts
Frequency: The tram does not run 24/7. The first tram leaves the airport at 06.30 and the last tram leaves the airport at 22.52. During operating hours, trams leave every 7-10 minutes.
Duration: Approximately 30 minutes to the city centre, with the most central stop being St Andrew Square in New Town. You can also continue onward to Newhaven in the north of Edinburgh.
Departure point: Tram platform next to the plaza outside the arrivals terminal.
Fares
There are a range of ticket options, with the ones most relevant for airport travellers shown in the table below. Additional ticket options can be found on the Edinburgh Trams website.
| Airport Single (airport & city zone; valid for one journey in all zones) | Airport Open Return (airport & city zone; valid for an open journey in all zones) | Network Day Ticket (airport & city zone; valid for unlimited travel on any tram and bus in all zones) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | £7.90 | £9.50 | £12.50 |
| Child (5-15) | £4.00 | £5.00 | £6.25 |
| Family (up to 2 adults and 3 children) | £28.00 |
Open Return Ticket
The open return ticket gives you a 2-way journey to or from Edinburgh Airport on the tram. The return part of the ticket is valid for unlimited time, so you can use it any time after your initial outbound journey.
How to Buy a Ticket
You can buy tickets in the following ways:
Ticket machines: Found on the platforms and accept coins and most debit and credit cards.
Bus & Tram App: Purchase mobile tickets in advance using the app and activate before boarding.
Edinburgh Trams website: Pre-purchase on the website and display on your phone.
Tip: While contactless payment is possible using Tap On, Tap Off, buying a return ticket is cheaper than paying for two single journeys.
Pre-Purchase Policy
It’s important to buy your ticket before boarding. Failure to do so will result in a £10 on-board fare per person to the Ticketing Services Agent who checks your tickets.
Tram tickets can be purchased at these machines before you board the tram.
For more tips on getting around the city once you’re in Edinburgh, check out our How to Get Around Edinburgh guide!
If you have any other questions about getting from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre, let us know in the comments below and we’ll be happy to help!
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