Edinburgh Airport sits about eight miles west of the city centre near Ingliston, and it’s come a long way in the last few years – not least because the tram finally arrived in 2022, giving the place a bit of proper European airport energy at last.
Getting to the City Centre
The Edinburgh Tram (Line 1) is the smoothest option. Runs from the terminal to York Place via Haymarket and the city centre. Journey time around 35 minutes, £8.50 single for adults. Trams run from around 6am to midnight, every 8-10 minutes at peak. No faff, no traffic, and you get a seat with your luggage rather than wedging yourself into the aisle of a bus.
If you’re heading somewhere the tram doesn’t reach, the Airlink 100 bus (operated by Lothian Buses) runs to Waverley Bridge via Haymarket every 10 minutes and takes roughly 25-30 minutes depending on traffic on the A8. A return costs around £9. Single is £5. It’s a proper double-decker with luggage space and it goes a bit further east into the city centre than the tram terminus.
Regular Lothian service bus 22 is the budget option at £2 flat fare. Takes longer – 40-50 minutes – but goes to more parts of the city and is useful if you’re heading to Morningside or Tollcross rather than the Old Town.
Taxis from the rank outside arrivals run around £25-35 into the city centre depending on where you’re going. Uber is available too. Neither is worth it for solo travellers unless you’ve got a mountain of luggage or it’s past midnight.
Airlines and Routes
Edinburgh handles around 14 million passengers a year. You’ve got the full range of short-haul carriers – easyJet and Ryanair dominate, but Jet2, Wizz Air and British Airways all run services. For transatlantic routes, American Airlines flies direct to Philadelphia and New York JFK; Delta covers New York JFK and Atlanta. United operates a Chicago O’Hare service seasonally. Emirates flies to Dubai for onward connections to pretty much everywhere. Air Canada launched a direct Edinburgh-Toronto route which has been popular.
In the Terminal
There’s one terminal, two piers. Security queues can be brutal in summer – get there 2.5 hours early for European flights in July and August without question. The departures lounge has the usual mix, though the Scotch Malt Whisky Society bar is worth a visit before your gate if you want something properly Scottish. The airside Costa and Leon are fine. The Wetherspoons is what it is.
Lounges: British Airways Executive Club members get access to the BA lounge. Priority Pass works at the Aspire Lounge on the main concourse – decent enough with hot food, proper coffee and reliable wifi.
Practical Bits
Long stay car parks are a bus-ride from the terminal – give yourself extra time. Short stay is expensive. If you’re dropping someone off, the set-down zone is free for a few minutes; the car park approach road for a quick stop will cost you. Left luggage is available in arrivals. Currency exchange desks are there but the rates are poor – use a Starling or Monzo and withdraw from the ATM instead.
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