Edinburgh airport to city centre: tram, bus

Edinburgh Airport lies at Ingliston, west of the city, about 13 km by road from Waverley station and Princes Street. There is no train from the terminal, but the tram and the Airlink 100 bus both leave right outside. The short answer: take the tram if your hotel is near Haymarket, the West End, Princes Street or St Andrew Square, or further out towards Leith. Take the Airlink 100 if you are staying near Waverley station and the Old Town, or if you land at night – it runs around the clock and is a little cheaper.

Edinburgh Airport to the city centre: the options

Times: tram according to Edinburgh Airport, Airlink average journey time according to Edinburgh Airport, taxi as pure driving time to Waverley Bridge based on OpenStreetMap, without traffic; at rush hour allow about a third more for the bus and the taxi. Prices according to Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses (as of October 2026).

The tram: to Princes Street and Leith

The tram stop is a short walk from the terminal. According to the airport, the journey to the city centre takes 30 minutes, and the whole line to Newhaven in Leith 54 minutes.

• Frequency: according to the airport, a tram every 7 minutes between about 6:30 and 19:00, and every 10 minutes early in the morning and in the evening.
• Hours: the first tram leaves the airport at 6:30, the last at 22:52.
• Stops in the centre: Haymarket, West End – Princes Street, Princes Street, St Andrew Square and on towards Leith.

The tram is the better choice if your hotel is in the New Town, the West End or Leith. For the Old Town and the Royal Mile you walk up from Princes Street – a short but steep walk with luggage.

Tram tickets

The airport stop is in its own fare zone: the normal city tickets are not valid to or from the airport. According to Edinburgh Trams (as of October 2026):

• Airport single: £7.90 for adults.
• Airport open return: £9.50; according to the airport the return is open-ended, so you can use it on the way back whenever you fly.
• Network day ticket: £14.00, valid on trams and Lothian buses including the airport.
• Airport multi-day tickets: £20, £22 or £24 for 3, 4 or 5 days – one return trip to the airport plus unlimited tram travel in the city zone.

Buy your ticket before you board, at the machines at every tram stop including the airport, or in advance online. You can also tap on and off with a contactless card.

Airlink 100: around the clock to Waverley Bridge

The Airlink 100 express bus of Lothian Buses runs between the airport and Waverley Bridge, right next to Waverley station, between the Old Town and the New Town. According to the airport, the average journey takes 30 minutes.

• Frequency: according to Lothian Buses, from the airport up to every 10 minutes between 4:12 and 1:00, and up to every 20 minutes between 1:15 and 4:00.
• Tickets: £6.00 single and £8.50 return for adults, according to Lothian Buses.
• Traffic: at rush hour the road into town can be slow, so allow extra time.

Lothian services 17 and 18 also serve the airport and connect it with other parts of the city.

Taxi and transfer

Taxis wait at the rank outside the terminal. According to the airport, fares are set by the City of Edinburgh Council and apply to all taxis operating there; for journeys outside the council area you are quoted the exact fare. Without traffic the drive to Waverley Bridge is about 13 km and takes about 25 minutes.

A pre-booked transfer is worth it for families who need child seats, groups or a late landing. Airport transfers^* can be booked with Kiwitaxi, with the price fixed in advance. Our article on when an airport transfer pays off compares the options for ten airports.

Which option suits whom?

• Hotel in the New Town, the West End, near Haymarket or St Andrew Square: the tram.
• Hotel in Leith or near the Shore: the tram towards Newhaven.
• Hotel near Waverley station, the Old Town or the Royal Mile: the Airlink 100.
• Night arrival: the Airlink 100, which runs 24 hours.
• Small children, a lot of luggage, group: a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.

The UK is not covered by the EU roaming rules, so check your mobile plan before you travel. If it does not include the UK, a travel eSIM for the UK^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

On the day you leave

The tram runs to the airport from Princes Street and St Andrew Square until the last departure in the evening; the Airlink 100 leaves from Waverley Bridge around the clock, which helps with early morning flights. Plan the 30 minutes plus a buffer, more at rush hour. If you have already checked out and fly in the evening, you can use luggage storage in the centre^* (Radical Storage).

How long to stay and what to see is in our article how many days in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh trip planDay by day, with map and tips

How YesTrip helps you plan

In YesTrip you add your flight and hotel to your trip and plan each day around them, with a map of your places in Edinburgh and the weather for your travel days. The ready-made plans for Edinburgh can be copied into your trip with one tap. With the offline package you have the map without a connection, also on the tram from the airport. YesTrip is free.

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