Edinburgh Airport is about a 20-minute drive west of the city centre, and there are three main ways in. The tram runs from right outside the terminal to Princes Street and St Andrew Square in about 30 minutes, for £7.90 single. The Airlink 100 express bus runs 24 hours a day to Waverley Bridge, beside Waverley station, for £6.00 single. Taxis leave from the East Terminus rank. There is no direct train. If you land after the last tram, around 11pm, the Airlink 100 or a taxi are the only direct options.

Edinburgh Airport to City Centre at a Glance

Option	Adult fare	Journey	Hours	City centre stop
Tram	£7.90 single / £9.50 open return	About 30 minutes	First 06:30, last 22:52 from the airport	Princes Street, St Andrew Square
Airlink 100 bus	£6.00 single / £8.50 open return	Varies with traffic	24 hours	Waverley Bridge
Buses 17 and 18	£2.40 single	Long suburban routes	Regular city bus hours	Not designed for the city centre
Taxi	Metered, council-set rates	Around 20 minutes’ drive	24 hours	Door to door

Which to choose: Staying in the New Town or near Princes Street, take the tram. Landing late at night, or heading for the Old Town or Waverley station, take the Airlink 100. Three or four of you with heavy bags, a taxi is likely to be the most comfortable option.

From Turnhouse to the Tram: A Short History

Edinburgh Airport began life as Turnhouse, a military airfield established during the First World War on farmland west of the city, which served as an RAF station before developing into the civil airport that now sits on the same site. For most of its history, reaching the city meant a road journey along the A8. That changed in May 2014, when the modern Edinburgh Trams line opened with its western terminus right outside the terminal, and again in 2023, when the line was extended through the city centre to Leith and Newhaven.

Tram from Edinburgh Airport to City Centre

Where: The tram stop is right outside the main terminal, next to the plaza and the large ‘Edinburgh’ sign.

How often: According to Edinburgh Airport, trams leave every 7 minutes between 06:30 and 19:00, and every 10 minutes early in the morning and later in the evening. The first tram leaves the airport at 06:30 and the last at 22:52.

Journey time: About 30 minutes to the city centre, and 54 minutes to Newhaven at the end of the line.

Where to get off: Princes Street for the castle, the Old Town and the West End hotels; St Andrew Square for Waverley station, Edinburgh Bus Station and the New Town. The tram does not stop at Waverley itself.

Fares: The airport stop sits outside the tram’s City zone, so every journey to or from the airport needs an Airport ticket.

Tram ticket (airport and city zones)	Adult	Child (5–15)
Airport Single	£7.90	£4.00
Airport Open Return	£9.50	£5.00
Family Airport Open Return (2 adults, 3 children)	£28.00

Buy before boarding: Use the platform ticket machines, the app or edinburghticket.com, or tap a contactless card on the platform validator. Edinburgh Trams charges a £10 on-board fare to anyone without a valid ticket, and says booking the Airport Single online in advance saves 40p.

Open returns really are open: Airport return tickets bought from the machines or online have no expiry, so the return half will still work on your next trip.

Airlink 100: The 24-Hour Airport Bus

Route: An express bus run by Lothian Buses between the airport and Waverley Bridge, next to Edinburgh Waverley station, calling at points including Haymarket along the way.

How often: From the airport, up to every 10 minutes between 04:12 and 01:00, and up to every 20 minutes through the night, according to Lothian Buses.

Fares: £6.00 adult single, £8.50 adult open return, £3.00 child single, £4.25 child return, and £22.00 for a family return covering up to two adults and three children. Up to three under-5s travel free with a paying adult.

Paying: Buy returns online in advance, use the Bus & Tram app, or tap a contactless card when you board. Cash is accepted but only for the exact fare. Lothian Buses doesn’t accept American Express.

Winter change: In recent winters, Lothian Buses has moved the Airlink city-centre terminus from Waverley Bridge to George Street while the Christmas markets are in place, typically from mid-November to early January. Check before travelling in that period.

Buses 17 and 18: Cheap, but Not for the City Centre

Lothian Buses services 17 and 18, the former Skylink routes, charge the standard £2.40 city fare to the airport, but they serve Edinburgh’s suburbs rather than the centre. Lothian Buses says service 17 links the airport with Ocean Terminal in the north of the city in about 50 minutes, by way of Maybury, Clermiston, Muirhouse, Granton and Newhaven, while service 18 serves the south-east of the city with a total journey time of around 1 hour 15 minutes. They’re useful if you’re staying along those routes; for the city centre, the tram or Airlink 100 will be much quicker.

Taxi from Edinburgh Airport

Where: The official taxi rank is in the East Terminus, a short walk from arrivals. Leave through the plaza with the large ‘Edinburgh’ sign and follow the signs.

Operator: The rank is run exclusively by Capital Cars, the airport’s official taxi company. Edinburgh Airport says a booking is required, to comply with the council’s private hire licensing rules; you can book online in advance or at the rank on arrival.

Fares: Set by the City of Edinburgh Council for journeys within the city; for anywhere outside the council area, you’ll be quoted the exact fare. Independent guides published in 2026 typically put a daytime fare to the city centre at around £25 to £40, but that isn’t an official figure, so ask for an estimate when you book.

Other taxis and ride-hailing: Other operators can collect from the charged pick-up zone on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park, or from the free zone in the Long Stay car park, about a ten-minute walk from the terminal.

Is There a Train from Edinburgh Airport?

Not directly: there is no railway station at the airport. You can reach the rail network by taking the tram to Edinburgh Gateway, Edinburgh Park Station or Haymarket, all of which have ScotRail connections, which is useful if you’re heading straight on to Fife, Glasgow or the north. The tram leg still needs an Airport ticket.

Prices last checked: September 2026.
Timetables and operating hours last checked: September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest way from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre?

The Airlink 100 bus, at £6.00 adult single or £8.50 open return, is the cheapest direct option to the city centre. Buses 17 and 18 cost only £2.40 but follow long suburban routes and don’t serve the city centre directly.

How long does the tram take from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre?

About 30 minutes. Trams leave the airport every 7 minutes during the day, and every 10 minutes early in the morning and in the evening.

How much is the tram from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre?

An adult Airport Single is £7.90 and an adult Airport Open Return is £9.50. Children aged 5 to 15 pay £4.00 single or £5.00 open return.

What time is the last tram from Edinburgh Airport?

The last tram leaves the airport at 22:52, according to Edinburgh Airport. After that, the Airlink 100 bus, which runs 24 hours a day, or a taxi are the direct options into the city.

Is there a train from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre?

No, there is no railway station at the airport. You can take the tram to Edinburgh Gateway, Edinburgh Park Station or Haymarket to connect with ScotRail trains.

Does the tram from Edinburgh Airport stop at Waverley station?

No. The nearest tram stop to Waverley is St Andrew Square, a short walk away. The Airlink 100 bus stops closer, at Waverley Bridge, right beside the station.

Where is the taxi rank at Edinburgh Airport?

In the East Terminus, a short walk from arrivals, run by the airport’s official taxi company, Capital Cars. Leave through the plaza with the large ‘Edinburgh’ sign and follow the signs.

Arriving by tram or Airlink? Our guide to Edinburgh Waverley station covers the area around Waverley Bridge, and if you’re driving in instead, see Ingliston Park and Ride. Browse more practical guides in Plan Your Trip, or visit the Scotland hub.