Edinburgh is served by three bus routes and one tram. Buses are cheaper, trams are faster.

Car rental

The best transport for trips to the Scottish countryside, lochs or islands is definitely a car.

There are many large international and smaller local hire companies operating in the terminal. Prices for weekly hire vary between 280 eur and 600 eur depending on the season.

Compare prices and book a car

Public transport to Edinburgh

There are bus and tram stops right outside the terminal, all clearly signposted.

Direction Centre - Waverley

	Price	Travel time	Frequency
Tram	7,50 gbp	34 minutes	7 minutes
Airport Express Bus	4,50 gbp	30 minutes	15 minutes
Airlink Bus 100	5,50 gbp	30 minutes	10 minutes

Direction Ocean Terminal

	Price	Travel time	Frequency
Tram	7,50 gbp	51 minutes	7 minutes
Skylink 200 Bus	5,50 gbp	45 minutes	30 minutes

Tram

The most comfortable way to get to the centre is by tram (35 minutes) at an interval of 7-10 minutes for the price of 7,50 gbp and is also the quickest connection to Waverley bus and train station (St Andrews Square stop).

The tram then continues on to the Ocean Terminal harbour.

Tickets can be purchased from the ticket machine at the tram stop or on the et mobile app.

You can also buy a day ticket (valid on a given calendar day) for 12 gbp for trams and all public transport buses.

To find connections, timetables or official maps, visit: edinburghtrams.com

• First connection from St. Andrew Square - 5:40
• Last connection from the airport - 22:48
• Hotel Indigo **** - Tip for a good hotel between St. Andrew Square and Waverley Station
• Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh *** - Tip for a good hotel by the harbour

TIP: Walk from the terminal to the tram stop "Ingliston Park & Ride" (about 2 km, mostly on pavement, see route map) where the ticket costs 2 gbp.

Buses

There are also 4 bus routes to various destinations in Edinburgh operated by two different bus companies.

Airport Express - McGill's

The cheapest route is operated by McGill's - Midland Bluebird. A one-way ticket costs 4,50 gbp and a return ticket costs 7 gbp.

The "Airport Express" buses via Haymarket station to Waverley Bridge, where there is a transfer to long-distance trains and from where you can walk to the Old Town in 10 minutes.

• First connection to the airport - 3:55
• Last connection from the airport - 23:55
• Frequency - 15 minutes (30 minutes in the evening)
• Timetable

Lothian Buses

For official information please visit the transport company's website: lothianbuses.com

Tickets are the same price on all routes:

• 5,50 gbp - one way
• 8 gbp - return with open date/time
• 12 gbp - All day on all buses and trams in Edinburgh (valid calendar day + night until 4:30am)

Children under 15 pay half fare.

Tickets are paid for with your own payment card by attaching it to a reader inside the bus or via the m-tickets mobile app.

Airlink 100

The fastest way to get to the centre is the "Airlink" bus on the 100 line, which runs every 10 minutes and takes 22 minutes to Waverley Station (St Andrew Square) according to the timetable, in reality it can take up to 40 minutes, so the tram is a slightly more reliable mode of transport.

• First and last service - buses run 24/7
• Frequency - 10 minutes (30 minutes at night)
• Timetable for line 100
• Le Monde Hotel **** - Tip for a hotel right by the final bus stop

Skylink 200

The 200 bus line runs through the northern suburbs to Ocean Terminal, which according to the timetable arrives about 8 minutes earlier than the tram.

However, if you're just heading to Ocean Terminal, the tram is a safer choice, as traffic jams and traffic lights often add up to 15 minutes to the bus' journey time.

• First connection to the airport - 0:00
• Last connection from the airport - 3:10 (marked as N200), 4:10 (line 200)
• Frequency - 30 minutes
• Timetable for line 200

Skylink 400

A complementary route mainly for locals and airport staff that will not take you to any tourist destinations. From the airport it goes to the southern suburbs to the terminus of Fort Kinnaird, where there is a large shopping centre.

• First connection to the airport - 3:04 (from Hyvots Bank as l. N400), 4:15 (from Fort Kinnaird as l. 400)
• Last connection from the airport - 23:25
• Frequency - 40 minutes
• Timetable for line 400

JET 747

The JET747 bus service does not run into Edinburgh city centre, but across the Firth of Forth from the airport to Inverkeithing station and P+R Halbeath car park.

From a tourist point of view, the 747 may be suitable for train journeys to the north of Scotland, which can be changed at Inverkeithing station. The connection will be quicker than via Edinburgh Central Station.

Tickets are paid for by tapping a card inside the bus at a special fare 10 gbp.

• First connection to the airport - 6:13 from Inverkeithing station
• Last connection from the airport - 0:50
• Frequency - 20 minutes
• 747 bus timetable

Taxi to Edinburgh

Taxi availability at the airport is great 24/7. They run strictly by meter and attempts to scam longer rides are extremely rare.

Fares are calculated by a combination of distance travelled and time on the road, so it's impossible to be precise in advance.

To the city centre, depending on the time of day, it will be around 25 gbp.

A significantly cheaper service can be offered by the Bolt or Uber apps, which will give you a ride to the city centre from 16 gbp.

Buses to Glasgow

There are 2 Citylink bus routes from Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, without changing buses.

For information, timetables and to buy tickets online, visit citylink.co.uk.

A single ticket for both lines costs 14,80 gbp. A return ticket is sold at a discounted price 24,90 gbp. It is cheaper to travel through Edinburgh city centre (city buses from 5,50 gbp + long distance buses from 4,50 gbp).

• AIR - direct motorway service to Buchanan Bus Station
  • The journey takes 45 minutes
  • Hours of operation 24/7
  • Frequency 30 minutes (60 minutes at night)
  • Timetable
• 902 - line to Buchanan Bus Station takes a detour via Livingston or Airdrie
  • Journey takes 100 minutes
  • Operating hours 5:55 - 19:15
  • Frequency 60 minutes
  • Timetable

Buses to Dundee

Frequent direct service X90 operates from the airport and to Dundee, Scotland.

Details can be found on the website: xploredundee.com.

Buses run at 90 minute intervals for 24 hours a day. The journey takes 80 minutes and a one-way ticket costs 16 gbp / return 21 gbp.