Airport Guide to Edinburgh (EDI)

Airport Overview

Terminal Transfer | Getting into Town | Car Parking | Information Desks | Airport Facilities

Edinburgh Airport (EDI) is the busiest airport in Scotland, located 9km (almost 6 miles) west of the city centre. With trains and buses going into town at all hours, the airport is a convenient gateway to the UK’s Festival City. If you’re planning on booking a flight to Edinburgh during Fringe season do it as far in advance as possible.

The original terminal was built in the 1970s, however it has been upgraded in recent years and a programme of expansion is underway. The arrivals and departure terminals are under one roof, albeit on different floors, so connecting to other flights is fairly hassle-free. However, the security check points are often over capacity at peak times.

There are several restaurants, book shops and an art gallery, and the facilities are generally clean and well-maintained. The airport is also well-signed, so you should have no trouble getting around the building.

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Terminal Transfer

International and domestic arrivals and departures are all in the same terminal building at Edinburgh Airport. All arrivals are on the ground floor, with international arrivals to the west, and UK and Ireland arrivals to the east. Departures are on the first floor. If you’re connecting from an international to a local flight or vice versa, you’ll need to go through passport control.

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Getting into Town

Train: There’s no train station at the airport, but the main stations in Edinburgh, Waverley and Haymarket, are easily accessible by bus or taxi.

Taxi: Taxis leave from just outside the UK arrivals section of the airport (on the eastern side of the main terminal). A fare to the city centre will run to £15 and should take about 25 minutes.

Bus: Buses leave from the forecourt just outside the main terminal building. There are a few different buses you could catch into the centre of town. Airlink 100 is an express bus that runs every ten minutes to Waverley Bridge, near the main rail and bus stations. It costs £6 return, and you can buy tickets at the airport information desk, the bus stop, or from the driver. A cheaper option is the Lothian Bus 35, which runs every 15-30 minutes depending on the day, but takes a more round-about route. The single fare is £1.30.

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Car Parking

There’s a multi-storey car park just across from the main terminal building. The ground floor includes a drop-off point with a complicated pricing system; it costs £1 for ten minutes, £5 for 20 minutes, £7 for an hour, and £9 for every hour thereafter. There’s also a free drop-off point in the Long Stay car park to the right of the traffic circle as you enter the airport. Buses go from the car park to the terminal building every ten minutes. There are also a few Short Stay parking lots, one in the multi-storey car park, the other across the road, a short walk from the terminal, and these are clearly signposted, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding them. Prices are calculated in 15-minute intervals, starting at £2.10. You can pre-book a parking space online to save cash.

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Information Desks

The main information desk is in the international arrivals terminal on the ground floor, and an Onward Travel information desk in the UK and Ireland arrivals section. There are also dedicated baggage enquiries desks in all baggage-claim areas.

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Airport Facilities

Money and communications: There are ATMs and currency exchange facilities.

Luggage: There’s a left-baggage desk in the UK Arrivals area on the ground floor. It costs £7.50 for 24 hours and £10 for large items such as golf bags. The desk also doubles as a lost property office.

Conference and business: You can book into the Servisair Executive Lounge for £15 for up to three hours. There are comfortable chairs, complimentary drinks and snacks, magazines, telephones and business desks with Internet access, although you’ll have to pay extra to go online.

Other facilities: There’s an art gallery showcasing Scottish talent in the departure terminal, after security. There are also non-denominational prayer rooms in the arrivals terminal.

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is provided throughout the airport by Boingo. You’ll need to log in or create an account to use it, and pay online as you go. There are plug sockets at Café Nero (departures, before security) and WH Smith Cafe (departures, after security). If you don’t have a laptop, there are several broadband-connected internet kiosks throughout the airport. You can pay by credit card, coin or voucher.

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