Popular Route

Edinburgh Airport to City Centre

8 miles, 20–30 minutes by road. Every way of making the journey compared — and a fixed £40 if you would rather have a driver waiting.

Distance
8 miles
13 km west, in Ingliston
By road
20–30 min
longer at peak times
Our fixed fare
£40
saloon, up to 4 people
Availability
24/7
including night arrivals
Every Option Compared

How to Get from Edinburgh Airport to the City Centre

There is no single best answer — it depends on your luggage, your group and what time you land. Here is the honest comparison, with fares checked in September 2026.

Option Fare Time Drops you at Best for
Lothian bus 17 / 18 £2.40 35–50 min Many stops across the city Cheapest fare, light luggage
Airlink 100 express £6.00 ~30 min Waverley Bridge Value, runs 24 hours
Edinburgh Tram £7.90 ~35 min St Andrew Sq / Haymarket Heavy cases, beats traffic
Metered black cab £20–40 + ~£5 pick-up 25–40 min Your exact address Immediate, no booking
Private transfer (us) £40 fixed 20–30 min Your exact address Certainty, groups, late arrivals

Bus and tram fares are Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams published prices as of September 2026, after the fare revision of 22 February 2026. Operators revise fares periodically — check before you travel.

The Honest Case

When a Private Transfer Is Worth It

We are not the cheapest way into town and we will not pretend otherwise. The bus is £6.00 and the tram is £7.90, and if you are travelling light on a weekday afternoon, either is a perfectly sensible choice.

What you are paying us for is certainty. The fare is agreed before you pay, so a delayed landing, a 2am arrival or festival-week traffic costs you nothing extra. The driver is already there when you walk out, the car goes to your actual address rather than a stance, and nobody wrestles a suitcase up Waverley Steps.

Fixed price confirmed at booking — no meter, no surge
Flight tracked; the driver waits free if you are late
Met inside arrivals with a name board
Door to door — hotel, flat or office address
One fare for up to 4 people, not four separate tickets
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

Where We Drop You

Same fixed fare across the central postcodes.

Princes Street & New Town EH2
Royal Mile & Old Town EH1
Haymarket & West End EH12
Waverley & Market Street EH1
Tollcross & Lothian Road EH3
Leith & The Shore EH6

Heading further out — Portobello, Corstorphine, Musselburgh? Put the address into the booking form for an instant fixed quote.

Questions

Edinburgh Airport to City Centre: FAQs

The airport sits in Ingliston, about 8 miles (13 km) west of the centre. By road the journey normally takes 20 to 30 minutes, stretching to 40 minutes or more at rush hour or during the August festivals.
A metered black cab from the rank typically runs £20 to £40, plus an airport pick-up charge of around £5, and late-night and festival periods push it higher. Our private transfer is a fixed £40 agreed before you pay, whatever the traffic or the hour.
Lothian bus 17 or 18 at £2.40 is the cheapest, but takes 35 to 50 minutes with many stops and little luggage room. The Airlink 100 express is £6.00 and reaches Waverley Bridge in about 30 minutes, running 24 hours a day.
The Airlink 100 is cheaper (£6.00 against £7.90) and slightly quicker to Waverley Bridge, and it runs through the night. The tram is smoother with heavy suitcases, unaffected by traffic, and serves St Andrew Square, Haymarket and the Leith line, but it does not run in the small hours.
Yes. We track your flight number and adjust the pick-up automatically, and your driver waits at no extra cost. The fixed price does not change because you landed late.
Inside the terminal, in the arrivals hall, holding a board with your name. You do not need to find a rank or a stance, and help with luggage is included.
Yes. Unlike the tram and the Airlink, which end at fixed stops, a private transfer goes door to door — to your hotel, flat or office address anywhere in the centre for the same fixed price.

Book Your Airport Transfer

Enter your address for an instant fixed price. No card needed to see the fare.

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