Popular journey
Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre private transfer.
10 miles via A8 Glasgow Road and the West End — about 33 minutes door to door, at a price fixed before you travel.
Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre
What the Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre drive is actually like
The terminal is only 10 miles from Princes Street, but this is the one Edinburgh journey where distance tells you almost nothing: the A8 in through Corstorphine and Haymarket, tram works, and the Old Town's setted streets mean 33 minutes is realistic and an hour is possible during the August festival. A car goes to your actual door, which matters here because the tram stops at St Andrew Square and leaves you with a suitcase on cobbles if you are staying in the Grassmarket, Royal Mile or Stockbridge. During festival month we confirm a drop-off street that is genuinely open rather than the hotel address on your booking, since large sections of the Old Town are closed to traffic.
Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre is 10 miles via A8 Glasgow Road and the West End, typically 33 minutes door to door off-peak. Cabslink quotes the journey as a fixed price before you confirm, so traffic on the day does not change what you pay.
Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre fares by vehicle class
Fixed prices for the full 10 mile journey, typically around 33 minutes. One-way, all-inclusive — no meter and no airport surcharge added later.
| Vehicle class | Passengers | Luggage | Fixed fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saloon | 3 | 2 | £40.00 |
| Executive Saloon | 3 | 2 | £45.00 |
| Luxury Saloon | 3 | 2 | £65.25 |
| Estate Car | 4 | 4 | £42.60 |
| Standard MPV | 5 | 4 | £49.70 |
| Seven-Seater MPV | 7 | 5 | £57.10 |
| Premium MPV | 7 | 7 | £65.25 |
| Eight-Seater Van | 8 | 8 | £62.00 |
| Executive Minibus | 16 | 16 | £74.25 |
| Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle | 4 | 2 | £54.60 |
| Electric Saloon | 3 | 2 | £39.70 |
| Electric MPV | 7 | 5 | £58.40 |
Prices shown are for a single vehicle, one way. Confirm your exact fare with your pickup address, date and time.
Every way to make this journey
How to get from Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre
Be straight about this one: if you are travelling light, between 06:30 and 22:52, and staying near Princes Street, the tram or the Airlink bus will cost you a fraction of a car and get you there in a similar time. The bus is the cheapest option at £6.00 and it runs all night. A private car earns its price when the tram is not running, when there is luggage or a child seat involved, or when your address is up a set of Old Town steps.
Airport – York Place / Newhaven line
Tram · Edinburgh Trams
- Fare
- £7.90 adult Airport Single, £9.50 Airport Open Return
- Time
- 30 minutes airport to city centre (54 minutes end to end to Newhaven)
Every 7 minutes for most of the day
First tram from the airport 06:30, last 22:52 — nothing before or after that
Own stop outside the terminal, then Ingliston, Gyle, Murrayfield, Haymarket, Princes Street, St Andrew Square and York Place.
Level boarding makes it the easiest option with a case, and it is immune to road traffic — but it stops running before 06:30 and after 22:52, and it leaves you at a tram stop rather than your door. Old Town, Grassmarket and Stockbridge addresses mean a walk over setts at the end.
Operator infoAirlink 100
Bus · Lothian Buses
- Fare
- £6.00 adult single, £8.50 adult return (child £3.00 single, £4.25 return; family return £22.00)
- Time
- About 30 minutes to Waverley Bridge
Up to every 10 minutes (04:12–01:00), up to every 20 minutes overnight
Runs 24 hours a day, every day
Departs the airport terminal forecourt and runs via Haymarket to Waverley Bridge, beside Waverley station.
The cheapest way into town by a wide margin, and it runs all night — but it is a bus with a luggage rack, it only serves its fixed stops, and you finish your journey on foot.
Operator infoPrivate car, door to door
Private car · CabsLink
- Fare
- Fixed price per car, quoted before you book — see the fare table above
- Time
- About 33 minutes for the 10 miles via the A8, longer in festival traffic
Booked for your flight, 24 hours a day
Any time, including flights landing after midnight
Terminal to your actual address, with the bags in the boot.
The most expensive option per person if you are travelling alone — the honest case for it is a group, an early or late flight, or an address the tram and bus do not reach.
Operator info
When a private car is the right answer
- Flights landing after 22:52 or departing before the first 06:30 tram
- Three or four people, where the per-person cost lands close to four tram tickets
- Families needing a fitted child seat rather than a lap on a bus
- Old Town, Grassmarket, Stockbridge or Dean Village addresses, where the walk from the nearest stop is over setts and up steps
- Anyone with more than one large case per person
Fares and frequencies above are the operators' own published figures, last checked on 1 September 2026. Operator prices and timetables change — check the operator's site before you travel.
Planning
How we plan Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre
Old Town and Royal Mile drops are confirmed to an open street — several are closed or setted, particularly in August.
Meet & greet in the arrivals hall with a name board is available, otherwise pickups use the short-stay bays rather than the drop-off loop.
Late arrivals after the last tram are covered 24/7, including flights landing after midnight.
Service options
Ways to travel Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre
Each option is priced from the same journey, so you can choose on comfort and capacity.
Airport Transfers
Booking a pre-arranged door-to-airport or airport-to-door transfer.
View serviceExecutive Transfers
Premium saloon/MPV travel with a professional driver for business and high-comfort journeys. Canonical target for all executive-car wording.
View servicePrivate Hire
General licensed point-to-point private car travel that is not airport specific.
View service
Other journeys
Related routes we run
FAQs
Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre — questions
How much is a taxi from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre?
A taxi from Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh city centre costs £40.00 in a standard saloon and takes about 33 minutes for the 10-mile drive. The price is fixed when you book, so festival traffic does not change what you pay.
How long does it take?
Typically 33 minutes for 10 miles via the A8 and the West End. Expect 45 to 60 minutes at rush hour or during the August festival, when Old Town access is restricted.
What happens if my flight is delayed?
We track your flight and adjust the pickup to the actual landing time at no extra charge, with the first hour of waiting included on international arrivals and 30 minutes on domestic.