Popular journey
Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh private transfer.
55 miles via M8 eastbound via Glasgow and Livingston — about 1h 20m door to door, at a price fixed before you travel.
Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh
What the Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh drive is actually like
There is no through public service from Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh, and that single fact is why this transfer exists. The cheap route is two legs: First's Airport Express 500 into Buchanan Bus Station for £8.50, then a Citylink 900 coach or a train onward — fine with hand luggage, awkward with a family and four cases. By road it is 55 miles on the M8 in about 80 minutes, and the variable part is the eastern end, where the Newbridge junction and the Edinburgh city bypass decide whether you arrive in 75 minutes or 100. Long-haul arrivals at Glasgow connecting to an Edinburgh hotel are the most common booking on this route, so meet & greet in arrivals is worth adding.
Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh is 55 miles via M8 eastbound via Glasgow and Livingston, typically 1h 20m 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.
Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh fares by vehicle class
Fixed prices for the full 55 mile journey, typically around 80 minutes. One-way, all-inclusive — no meter and no airport surcharge added later.
| Vehicle class | Passengers | Luggage | Fixed fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saloon | 3 | 2 | £146.75 |
| Executive Saloon | 3 | 2 | £158.50 |
| Luxury Saloon | 3 | 2 | £229.83 |
| Estate Car | 4 | 4 | £154.85 |
| Standard MPV | 5 | 4 | £173.95 |
| Seven-Seater MPV | 7 | 5 | £196.10 |
| Premium MPV | 7 | 7 | £229.83 |
| Eight-Seater Van | 8 | 8 | £210.25 |
| Executive Minibus | 16 | 16 | £261.53 |
| Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle | 4 | 2 | £188.10 |
| Electric Saloon | 3 | 2 | £142.70 |
| Electric MPV | 7 | 5 | £200.15 |
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 Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh
There is no through public service from Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh. The cheap way is two legs: the £8.50 Airport Express 500 into Buchanan Bus Station, then a Citylink 900 coach or a train onwards. That works well with hand luggage and badly with a family and four cases, which is the honest case for a direct car.
Glasgow Airport Express 500
Bus · First Bus
- Fare
- £8.50 adult single
- Time
- From 15 minutes, airport to Buchanan Bus Station
Up to every 10 minutes
24-hour service
Stance 1 outside Glasgow Airport to Glasgow city centre and Buchanan Bus Station.
Quick and cheap into Glasgow — but it only gets you to Glasgow. For Edinburgh you then change onto a Citylink 900 coach or a train, which is where the time goes.
Operator info900 Glasgow – Edinburgh
Coach · Scottish Citylink
- Fare
- Citylink does not publish a fixed single fare — book on citylink.co.uk
- Time
- Glasgow city centre to Edinburgh city centre
Up to every 12 minutes at peak times
24-hour service
Buchanan Bus Station to Edinburgh Bus Station on St Andrew Square.
Very frequent and inexpensive — but it is your second leg, after the 500, and you change with your luggage at Buchanan Street.
Operator infoPrivate car, terminal to Edinburgh door
Private car · CabsLink
- Fare
- Fixed price per car — see the fare table above
- Time
- About 1 hour 20 minutes for 55 miles via the M8
Booked to your flight, 24 hours
Glasgow Airport arrivals to any Edinburgh address, no change.
Two coach tickets are cheaper. One vehicle with no interchange is what you are paying for — and with three or four people the gap narrows sharply.
Operator info
When a private car is the right answer
- Arrivals with luggage that would mean changing at Buchanan Bus Station
- Groups of three or more sharing one fixed fare
- Late arrivals and long-haul landings where a two-leg coach trip is unappealing
- Golf and ski groups, and anyone with oversized bags
- Corporate travel that needs a fixed arrival time and a receipt
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 Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh
Flights are tracked, with the first 60 minutes of waiting on international arrivals included.
Meet & greet with a name board in the Glasgow arrivals hall avoids the terminal's short drop-off window.
Allow 100 minutes for weekday arrivals into central Edinburgh before 09:30.
Old Town and festival-period drops are confirmed to a street that is genuinely open to traffic.
Service options
Ways to travel Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh
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 serviceCorporate Travel
Account-based, billed business travel for organisations rather than one-off consumer bookings.
View service
Other journeys
Related routes we run
FAQs
Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh — questions
How much is a taxi from Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh?
A taxi from Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh costs £146.75 in a standard saloon and takes about 80 minutes for the 55-mile drive on the M8. The fare is fixed before you travel.
Is there a direct bus from Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh?
No. You take the Airport Express 500 into Glasgow city centre for £8.50, then a Citylink 900 coach or a train to Edinburgh. It is cheaper than a car for one person but involves a change with your luggage at Buchanan Bus Station.
How long does it take?
Around 80 minutes for 55 miles on the M8, and up to 100 minutes arriving in central Edinburgh during the weekday morning peak.