Edinburgh Airport is eight miles west of the centre at Ingliston. It has a single terminal, and every public transport option leaves from the same forecourt directly outside arrivals.
The tram
The line runs from the airport through the western suburbs, along Princes Street, and on down Leith Walk to Newhaven. Airport to St Andrew Square takes about 35 minutes, with departures every seven to ten minutes for most of the day.
It is the best option if you are staying in the New Town, on Princes Street or in Leith, because it puts you on the doorstep. Buy from the machines on the platform before boarding — there is no on-board sale — and note the airport fare is higher than a city fare and is not covered by ordinary bus capping.
Airlink 100
The express bus to Waverley Bridge, taking about 30 minutes, running every ten minutes and 24 hours a day. It is cheaper than the tram and marginally faster, and it stops at Haymarket on the way.
If you are heading for the Old Town, the Grassmarket or anywhere south of Princes Street, Airlink drops you closer than the tram does.
Buy from the kiosk outside arrivals, from the driver, or in the Transport for Edinburgh app.
Skylink
Two slower stopping services — Skylink 200 and 300 — that take longer but serve different parts of the city, including the south side and Ocean Terminal. Charged at the ordinary flat city fare, so they are the cheapest option. Worth it if one of them passes your accommodation.
Night services
Airlink 100 runs all night. N22 covers some overnight periods. The tram does not run through the night. So a very early or very late flight is a bus or a taxi.
Taxis and ride-hailing
The official rank is directly outside arrivals; black cabs are metered and a trip to the centre costs several times any public option, taking 25 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. Uber and Bolt both operate, with a designated pick-up area, and are usually cheaper than the rank.
Which to choose
Staying in the New Town, on Princes Street or in Leith: the tram. Old Town, Grassmarket, south side: Airlink 100. Counting every pound: Skylink, if it goes your way. Arriving after midnight: Airlink or a cab.
Times
Allow two hours from the centre for a scheduled departure, and more in August or at the start of a school holiday. Edinburgh’s security queues are usually efficient but the terminal gets congested.
Money
Scotland uses pounds sterling. Scottish banknotes, issued by the Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale, circulate alongside Bank of England notes and are legal currency here. They are accepted throughout Scotland without comment, and are sometimes queried in England, which is worth knowing if you are travelling on.
Card and contactless are accepted almost everywhere, including on all the transport above.
The terminal
One terminal, and it is compact. Arrivals comes out onto a single concourse with the tram platform and bus stops directly outside the doors — under two minutes’ walk, which is unusual and makes the whole exercise simpler than at most airports.
There is no rail station at the airport itself. The nearest is Edinburgh Gateway, which the tram serves and which connects to ScotRail services heading north over the Forth — useful if you are going straight on to Fife or Perth rather than into the city.
Getting back
Both the tram and Airlink 100 pick up at the same points they set down. Buy before boarding for the tram; the bus takes contactless on board.
Allow more time than the journey suggests during the Festival in August and at the start of Scottish school holidays, when the airport road gets congested.
Left luggage
There is no left-luggage facility at Edinburgh Airport. If you have a late flight and want a final day in the city, use the lockers at Waverley station or the bus station instead, both of which are central and near the Airlink and tram stops.
Which stop for where
The tram’s useful central stops are Haymarket for the west end, Princes Street and St Andrew Square for the New Town, and The Shore and Ocean Terminal for Leith.
Airlink 100 terminates at Waverley Bridge, which is the closest public transport gets to the Royal Mile, the Grassmarket and the Old Town generally.
Choosing the right one saves a fifteen-minute walk with luggage over cobbles, which is worth thirty seconds of thought before you board.