Edinburgh Airport Guide

Item: Edinburgh
Rating: 5
Author: Loungeindex

Edinburgh Terminal Map

Edinburgh airline lounges

Edinburgh airport train

Edinburgh airport Hotel

Edinburgh Airport airside terminal

Edinburgh Airport is now able to handle larger planes, with an extension to the current runway to allow larger aircraft such as Boeing 777s to serve long haul destinations. There are also plans for a new terminal to accommodate up to 20 million passengers per annum. Edinburgh Airport is a small airport serving the Scottish lowlands and the Borders, located just 5 miles (8 km) west of the city centre of Edinburgh. It has surprisingly good shopping, and is also well known for the large number of bars and pubs in the airside section of the airport terminal. wifi internet access is available throughout the airport, but you have to pay for them. There are power sockets in the floor for charging phones.

Edinburgh Airport snack bar in the new extension

There is just one terminal, serving both international and domestic flights, which has been extended several times: most recently in 2013 when a further extension to the passenger terminal took the terminal building up to the brand new Edinburgh Airport tram stop, which also opened the first rail connection to Edinburgh Airport. The airport can get busy - for which read insanely packed - during summer holiday season, or at the height of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. At these times there are direct international transatlantic flights to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto. There are also direct flights to most points around Europe.

Edinburgh Airport airside terminal

A busy airport, it is the fifth busiest airport in the UK by total passengers, with 10 million passengers a year. No longer owned by BAA, it was sold to Global Infrastructure Partners for £807 million in 2012. Edinburgh Airport also seems to symbolise Scotland, particularly if you take the tram to it past the grim housing estates around Corstorphine. If you're expecting jolly tartan and tins of shortbread, the dour concrete brutalism of the terminal building, and the 'damp sweaty anorak off on a package tour to Toremelenos' atmosphere in the departure hall can tell you more about Queensferry than you ever wanted to know. A decidedly novelty at Edinburgh Airport is that you can buy a ticket to the fast-track security queue for just a fiver: there is a machine by the entrance (although it is free if you have priority status). An annoyance at Edinburgh Airport is that photography is totally banned in the terminal building, and the local coppers will pounce on you at the first sight of a camera.

First & Business Class lounges at Edinburgh Airport

Edinburgh Airport Pay in, First & Business Class lounges

Edinburgh Airport Terminal Map

Edinburgh Airport transportation

Edinburgh Airport tram

Edinburgh Airport tram to city

Edinburgh Trams provides a light rail link from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre. Virtually all UK visitors and many locals now use the tram service to the airport, which opened in summer 2014. From Edinburgh Airport to the city a single fare is £5GBP, and an open return ticket is available for £8. There is a ticket machine right at the entrance to the platform. It takes 40 minutes to take the tram from the city centre to the airport, and trams run from 0500 to midnight. Annoying, neither of the city centre stops are right at Waverly station even though the line runs right past it, and St Andrew Square is the closest, with a ten minute walk to the station, however the main Edinburgh Haymarket Railway Station in the city centre (served by bus link) offers services throughout Scotland There are also plans for a fast rail line to the city, with a station is being built on the Fife Circle Line.

Edinburgh Airport shuttle bus services

Edinburgh Airport bus to city

There are bus services from outside arrivals to the central Edinburgh bus terminus at Waverley Bridge, also stopping at Edinburgh Haymarket Railway Station. The fastest is the Airlink 100 express service which takes 25 minutes and costs £3.50GBP. It operates daily from 0400 to 0022. Bus 35 operates to the Ocean Terminal via the city centre and takes 60 minutes, but costs only £1.40. Tickets are available at a kiosk outside the terminal

Edinburgh Airport taxi services

Getting a taxi to and from Edinburgh Airport is usually trouble free, but it is neither the cheapest nor quickest way to get to the city. There are always plenty of taxis outside the arrivals area. It normally takes 25 minutes to get to the city centre, and at least £18.

Car Hire at Edinburgh Airport

Major car hire operators are located in the Arrivals Halls. To save time and ensure you get the car you want, book your rental in advance. Rental car operators from Edinburgh Airport include: Europcar, Thrifty, Avis and Budget.

Edinburgh Airport Hotel

There is only one hotel right beside the airport terminal building at Edinburgh. The Hilton Edinburgh Airport is a short walk from Edinburgh Airport - just head to the tram depot and you will be able to see it. It is also connected by a free shuttle service, but you'd have to be really lazy to take it. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, swimming pool and a couple of meeting rooms.

Edinburgh Airport Left Luggage

Edinburgh airport luggage storage is handled by the airport itself. The Edinburgh Airport Left Luggage desk is situated at the UK Arrivals side on the ground floor. It is open from 6am to 10pm daily, and costs from £7.50 for a day's storage.

Car parking

Edinburgh airport car parking is quite good. The short-term car parks are directly in front of the terminal building, with surface or multi-storey parking with 2,000 spaces. However the long-term car parks are quite some way away, served by a free bus to the terminal. Secure parking is also available from Park&Fly, but these spaces are some considerable distance from the terminal. Edinburgh Airport is located just off the A8 heading west from the centre of Edinburgh. The well-signposted access road turns north off the A8 between the Gogar and Newbridge roundabouts.

Edinburgh Airport Bars and Restaurants

Edinburgh Airport The large Wetherspoons Bar - The Sir Walter Scott

Wetherspoons Bar - Airside

Open: 0400-2300 Airside
The large Wetherspoons Bar airside is justly famous at the setting for many an early morning flight before jetting off on a package tour to the med. In truth, it is just a normal Wetherspoons with the unusual perk that you can get a pint at 4 in the morning. Stella is £3.80 a pint. Offically called the Sir Walter Scott, it also does food and serves as the main hot food outlet airside too, with dishes including beef pie and haggis. Burgers are a tenner a go.

Edinburgh Airport Yo! Sushi Bar

Yo! Sushi Bar

Open: 0800-2100 Airside
Edinburgh Airport may seem an odd place for it, but there is one here. With the concept of a Japanese 'kaiten' sushi bar, Yo Sushi has the traditional conveyor belt for the food, with rice or noodle-based dishes, salads, and cold dead fish. There are hot classics like Chicken Katsu Curry, Salmon Teriyaki or Yakisoba noodles, although it can feel decidedly odd eating here next to Boots.

Edinburgh Airport The Wetherspoons Bar in departures - The Turnhouse

Wetherspoons Bar - Landside

Open: 0900-2300 Landside The landside Wetherspoons bar at Edinburgh Airport isn't open nearly as early as the version airside: Offically called the Turnhouse, it is up a small corridor from departures. Beer is the same as a usual Wetherspoons, as indeed is the food. Bangers or Fish and Chips come in at nine quid.

Edinburgh airport EDI: Edinburgh Airport - Terminal map, airport guide, lounges, bars, restaurants & reviews with images Airport review with maps by loungeindex
Loungeindex rating: 5 out of 10
Edinburgh Airport Code: EDI
ICAO Code:	EGPH	Timezone:	UTC+0 (DST+1)
Elevation:	135 ft (41 m)	Runways:	3
Latitude:	55.950	Longitude:	-3.372