Trains from Edinburgh Airport
Taking the train is one of the fastest and most accessible ways of getting into Edinburgh city centre from Edinburgh Airport terminal. This airport is just west of Edinburgh and it’s the busiest in Scotland. To get to the city centre, you can take a fast tram from Edinburgh Airport terminal to Edinburgh Gateway station.
From there, ScotRail operates a 10-minute train to Edinburgh Waverley station. Trains run 7 days a week and every 5-20 minutes during peak times. You can also take a shuttle bus or train from Edinburgh Waverley to Haymarket (Edinburgh) station.
Read on to learn more about buying train tickets, timetables and possible connections.
Getting to Edinburgh from Edinburgh Airport by train
You can use Trainline to book cheap train tickets from Edinburgh Gateway or Haymarket (Edinburgh) station to your chosen destination. This will save you money on taxis and airport parking, which means you can budget more for your holidays. To get the lowest prices, we recommend you book long before your journey starts. National Railcards can help you save 1/3 on the price of your train tickets.
There’s a tram station right by the airport terminal. From there, you can take a tram direct to Edinburgh Gateway station. The tram journey takes 7 minutes, and trams run every 7-10 minutes. A tram ticket costs £5.50 for a single (£3.00 for children aged 5-15). The tram also stops at Edinburgh Parkway train station, which has further train links to stations in Scotland and North England. From Edinburgh Waverley tram station, it’s only 2 minutes’ walk to the train station.
ScotRail operates a direct train from Edinburgh Gateway to Edinburgh Waverley. The trains run every 5-20 minutes during peak times from around 6 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week. They stop at Haymarket (Edinburgh) station along the way. Alternatively, you can take the Airlink 100 shuttle bus or a tram from Edinburgh Airport terminal to Haymarket (Edinburgh) station. This, however, takes longer than taking the train from Edinburgh Gateway.
Once you arrive at Edinburgh Waverley station or Haymarket (Edinburgh) station, you can connect directly to Glasgow, Aberdeen, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, London and other UK towns and cities. This puts the whole of mainland UK within easy reach.
If you have a late flight or an early train the next morning, there’s a Doubletree Hilton Hotel within 2 minutes’ walk of the Edinburgh Airport terminal.
Useful travel tips
We want to make travel easier for you, which is why we’ve compiled a selection of useful travel tips to help you on your way.
Off-peak fares
Learn more about peak and off-peak fares, and how they can affect the cost of your journey.
Seat reservations
Need information about seating? Read our guide to find out more about what's available.
Railcards
Want to see how much you could save by using a railcard? Read our handy guide on all the different railcards available.
Things to do in Edinburgh
Trains run from Edinburgh Gateway to Edinburgh Waverley station within Edinburgh city centre. This city was built upon and between two extinct volcanoes. On the first of these lies Edinburgh Castle, just a five-minute walk west of Edinburgh Waverley station.
To the east of the train station, Arthur’s Seat (the other volcano) rises out of Holyrood Park. Many get up early to climb its 250-metre peak so they can wash their faces in the morning dew. Edinburgh is also famous for its whiskey, and many places offer a whiskey distillery tour. The city also has many festivals year-round, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is the largest arts festival in the world.
Edinburgh’s Princess Street is a great place for shopping, with many stores and souvenir shops. And a visit to Edinburgh isn’t complete without tasting some haggis and a pint of ‘heavy’ (a kind of bitter beer) in a traditional Edinburgh pub.
Edinburgh’s tram service is a convenient way to get around Edinburgh. Tickets cost £1.60 for an adult and £0.80 for children aged 5-15 to all stations except fr Edinburgh Airport terminal. Local buses also run day and night within Edinburgh.