Sleeping in Airports

Edinburgh Airport Guide

Whether you have a layover, overnight sleepover or are just quickly passing through, our Edinburgh Airport Guide is a great place to start planning your visit.  Here, you’ll find information on services and facilities available inside the airport – including details about airport lounges, WiFi, mobile charging points, lockers, 24-hour food options, nearby hotels, and everything in between.

After being asleep for some 30 minutes, security woke us and shouted at us for being “a security issue”. -Bjoern

EDI Airport Overview

To help you plan your layover or overnight sleepover, here is a quick run-down about what to expect during your time at Edinburgh Airport (Code: EDI).

What to Expect

Edinburgh Airport has only one terminal, making it simple to navigate, but services are limited to about a dozen or so eateries and a similar number of shops. Free WiFi is available, and economy-class passengers can purchase entry into an airport lounge for additional comfort. See Airport Lounges in the guide below for locations and rates.

Edinburgh Airport
(Photo by SleepingInAirports / November 2019)

Sleeping in Edinburgh Airport

Security and airport staff generally tolerate overnight sleepers, though they sometimes ask passengers to move to other spots. Many travellers end up sleeping on the landside due to closed security checkpoints. Prime spots identified by reviewers include armrest-free seating in the arrivals area and the car rental centre. Several travellers report being asked to leave cafes after a certain amount of time if they are lingering around too long for comfortable seating. Because numerous reviewers have identified the terminal as bright and loud, eyeshades and earplugs/noise-cancelling headphones are recommended. Many travellers end up sleeping on the cold floor, so be prepared! Explore our guide to sleeping in Edinburgh Airport or read traveller airport reviews for more tips. There are several nearby hotels for uninterrupted sleep, albeit for a price. See the Airport Hotels section below for more info.

Good to Know

If faced with a long daytime layover, consider a journey into Edinburgh Centre via the tram service that runs every seven minutes with a journey time of 30 minutes.

To help us keep this guide up-to-date, you can add or update information or write a review to submit airport tips and photos. You can also visit the airport’s website for current information. If you would like more airport information, you can continue scrolling down to explore more in our Edinburgh Airport Guide.

In this guide we may refer to locations as “landside” and “airside”. Landside is the public area of the terminal located in the non-secure zone, before security. Airside is the secure area of the terminal that you must reach by going through security.  For more information on Europe’s Schengen Area, click here.

airport hoursAirport Hours

The airport is open 24 hours.

airport hotelsAirport Hotels

If sleeping in the airport sounds like a nightmare, there are hotels near Edinburgh Airport:

  • DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Edinburgh Airport – A free airport shuttle is available.  » Check Rates
  • Moxy Edinburgh Airport – No airport shuttle.   » Check Rates
  • Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh Airport – An airport shuttle is available.  » Check Rates
  • Premier Inn Edinburgh Airport – No airport shuttle.  » Check Rates
  • Ibis Budget Hotel Edinburgh Park – No airport shuttle.  » Check Rates

For more options, visit Tripadvisor to see a list of hotels near Edinburgh Airport that can be sorted by price, distance, traveller rating, and popularity.

Airport LoungesAirport Lounges

Pay-per-use, Single Visit Passes & Lounge Memberships

Regardless of what class of service you are flying, there are lounges that you can enter by paying at the door, purchasing a lounge pass or through a lounge membership program. Visit the individual lounge page for more details about the lounge itself and learn how to gain access with just an economy class ticket!

  • Aspire Lounge – Location: Airside, near Gate 4. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door • Prepaid lounge passes • Lounge membership programs.
  • Aspire Lounge – Location: Airside, near Gate 16, 2nd Floor. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door • Prepaid lounge passes • Lounge membership programs.
  • Plaza Premium Lounge – Location: Departure Hall, 2nd Floor. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door. Hours: 4:00 AM – 10:00 PM.

Airline Lounges

If you are a First or Business Class traveller, you may have access to the lounges listed below. If you would like more information, you can check the airline’s website.

  • British Airways Lounge – Location: Departure Area. Hours: 5:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon-Fri) • 5:15 AM – 8:30 PM (Sat-Sun). Lounge Access: Pay at the Door • Prepaid lounge passes • Lounge membership programs.

Related Pages: Edinburgh Airport Lounges

water bottle refillsDrinking Water

Information is unavailable. Does Edinburgh Airport have water fountains or water bottle refill stations? Click here to update this guide.

foodFood & Drinks

Food concessions throughout the terminal operate with varying schedules. At the time of this update, there were no 24-hour food concessions available.

Luggage StorageLuggage Storage & Lockers

Lockers are available at the Luggage Point. Location: Landside, Arrivals. Hours: 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Rates for standard size: £9.50/ 0 – 3 hours • £14.50/ 1st day • £12.50 each additional day/bag • £60.00 per week.

mobile chargingMobile Charging

Recharge your electronics before security at Caffè Nero (on the first floor) and after security at WHSmith Café (near Gate 16). In addition, plenty of outlets are available on both the Landside and Airside.

rest zonesRest & Relaxation Zones

No dedicated sleeping areas, quiet areas or rest zones exist. If this information has changed, click here to update this guide.

showersShowers

Unavailable. If this information has changed, click here to update this guide.

wifiWiFi / Internet

Free WiFi is available at Edinburgh Airport, but the connection is slow and only works in certain areas of the building. Connect to the ‘Edinburgh Airport’ network.

airport infoMore Airport Information

More Services, Facilities & Things To Do On A Layover

Dry Cleaning – Drop your dirty clothing off and receive it back clean at the Luggage Point’s “Drop Off, Pick Up” dry cleaning service. Location: Location: Landside, Arrivals. Hours: 4:00 AM – 10:00 PM.

Family Services

  • Baby Care Facilities – Many toilets have baby changing facilities and dedicated cubicles for children. You will also find a family washroom and a nursing room at Gate 21.
  • Children’s Play Area – At one point, there were children’s play areas in several locations airside. We could not confirm this at the time of our September 2023 update. If you know whether they are still there, click here to update our guide.
  • Family Lane – Breeze through security using the designated Family Lane, free of charge.
  • Food – Most restaurants provide high chairs and children’s menus. Diapers, formula milk and more children’s products used to be available at the Superstore Drug Store (Airside – open 24 hours). We could not confirm this at the time of our September 2023 update. If you know whether this store is still there, click here to update our guide.

Fast Track Service – As a premium service, customers with Fast Track security passes will be given priority service to ensure that wait times are minimal. Cost: £7.00. Book online or purchase tickets at FastTrack Machines located throughout Landside. Travellers can also buy a FastTrack passport control service for the same price.

Information Desk – If you have any questions, visit the Information Desk in the arrivals area. Hours: unknown.

Luggage

  • Luggage Storage & Lockers – see “Luggage Storage & Lockers” above.
  • Luggage Weighing – Are you worried you are over your airline’s luggage weight limit? The Luggage Point has scales available to put your mind at ease. Locations: Landside, Arrivals. Rate: Unknown.
  • Luggage Wrapping – Luggage Point luggage wrapping service is available, with rates starting at £12 per bag. Location: East Terminal Annex Hours: 4:00 AM – 10:00 PM.

Massages – Inside & Out offers a range of treatments and therapies. Location: Airside, Gate 10.

Massage Chairs – At one point, the airport had coin-operated massage chairs in the airport’s airside area. We could not confirm this at the time of our September 2023 update. If you know whether they are still there, click here to update this guide.

Money

  • ATMs / Cash Machines – Need cash? ATMs are available. Fees may apply, so check your bank’s fee schedule and daily withdrawal limit if you are travelling internationally. You may also want to notify your bank of your travel plans. Locations: Landside and Airside.
  • Currency Exchange – The International Currency Exchange (ICE) has six locations:
    • Landside: opposite Ticket Desk Area A • International Arrivals.
    • Airside: Between Gates 9 and 10.

Pharmacy – Boots is located Airside. Hours: 3:00 AM – 10:00 PM. At one point, visitors could also access a Superdrug store located Airside. We could not confirm this at the time of our 2023 September update. If you know whether this store is still there, click here to update our guide.

Prayer Room – Location: International Arrivals, Ground Floor, beside the Ryanair check-in area. Hours: open 24 hours.

Shopping – Duty-Free shopping and a large selection of shops are available.

SIM Cards – A reader has asked us to include where to buy SIM Cards. If you know, click here to update this airport guide.

Smoking – Smoking is permitted in designated areas outside the airport.

Spa – Doubletree Hotel by Hilton is home to the PURE spa and beauty. You can easily access this hotel via a free two-minute shuttle from the terminal. Hours: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM.

Viewing Areas – The best places to watch the action on the tarmac and runways are located airside at The Gathering Restaurant & Lounge, Costa Coffee (Gate 12) and WHSmith Café.

Airlines
Edinburgh Airport is served by the following airlines: Aegean Airlines • Aer Lingus • Air Canada • Air France • Air Baltic • • American Airlines • Atlantic Airways • Aurigny • Austrian Airlines • BA Cityflyer • BH Air • British Airways • Brussels Airlines • Cathay Pacific • Crystal Ski • Delta Air Lines • EasyJet • Edelweiss Air • Emirates • Eurowings • Finnair • Hainan Airlines • Iberia • Iberia Express • Inghams • Jet2 • KLM • Laudamotion • Loganair • Lufthansa • Norwegian • Qatar Airways • Ryanair • SAS • Sun Express • Transavia • Transavia France • TUI Airways • Turkish Airlines • United Airlines • Virgin Australia • Vueling • WestJet • Wizz Air.
Airport Transportation: Getting To/From The Airport

Buses and Coaches

Several companies operate daily buses and coaches to and from Edinburgh Airport. These buses and coaches travel to railway stations and destinations within Edinburg and its surrounding areas and long-distance destinations. The Airport Link 100 runs every 10 minutes during the day (4:30 AM – 1:00 AM) and every 20 minutes during the night (1:00 AM – 4:30 AM), taking approximately 30 minutes to travel between south St David Street (near the main bus and train station) and the airport. For details on the bus companies and their pick-up zones, visit the Edinburgh Airport website.

Car Rentals

Car rental services are handled in the Car Rental Centre, a designated facility behind the multi-storey car park and connected to the main passenger terminal via a covered walkway. Onsite car rental agencies include Alamo • Avis • Budget • Enterprise • Europcar • Hertz • National • Sixt.

Hotel Shuttles

A few area hotels provide airport shuttle service: DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh AirportHoliday Inn Express Edinburgh Airport.

See also Airport Hotels above.

Ride Sharing

Uber operates throughout Edinburgh. A ride to the city centre will cost you about £27.

Taxis

Licensed black taxis are available on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park, just opposite the main passenger terminal. All taxis are metered, and reservations are not required. The total trip time between the airport and the city centre is 20 minutes.

Tram

Edinburgh Trams is an easy and economical way to travel to the city centre (with stops along the way) if you travel light. Trams depart every 7 minutes for the 30-minute ride to the city centre. As of this update, adult tram fare is £7.00 (one way) or £9.00 (round trip). Trams run from 6:26 AM to 10:48 PM. Tickets are sold at vending machines at each tram stop. For route maps, schedules, and additional fare information, visit the Edinburgh Trams website.

Last updated: 2024-02-21

This guide is for informational purposes only to assist with your planning.  All information, including rates and hours, is subject to change at any time without notice.   The information in this airport guide is based on information collected and/or received from the airports, lounges, hotels, transportation providers, and their websites. We are not representatives of any of the above-mentioned service providers. To report errors or to add/update any items mentioned in the guide: update the airport guide or  write a review.