Travel Tips Trip planning

Edinburgh airport parking: long stay, short stay, cheap, and free parking options

Gert Svaiko

13.10.22 (updated more than 1 year ago)

Read time 4 minutes

Flying from Edinburgh airport soon? If you’re getting there by car, you’ll need to know about parking options at the airport.

Read on, as we’ve put together a handy guide to Edinburgh airport parking which covers everything you need to know. This includes long and short stay options, parking costs and much more.

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Long stay parking zones in Edinburgh airport

If you’re looking for a secure place to park for the duration of your trip, Edinburgh airport has a number of long-stay parking options available.

We’ll run through each of these below, including info on security, amenities and of course, the cost.

Long Stay parking

If you’ll be away for four days or more, the Edinburgh airport long stay parking zone is likely to be the most cost-effective option. It’s suitable for cars and bikes, with 24/7 security and no height restrictions. There isn’t a shuttle bus to the terminal, and the walking route takes 10-12 minutes.¹

You’ll save around 60% if you pre-book your parking in advance, but here’s what it costs if you turn up on the day:¹

Duration at Long Stay parking	Cost
0 - 30 mins	Free
30 mins - 1 hour	£7
1 - 3 hours	£16.50
3 - 24 hours	£40
2 days	£75
3 days	£95
4 days	£120
5 days	£140
6 days	£150
7 days	£154
8 days	£176
Per day after	£22

Mid Stay parking

Located around 5 minutes walk from Departures, the Mid Stay Parking zone is ideal for stays of a few days. It’s suitable for cars and bikes and has 24/7 security. There are no blue badge spaces or electric charge points available, nor is there a shuttle bus.

As above, there are significant savings to be had if you pre-book. But here are the on-the-day prices:²

Duration at Mid Stay parking	Cost
0 - 30 mins	£9
30 mins - 1 hour	£12
1 - 3 hours	£18
3 - 24 hours	£50
2 days	£90
3 days	£110
4 days	£130
5 days	£150
6 days	£180
7 days	£210
8 days	£240
Per day after	£30

Multi-storey parking

This is the closest parking zone to the terminal, where there’s even a bridge to take you straight into the Security Hall. All multi-storey parking bookings come with special Security FastTRACK access for up to 5 people.

Only cars are permitted in this parking zone, which is recommended for medium to long stays. There is 24/7 security, blue badge spaces and covered parking.

Here’s the list of Edinburgh airport parking charges for the multi-storey car park, but it’s cheaper if you pre-book:³

Duration at Multi-storey parking	Cost
Up to 3 hours	£20
3-7 hours	£22
7-10 hours	£32
10-24 hours	£70
Up to 2 days	£130
Up to 3 days	£150
Up to 4 days	£180
Per day after	£45

Terminal parking

Just a 2-minute walk to Departures, Terminal Parking offers 24-hour security, blue badge spaces and pay as you go parking for cars and bikes.

Pre-booked parking is cheaper by up to 60%, but here’s what you’ll pay to turn up and park on the day:⁴

Duration at Terminal parking	Cost
0 - 10 mins	£4
10 - 15 mins	£5
15 - 30 mins	£9
30 mins - 1 hour	£12
1 - 3 hours	£16
3 - 7 hours	£18
7 - 10 hours	£30
10 - 24 hours	£60
2 days	£110
3 days	£140
4 days	£155
5 days	£165
Per day after	£35

Plane parking

This is one of the best options for cheap parking at Edinburgh airport, and it’s flexible too. Bookings can be refunded up to 24 hours before you’re due to arrive. It’s suitable for cars, vans and motorbikes, and there’s a shuttle bus running to the terminal every 12 minutes.

Here are the on-the-day prices:⁵

Duration at Plane Parking	Cost
1 hour	£7
1 - 3 hours	£16.50
3 - 24 hours	£40
2 days	£75
3 days	£95
4 days	£120
5 days	£140
6 days	£150
7 days	£154
8 days	£176
Per day after	£22

FastPark

Lastly, there’s FastPark. This is valet parking made easy with digital technology, with prices starting from £5 a day.⁶ You’ll drive to the FastPark reception, check in using your booking barcode, drop off your keys and a valet will park your vehicle at a secure and official parking location. It’s just a 1-minute walk from the FastPark reception to the terminal.

Short stay parking in Edinburgh airport

You can park in most of the mid and long-stay zones above for a few hours. This could be useful if you’re waiting around in the airport to pick up someone and their flight is delayed.

But otherwise, the best Edinburgh Airport short stay parking option is the Drop Off/Pick Up zone. This is ideal if you’re dropping off or collecting a passenger, and only need to park for a few minutes.

Drop-off/Pick-up zones

These barrier controlled short stay parking zones are on the ground floor of the Multi-storey car park, outside the terminal building. There’s a maximum stay of 2 hours, and cars, motorbikes and minibuses are all permitted.

Here’s the pricing:⁷

Duration of stay	Drop-off zone	Pick-up zone
0 - 10 mins	£4	£4
10 - 15 mins	£8	£5
15 - 30 mins	£15	£9
30 mins - 1 hour	£30	£12
Thereafter	£15 p/h (max stay of 2 hours)	£18 for 1-3 hours

You can pay by cash (coins only - there is a change machine on site if you have notes), card, contactless or mobile wallet. It’s free to park for 1 hour if you’re a blue badge holder, and both residents and electric vehicle owners benefit from a discount.⁷

It’s also useful to know that there’s a free drop-off and pick-up area in the Long Stay car park. You can park there for free for 30 minutes. There’s no shuttle bus, but it’s only a 10-12 minute walk to the terminal.

Cheap parking options near Edinburgh airport

You can potentially save money by parking outside the airport’s official parking zones. Here are a couple of cheaper options:

NCP Edinburgh Scotpark - offering a free shuttle bus which takes just 5 minutes to reach the airport, and parking from around £55 for 7 days.⁸
Flying Scot Edinburgh - located just 500 yards from the terminal, this car park offers free 24-hour express coach transfer (2-3 minutes) to the airport. It costs around £50 to park for 7 days.⁹

Free parking spots near Edinburgh airport

You’ll find it pretty difficult to park anywhere in Edinburgh for free. However, if you’re only visiting the airport to pick up or drop off a family member, you can take advantage of the 30 minutes free parking at Edinburgh airport’s official Long Stay Parking zone.

And that’s pretty much it - everything you need to know about Edinburgh airport parking options, including prices. Remember that it’s much cheaper if you pre-book before you fly.

And when you’re travelling abroad, consider signing up with Wise. You can get a Wise card, a multi-currency card that automatically converts your pounds into local currency in 150+ countries at a fair exchange rate – the mid-market rate.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 03-Oct-2022

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