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What time should I leave for Edinburgh Airport?
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Leaving from Edinburgh Airport
Terminals
Edinburgh Airport has a single passenger terminal, so there is no wrong building to arrive at — every airline uses the same doors.
Dropping off
The paid Dropoff & Pickup zone is on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park outside the terminal: £8.50 for up to 10 minutes, then £1 a minute. Card only, at the exit barrier or the pay stations. The free drop-off area is in the Long Stay car park, free for 30 minutes, with a signed walk of about 10 minutes to the terminal (no shuttle). Stay past 30 minutes in the free Long Stay area and the Long Stay tariff applies (£14 for 30 minutes to an hour).
Time at the airport
Edinburgh Airport says: time your arrival for when your airline's check-in desk opens — there is no point being there at 04:00 if your desk opens at 06:00. Our planner aims for 90 minutes inside before a short-haul flight with cabin bags, 120 with a checked bag, and longer for long-haul — a planning figure, not a live queue.
Drop-off rules as published by Edinburgh Airport, last checked 25 September 2026. Their own page is the only place they are current.
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Flying from Edinburgh Airport
What time should I leave for Edinburgh Airport?
It depends on your flight and your traffic, which is what the planner above works out. We aim to have you inside the terminal 90 minutes before a short-haul flight with cabin bags only (120 with a checked bag), and 150 minutes before long-haul (180 with a bag), then add a few minutes to drop off and your drive on top. Edinburgh Airport itself says: time your arrival for when your airline's check-in desk opens — there is no point being there at 04:00 if your desk opens at 06:00. Your airline's own check-in and bag-drop deadlines always come first.
Should I be dropped off at Edinburgh Airport or park and walk in?
The paid Dropoff & Pickup zone is on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park outside the terminal: £8.50 for up to 10 minutes, then £1 a minute. Card only, at the exit barrier or the pay stations. The free drop-off area is in the Long Stay car park, free for 30 minutes, with a signed walk of about 10 minutes to the terminal (no shuttle). Stay past 30 minutes in the free Long Stay area and the Long Stay tariff applies (£14 for 30 minutes to an hour). (From Edinburgh Airport's own website, checked 25 September 2026.)
Which terminal do I go to at Edinburgh Airport?
Edinburgh Airport has a single passenger terminal, so there is no wrong building to arrive at — every airline uses the same doors.