What time should I leave to collect someone from Edinburgh?
Live arrival time + live traffic from your postcode.
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We’ll give you a leave time. We don’t send a car.
Collecting at Edinburgh
- Free for 30 minutes, but you walk
- The free zone is in the Long Stay car park, and the walking route to the terminal starts at the north end of the car park. There is no shuttle bus, so count the walk at both ends.
Edinburgh Airport pick-up pagechecked 6 Oct 2026
- £8.50 for the first ten minutes
- The Pickup & Dropoff zone is on the ground floor of the multi-storey, just outside the terminal. After ten minutes it is £1 a minute.
Edinburgh Airport pick-up pagechecked 6 Oct 2026
- Half price for some locals
- Residents of the postcode districts EH4 6, EH4 8, EH12 0, EH12 9, EH28, EH29 and EH52 5 can apply to the airport for 50% off the first 10 minutes in that zone. We do not administer it and cannot check who qualifies.
Edinburgh Airport pick-up pagechecked 6 Oct 2026
Prices from Edinburgh Airport’s own website (see its pick-up page), the only place they are current; last checked 6 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions about collecting someone from Edinburgh Airport
What time should I leave to collect someone from Edinburgh?
It depends on the flight and on your traffic, which is what the planner above works out. The passenger has to get off the aircraft, clear the border and collect bags before they reach the kerb: our planner allows around 20 minutes for that after a domestic or Irish arrival, and nearly an hour after a long-haul flight, because it assumes a checked bag there. Those are our own planning figures, not the airport's, and your drive time goes on top.
Where do you pick someone up at Edinburgh Airport?
The Pickup & Dropoff zone is on the ground floor of the multi-storey just outside the terminal, where up to 10 minutes costs £8.50 and each minute after that £1. The free alternative is in the Long Stay car park, free for up to 30 minutes, with a walking route to the terminal from the north end of the car park and no shuttle bus.
Is there a discount for locals at Edinburgh?
Edinburgh offers residents of the postcode districts EH4 6, EH4 8, EH12 0, EH12 9, EH28, EH29 and EH52 5 a 50% discount on the first 10 minutes in the Pickup & Dropoff zone, applied for through the airport's online form. We do not administer it and cannot check eligibility.
Does PlanMyFlight arrange the car?
No. It is a free planning tool and nothing more. We do not operate vehicles, employ drivers or take payment for journeys — we tell you what time to set off, and you drive.