Long Stay

Week-long trips on a budget? This is Edinburgh’s on-airport shuttle option.

Edinburgh Airport’s Long Stay car park suits holidaymakers leaving the car for a week or more who don’t mind a short ride instead of walking to the terminal. It’s an official on-airport long stay, not an off-site lot, so you stay inside the airport boundary and avoid third-party transfers. Pricing usually undercuts the terminal multi-storey once you hit several days, which is why regulars use it for summer holidays.

The shuttle ride takes about 5 minutes from Long Stay to the terminal when the bus is moving. Buses run on a loop, so total time depends on how long you wait at the stop, especially early mornings and late evenings when staffing can vary. Build in at least 20–30 extra minutes on top of your usual airport arrival time if you’re checking bags for a flight.

Entry and exit use ANPR (number‑plate recognition), linked to your online booking. When it works, the barrier lifts in seconds and you just drive in and park in any signed Long Stay zone. Some reviewers mention occasional mis‑reads, so have your booking confirmation printed or in an app ready to show the help button if the system doesn’t recognise your plate.

Shuttle timing is the main complaint in reviews, particularly on days when multiple flights land together and queues build up for the ride back to Long Stay. People report waits feeling much longer than the advertised 5‑minute journey. After dark, the large site and repeated signage can also make it hard to relocate your car if you didn’t note the zone and row number on arrival.

Regular users say they book Long Stay several weeks ahead of July and August departures because prices climb as spaces fill. A common trick is snapping a quick photo of the nearest row marker and bus stop sign before heading to the terminal. One last tip: on return, send one person straight to the bus stop while the rest use the terminal toilets, so you’re ready to board the next shuttle that arrives.