UK ETA — £20 Since 8 April 2026

The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation jumped to £20 on 8 April 2026 (was £16 from April 2025; was £10 at January 2025 launch). Required for visa-exempt non-UK / non-Irish nationals. Valid 2 years or until passport expires. Apply via gov.uk/eta or UK ETA app, ~3 working days processing. EU citizens NEED the UK ETA — Brexit means EU passport is no longer free entry to UK.

EES + ETIAS Do NOT Apply

UK left EU and Schengen post-Brexit; EES (live across all Schengen since 10 April 2026) does NOT apply at UK airports including EDI; ETIAS (Q4 2026) does NOT apply for UK-bound flights. UK has its own ETA scheme. Don’t confuse the two: EES + ETIAS = Schengen scheme; UK ETA = UK scheme. If your itinerary mixes UK + Schengen: you need both UK ETA + ETIAS once both are live.

UK Customs Reality

Standard UK customs allowances for non-UK arrivals: 1L spirits, 4L wine, 16L beer, 200 cigarettes. Cash declaration over £10,000. For EU travellers post-Brexit: Brexit means standard third-country customs allowance applies on EU → UK travel. VAT refund (Tax Free Shopping) was abolished for non-UK residents in 2021 (the “tourist tax” controversy continues — no reinstatement in 2026).

⭐ Edinburgh Tram (Line 1) — £7.50, ~30 Min to York Place

The Edinburgh Tram (Line 1) runs from EDI directly to York Place via Murrayfield, Haymarket, Princes Street, and St Andrew Square. £7.50 single / £9 return — airport fares frozen at 2025 rates for 2026 per Edinburgh Trams January 2026 announcement. ~30 minutes journey, every 7–10 minutes. Extended to Newhaven in 2023 for the seafront / Leith. This is the locals’ default: predictable, no surge, integrated with Lothian Buses tickets.

🚌 Airlink 100 Bus — £5.50 / £7.50 Return, 24/7

Lothian Buses Airlink 100 runs from EDI to Waverley Bridge (Edinburgh Waverley station). £5.50 single / £7.50 return, every 10 minutes, 24/7, 25–35 minutes journey. The budget alternative to the Tram. Skylink 200 / 300 / 400 serve other Edinburgh districts (Ocean Terminal / Western General / Fort Kinnaird).

🚕 Taxi + Bolt + Uber + Free Now

Taxi flat-rate: £25–35 to centre. Uber, Bolt, and Free Now (the legacy Edinburgh black-cab app) all operate. For 2+ travellers with luggage: rideshare typically beats Tram on cost-time tradeoff. During Edinburgh Fringe August 2026: rideshare surge stretches dramatically — pre-book transfers for festival-week arrivals.

✈️ Turkish Airlines Lounge by Plaza Premium (rebranded December 2025)

Priority Pass + DragonPass + LoungeKey + paid walk-in (£40 walk-in / £30–35 pre-book). Still Plaza Premium-operated; the rebrand reflects Turkish Airlines’ sponsorship deal. Hot/cold buffet, full bar, free wifi, showers. The strongest Priority Pass option.

🌐 Aspire Lounge (Gate 16, Priority Pass)

Priority Pass + DragonPass + LoungeKey + paid walk-in (~£35–40). Hot/cold buffet, drinks, free wifi, showers. The alternative Priority Pass option when Turkish Airlines Lounge by PP fills.

🆕 Escape Lounge (Gate 4, opened spring 2025)

Escape Lounge opened spring 2025 — pay-per-use + Priority Pass + LoungeKey. Modern Manchester Airports Group brand. Hot/cold buffet, drinks, free wifi, showers. The newest EDI lounge.

✈️ British Airways Lounge (single, not split)

BA Executive Club Gold + BA business + oneworld Sapphire / Emerald. Single combined lounge at EDI — no Galleries Club / First split (only LHR has that). Hot/cold buffet, full bar, free wifi.

If you eat once at EDI, eat haggis (the Scottish national dish — sheep offal, oats, suet, spices in a sheep stomach casing — divisive but iconic). Cullen skink (smoked haddock chowder), Scotch pies (mutton + pastry hand pies), black pudding on the breakfast plate. Skip airport McDonald’s — Scottish food at EDI airside is legitimately Scottish.

Scotch whisky is Scotland’s defining export — buy at EDI duty-free. Single malt regions: Speyside (Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Macallan), Islay (Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin — heavily peated), Highland (Glenmorangie, Dalmore), Lowland (Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie), Campbeltown (Springbank). Blended Scotch: Johnnie Walker, Chivas, Famous Grouse. Duty-free pricing competitive vs UK supermarkets on premium bottles; supermarket-tier blended Scotch is similar price either way.

Take-home picks: Scotch whisky (Speyside / Islay / Highland), tartan accessories (scarves, cashmere — verify clan / tartan registry), tablet (the Scottish fudge-meets-toffee confection), Walker’s shortbread, Mackies of Scotland chocolate. Skip airport-priced cashmere — Princes Street and the Royal Mile shops are 20–40% cheaper.

Edinburgh Fringe runs 7–31 August 2026 (previews from 5–6 August). The world’s largest arts festival — 3,500+ shows over 25 days. International Festival + Military Tattoo run concurrent August. Hotel rates 4–8× normal; book 3–6 months ahead. EDI absorbs the entire festival traffic — the year’s biggest annual surge. Pre-book your airport transfer 4+ weeks ahead for festival-week travel; same-day rideshare during August is genuinely painful. Tip: book a base in Leith / Newhaven (Tram-connected) or Stockbridge to avoid Old Town Fringe-week chaos.

Edinburgh Castle (~£20 advance / £22 walk-up) — book online with timed slot, popular morning slots sell out weeks ahead in summer. Royal Mile walk from Castle to Holyrood Palace + Scottish Parliament. Holyrood Palace (~£20) — the Royal Family’s official Scottish residence. Arthur’s Seat (free) — the extinct volcano in Holyrood Park; ~1.5-hour climb for spectacular city views. Old Town + New Town are both UNESCO World Heritage. Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) is the second-biggest annual EDI surge after Fringe.

Whisky distillery tours: Glenkinchie (Lowland, ~30 min from Edinburgh), Glengoyne (Highland, ~1 hour), or organised Speyside / Islay multi-day from Edinburgh. Day trips: Stirling Castle (~1 hour), St Andrews (~1.5 hours), Highlands organised tour (~12 hours, ~£60–100), Loch Ness (~3 hours each way), Rosslyn Chapel (~30 min from Edinburgh, the Da Vinci Code site).

UK SIMs: O2, Vodafone UK, EE, Three, GiffGaff at EDI arrivals kiosks or supermarket — ~£15–30 for 30 days / 20 GB. EU roaming via your home plan does NOT cover the UK post-Brexit on standard tariffs (some carriers re-introduced surcharges; verify your specific carrier). Non-EU travellers: eSIM via Airalo / Holafly / Ubigi from ~$5–10 for 7-day UK coverage. 5G covers Edinburgh widely; spotty in the Highlands.