Photo: Philafrenzy / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) · Scotland
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) car hire — compare before you collect
Most Scotland self-drives that start from Edinburgh pick up at EDI. Compare total price, pickup type, and deposit before you land, then book through Book Your Trip’s DiscoverCars compare. Checkout is on DiscoverCars.com — we are not the rental company.
This opens DiscoverCars.com to compare and book (affiliate checkout). We are not the rental company.
On-site vs shuttle
At Edinburgh Airport (EDI), some suppliers meet you on the airport site and others send a shuttle to a nearby lot. Your confirmation names which. Do not assume you walk out of baggage reclaim into a row of cars.
On-site is the shorter collect once you have your bags. A shuttle adds the bus, then the desk. Several flights landing together, or a late arrival, stretches both. Leave slack before the first drive — especially if you mean to leave the city the same evening.
Documents and deposit
Bring a full driving licence in the lead driver’s name. A photocard in Roman letters is the usual case. If your licence is not in English, or the offer asks for an International Driving Permit, bring that too. The desk decides, not this page.
The deposit is a hold on a card in the lead driver’s name. The amount, and which cards are accepted, change by supplier, so this page does not print a figure. Many UK desks want a credit card for the excess hold. Some accept a debit card, or place a larger hold. Read the payment line on the offer before you fly. Do not assume the card that paid the booking will clear the hold.
Third-party cover is typically included. The decision is the collision excess, and whether you buy it down. Photograph every panel, wheel and the windscreen in the lot before you leave, and keep the return receipt until the hold clears.
When you need a car in Scotland
You need a car when the days leave Edinburgh: a Highlands loop, Skye, the west coast, or anywhere the bus is the constraint. You do not need one for a castle and Royal Mile stay. The tram links the airport and the city centre. In August, during the festivals, the centre is easier on foot than in a hire car.
A single Glencoe and Loch Ness day already runs as a coach from Edinburgh. Compare that before you commit to a week of hire. Left-hand traffic and single-track roads with passing places are why the first drive out of EDI should be in daylight, not a night arrival aimed at Fort William.
Staying in the city: Edinburgh tours. Leaving it without driving: Scottish Highlands tours, including the Glencoe and Loch Ness day from Edinburgh.
EDI vs city pickup
Collect at EDI if you land there and the car starts that day. You avoid a second trip back to the airport. Collect in the city if the first nights are Edinburgh without driving and you only need the car when you leave.
A city-centre depot means city traffic and parking before you have left town. That is a poor trade if the Highlands are the point. One-way between the airport and a city depot can add a charge. The offer states it. This page does not guess the amount.
Compare and book
Compare total price, pickup type and the deposit hold on DiscoverCars, then book there. The button on this page is our link — it does not add dates. Checkout is on DiscoverCars.com. Book Your Trip is not the rental company and does not hold a deposit. Excess, fuel policy and mileage sit on the quote; those lines move, and this page does not print a rate.
You’ll book and pay DiscoverCars.com directly. We earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
- Compare EDI car hireOur link to DiscoverCars for Edinburgh Airport. Checkout is on their site — we are not the rental company.Read more →
- Edinburgh toursCastle, Royal Mile and the city on foot — the stay that does not need a hire car.Read more →
- Scottish Highlands toursCoach days from Edinburgh when the glen is the point and you would rather not drive it.Read more →
- Glencoe and Loch Ness dayThe long coach from Edinburgh. Live price on Viator — this page does not invent a fare.Check on Viator →
FAQ
How long does EDI pickup take?
It depends on on-site versus shuttle, how long baggage takes, and how many flights land with you. An on-site desk is the shorter collect once you have your bags. A shuttle adds the bus and then the desk queue. Do not plan a tight onward drive on the assumption you are in the car minutes after touchdown. Read the meeting point on the confirmation and leave slack, especially on a late arrival.
Automatic cars?
Only if you filter for one before you pay. UK hire fleets are still mostly manual. Automatics sell out first in July, August and the school holidays, and the desk is not obliged to swap you onto one when you land. If you do not drive a manual, choose automatic on the quote.
Debit vs credit?
Many Edinburgh Airport desks want a credit card in the lead driver’s name for the deposit hold. Some suppliers accept a debit card, sometimes with a larger hold. This page does not state which brand does which, or for how much. Read the payment line on the offer and again on the confirmation before you fly. The card that paid the booking is not always the card the desk will take.
Is Book Your Trip the rental company?
No. Book Your Trip is not the rental company. You compare on this page, then book and pay on DiscoverCars.com. The supplier named on your voucher hands over the car and holds the deposit. We do not.