Edinburgh Transport Pass: Complete Money-Saving Guide (2026)
Choosing the right Edinburgh transport pass can save you £5–£20 per day depending on how often you ride and how long you stay. Edinburgh’s integrated bus and tram network is run almost entirely by Lothian Buses (the city’s publicly owned operator) and Edinburgh Trams, with a single tap-and-cap payment system, a shared City DAY ticket, and weekly and monthly Ridacard season tickets. For tourists, the right choice depends on whether you’re staying central (where walking is free), travelling further out to Portobello or the airport, or visiting for a longer period.
This complete 2026 guide compares every Edinburgh transport pass option — City DAY, TapTapCap contactless cap, Ridacard, Airlink 100, airport and tram-only tickets, Family City DAY, week passes, and child fares. We show real per-day cost breakdowns, recommended passes for short and long visits, the cheapest way to reach the airport, accessibility info, and money-saving strategies that locals actually use. Whether you’re a 2-day tourist or a 6-month student, this guide tells you which Edinburgh transport pass to buy and which to skip.
Edinburgh transport pass options: 2026 quick comparison
| Pass | 2026 price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Single adult fare | £2.40 bus or city-zone tram | 1–2 short rides |
| Single child fare (5–15) | £1.20 | Under-5s travel free |
| City DAY adult (bus + tram) | £6.00 | 3+ rides in one day |
| City DAY child (5–15) | £3.00 | 3+ rides per child |
| City DAY family (2A+3C) | £13.00 | Family days out |
| TapTapCap contactless | Caps at £5.70/day, £26.50/week | Tap-and-go simplicity — the cheapest default |
| NETWORK DAY (all zones, incl. airport) | £14.00 adult / £7.00 child | Airport tram plus a full day in town |
| Ridacard 4-week adult | £80.00 | Stays over 1 month |
| Ridacard weekly adult | £26.50 | Same price as the contactless weekly cap |
| Tram Day Return (tram only) | £4.60 | One tram trip out and back |
| Airlink 100 single | £6.00 adult / £3.00 child | Airport to city |
| Airlink 100 open return | £8.50 adult / £4.25 child | Round-trip airport |
| Tram airport single | £7.90 adult / £4.00 child | Tram to airport |
| Tram airport open return | £9.50 adult / £5.00 child | Round-trip by tram |
| Night bus single | £3.50 | After midnight; a City DAY ticket is not valid, but NETWORK (£14.00) and City LATE (£5.50, from 6pm) are |
| Edinburgh Bus Tour | £20 | Tourists wanting commentary |
Fares checked October 2026, after the Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams revision of 22 February 2026.
2026 fare changes you need to know
From 22 February 2026, both Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams raised fares. If you are working from an older guide, these are the numbers that changed:
- Adult single (bus or city-zone tram): £2.40 (was £2.20)
- Child single (5–15): £1.20 (was £1.10)
- Adult City DAY: £6.00 (was £5.50)
- Child City DAY: £3.00 (was £2.75)
- Family City DAY: £13.00 (was £12.00)
- TapTapCap daily cap: £5.70 (was £5.00)
- TapTapCap weekly cap: £26.50 (was £24.50)
- Adult NETWORK (all zones, including the airport): £14.00 (was £12.50)
- 4-week adult Ridacard: £80.00 (was £73.00)
- Unchanged: the night bus single (£3.50) and Airlink 100 singles and returns
One number causes more confusion than any other. £5.70 is not the day ticket — it is the TapTapCap contactless daily cap. The paper City DAY ticket is £6.00. Tapping the same card all day is therefore 30p cheaper than buying the ticket, which is why we tell almost every visitor to stop buying day tickets altogether.
Despite the rises, Edinburgh transport remains some of the best-value urban transit in the UK — significantly cheaper than London (Tube zone 1 single £2.90) and broadly comparable to Glasgow.
Edinburgh single bus and tram fares
Bus single fare: £2.40
Lothian Buses charge a flat £2.40 adult single for any journey on any Lothian Buses day service within city zones. Children (5–15) pay £1.20; under-5s travel free. Night buses are £3.50 a journey and the Airlink 100 is £6.00. Pay by:
- Exact cash — drivers don’t give change
- Contactless card or phone — tap on the reader; £2.40 charged, and it counts towards the £5.70 daily cap
- Lothian Bus app — buy a single ticket on your phone
A single covers one journey on one bus. Change buses and you pay again, unless you hold a £6.00 City DAY ticket or tap contactless, which stops charging at £5.70 for the day.
Tram single fare: £2.40 (City Zone)
Edinburgh Trams charge £2.40 adult single within the City Zone (everywhere except the airport). The Edinburgh tram line runs from Newhaven through the New Town, along Princes Street, to Edinburgh Airport.
Tram to or from airport
The tram airport single is more expensive — £7.90 adult from city centre to Edinburgh Airport, or £9.50 for an adult open return (£4.00 and £5.00 for children aged 5–15). The airport stop is the final stop on the line.
City DAY ticket: Edinburgh’s most popular transport pass
The Lothian City DAY ticket is the best-known Edinburgh transport pass for tourists — and the simplest. For £6.00, you get unlimited travel on:
- All Lothian Buses city services (everything except night buses and Airlink — see below)
- Edinburgh Trams (City Zone only — not airport)
The City DAY ticket pays for itself on the third ride — anything more is free. For tourists planning to bus from a hotel to Portobello, then back to the city, then up to the Royal Botanic Garden, then home — that’s 4 rides, £9.60 in singles against £6.00 with City DAY. The honest verdict, though: just tap a contactless card and TapTapCap will cap you at £5.70, which beats the £6.00 ticket without you having to decide anything in advance.
How to buy a City DAY ticket
- On the bus: Ask the driver, pay £6.00 (cash or contactless). Driver gives a paper ticket valid for the day
- In the Bus & Tram app: Buy in advance for £6.00 and activate when you board
- At tram stops: Vending machines on tram stops
- At Travelshops: Lothian Buses Travelshops at Princes Street and Waverley Bridge sell City DAY tickets and Ridacards
Child and family City DAY tickets
- Child City DAY (5–15): £3.00
- Family City DAY (up to 2 adults + 3 children): £13.00 — saves £8 against five individual tickets
- Under 5: Free
Group and student City DAY tickets
Student discounts apply to Ridacards but not City DAY tickets. Groups of 4+ should split into adult and Family City DAY tickets — the family rate is more economical.
TapTapCap — the smartest 2026 way to pay
TapTapCap is Edinburgh’s contactless capping system, similar to London’s Oyster contactless. Tap the same contactless card or phone on every bus and tram you take — the system automatically caps your daily charge on day buses and city-zone trams at £5.70, just under the City DAY price.
- Daily cap: £5.70 — 30p below the £6.00 City DAY ticket
- Weekly cap: £26.50, Monday to Sunday (against £42 for seven City DAY tickets)
This is the best option if you’re not sure how many rides you’ll take. Each £2.40 ride is added to the day’s total, and Lothian takes one payment the next morning. Two rides come to £4.80; the third tips you past £5.70, so it adds only 90p, and every covered ride after that is free. If you ride for several days in a week, the weekly cap kicks in.
How TapTapCap works
- Use the same contactless card or phone every time you board
- Tap on the reader as you get on (and on tap-off only on Edinburgh Trams)
- You’re charged per ride initially
- At the end of the day, your total is capped at £5.70 — slightly under the £6.00 City DAY price
- Once your fares in a Monday-to-Sunday week reach £26.50, the weekly cap kicks in — usually on the fifth busy day, as four capped days come to £22.80
TapTapCap tips
- Use the exact same card or phone every ride — don’t switch between Apple Pay and a physical card
- Daily caps run from 4:00am to 4:00am the next day, not midnight to midnight; the weekly cap resets at 00:00 on Monday
- Check your charges on the TapTapCap website if anything looks wrong
- Tap clearly — incomplete taps mean you may be charged the maximum fare
Ridacard — Edinburgh’s season ticket
The Ridacard is a smartcard season ticket giving unlimited travel on Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams (City Zone) for a fixed period. The card carries a £3 issue fee, paid once when it’s issued, and is topped up with another 1-week or 4-week period at a TravelHub or any PayPoint shop. It’s the best value Edinburgh transport pass for anyone staying more than a week.
Ridacard prices (2026)
- Weekly adult Ridacard: £26.50
- Weekly student Ridacard: £23.00 (for full-time students of Edinburgh-area universities and colleges, shown by a matriculation card)
- Weekly child Ridacard (5–15): £13.25
- 4-week adult Ridacard: £80.00
- 4-week student Ridacard: £68.00 (same matriculation-card rule; visiting students from elsewhere pay the adult price)
- 4-week child Ridacard (5–15): £40.00
Note the trap for anyone reading an older guide: £68 used to be the 4-week adult price. Since 22 February 2026 it is the 4-week student price, and the adult card is £80.00.
Is a Ridacard worth it for tourists?
For short-stay tourists, no — and since February 2026 the case is weaker than ever, because the weekly Ridacard (£26.50) costs exactly the same as the contactless weekly cap and requires a photo, an ID check and a trip to a Travelshop. The Ridacard only makes sense for stays of roughly a month.
- 14-day visit, daily travel: two weeks of contactless capping is £53, against £80 for a 4-week Ridacard — capping wins
- 7-day visit, daily travel: £26.50 on the weekly contactless cap, against £80 for a 4-week Ridacard — capping wins easily
Buy Ridacards at Lothian Buses Travelshops on Hanover Street, Princes Street and Waverley Bridge. ID photo required.
Edinburgh Tram-only passes
Tram Day Return and contactless
Edinburgh Trams sells no adult tram-only day pass. If you’re only using the tram, the adult choices are the £4.60 Day Return for one trip out and back, or tapping contactless, which caps at £5.70 for the day. The £6.00 City DAY ticket covers both buses and trams between Newhaven and Ingliston Park & Ride (not the airport), and the cap undercuts it, so tapping is the pick for most visitors. The one ticket called Day Tripper is the Family Day Tripper (City zone) at £10.50.
Multi-Day Tram Tickets
For airport visitors, Edinburgh Trams sells Multi-Day Tickets covering airport returns plus unlimited City Zone tram travel during your stay. Useful if you’ll use the tram heavily but rarely take buses.
Getting to and from Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport sits 8 miles west of the city centre. Three main public transport options:
Airlink 100 bus
- Adult single: £6.00
- Adult open return: £8.50
- Child single (5–15): £3.00
- Child open return: £4.25
- Family open return (2 adults + 3 children): £22.00
- Frequency: 24/7 — up to every 10 minutes from 04:12 to 01:00, then every 20 minutes overnight
- Journey time: 30 minutes to Waverley Bridge
Airlink 100 is the cheapest option and runs 24 hours. Tickets via the Bus & Tram app are convenient. Buses stop at every major Edinburgh hotel between the airport and the centre.
Edinburgh Tram
- Adult single: £7.90
- Adult open return: £9.50
- Child single (5–15): £4.00
- Child open return: £5.00
- Frequency: Every 7 minutes through the day, every 10 minutes early in the morning and in the evening
- Journey time: 35 minutes to St Andrew Square
The tram is slightly slower than the Airlink bus, but more comfortable for heavy luggage. Stops at York Place, St Andrew Square, Princes Street, Haymarket, then airport.
Overnight arrivals and departures
You no longer need a separate overnight service. The Airlink 100 runs 24 hours a day, every day, dropping to roughly every 20 minutes between about 01:00 and 04:00, at the same £6.00 adult single. City services 17 and 18 (which absorbed the former Skylink 200 and 400 routes) also call at the airport at the standard £2.40 flat fare, but neither runs to the city centre. The 17 takes about 50 minutes to Ocean Terminal via Clermiston, Blackhall, Muirhouse and Newhaven; the 18 needs about 1 hour 15 minutes to reach Fort Kinnaird via Edinburgh Park, Oxgangs and the Royal Infirmary.
Taxi from Edinburgh Airport
A metered taxi from Edinburgh Airport to Princes Street costs around £27 to £30, more in slow traffic and on the Christmas and New Year tariffs. Worth it for late arrivals, large groups, or families with multiple suitcases. Uber also operates at the airport.
Which Edinburgh transport pass should you buy?
Visit length: 1 day
If you’ll only take 1–2 rides: Use TapTapCap on a contactless card. You’ll pay £2.40 per ride and won’t reach the cap.
If you’ll take 3+ rides: Still just tap. The cap stops you at £5.70, which is less than the £6.00 DAYticket you would otherwise have bought.
Visit length: 2–4 days
Recommended: TapTapCap on a contactless card. Daily caps mean you never pay more than £5.70/day. Just tap on and ride.
Alternative: Buy a City DAY ticket each day for £6.00 — marginally worse value, but useful if you are travelling on someone else’s card.
Visit length: 5–10 days
Recommended: TapTapCap with weekly capping (£26.50). Cheaper than buying daily passes.
Alternative: Buy DAYtickets via app on days you’ll travel a lot; walk on days you stay central.
Visit length: 11+ days
Recommended: 4-week Ridacard for £80 — costs less than 14 DAYtickets and gives unlimited travel.
If you’ll only travel some days: Stick with TapTapCap weekly capping.
Edinburgh transport pass for families
For families, the Family City DAY ticket at £13 is excellent value — it covers up to 2 adults and 3 children (5–15). Compared to buying individual City DAY tickets for a family of four:
- 2 adult City DAY tickets (£12.00) + 2 child City DAY tickets (£6.00) = £18.00
- Family City DAY = £13.00 — saves £5/day for a family of four, and £8 with a third child (£21.00 separately)
Children under 5 ride free with a paying adult. Bring a buggy or pram on most Lothian buses (one wheelchair/pram space per bus).
Tourist transport passes: Edinburgh Bus Tour vs Lothian City DAY
The Edinburgh Bus Tours (City Sightseeing, Majestic Tour, Edinburgh Tour) are hop-on-hop-off open-top buses with commentary. An adult 24-hour ticket for one tour is £20; the Grand 24, covering all three, is £26 (£21.60 online).
Are they worth it? If you want commentary and don’t mind paying 3× the City DAY price, yes. If you can do the Royal Mile with a free walking tour and use a £6 City DAY ticket for the rest, you’ll save £14+ per person and see most of the same sights.
Night buses and late-night transport
Lothian’s city NightBus services (N1, N3, N11, N14, N16, N25, N26, N30, N31, N35, N37, N44) run after midnight. An adult night single costs £3.50 (more than the daytime fare, and unchanged in the February 2026 revision). City DAY tickets are not valid on night buses. Tram services stop around midnight.
For late-night travel, taxis or rideshare (Uber, Bolt) are practical alternatives — £8–15 for most central journeys.
Accessibility on Edinburgh transport
- All Lothian Buses are low-floor, wheelchair accessible, with priority spaces
- Edinburgh Trams are fully step-free with wheelchair spaces
- Audio and visual announcements on most buses and all trams
- Disabled persons’ bus pass (National Entitlement Card) gives free travel for eligible UK residents
- Lothian’s “M-tickets” can be saved for visually impaired users via the app
Edinburgh transport pass: money-saving tips
- Walk first: Central Edinburgh is compact — Old Town to New Town is 15 minutes
- Use TapTapCap for tap-and-go convenience and automatic capping
- Tap rather than buy — the £5.70 contactless cap undercuts the £6.00 City DAY ticket
- Family City DAY saves £5–£8 a day over individual tickets, depending on whether you bring two children or three
- Don’t buy Airlink return unless certain — single tickets are flexible
- Use Bus and Tram app for cheaper digital tickets
- Skip hop-on-hop-off bus tours — they cost 3× the DAYticket for similar route coverage
- Children under 5 are free — no ticket needed
- Avoid night buses — taxis are similar price for late-night journeys
- Combine DAYticket with attractions — gets you to Portobello, Cramond, the Royal Botanic Garden
How to plan journeys in Edinburgh
- Lothian Buses app — official app with live arrivals, journey planning, ticket purchase
- Edinburgh Trams app — tram-specific timetables and tickets
- Bus and Tram app — combined Lothian + Tram ticket purchasing
- Google Maps — accurate live timetables and walking integration
- Citymapper — popular in Edinburgh, includes walking, bus, tram, taxi options
Edinburgh transport pass: Frequently asked questions
What is the best Edinburgh transport pass for tourists?
For almost everyone, TapTapCap on a contactless card — it caps at £5.70 a day and £26.50 a week, so it beats the £6.00 DAYticket without any planning. For stays of about a month, the 4-week Ridacard at £80.
How much is an Edinburgh DAYticket in 2026?
Adult City DAY £6.00, child £3.00, family (2A+3C) £13.00. Valid on Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams (City Zone only — not airport). Tapping a contactless card all day caps at £5.70 instead.
Does the Edinburgh DAYticket cover the airport tram?
No — the DAYticket covers Edinburgh Trams within the City Zone only. To reach the airport, buy a separate £7.90 airport tram single, use the £6.00 Airlink 100 bus, or buy the £14.00 NETWORK DAY ticket if you also want a full day of travel in town.
What is TapTapCap?
TapTapCap is Edinburgh’s contactless capping system. Use the same contactless card or phone for every ride; the system automatically caps your daily charge on day buses and city-zone trams at £5.70 — slightly below the £6.00 City DAY price — and your Monday-to-Sunday charge at £26.50.
Is the Airlink 100 cheaper than the tram?
Yes — Airlink 100 single is £6.00 vs tram single £7.90. Airlink is also slightly faster (30 min) than the tram (35 min), and runs 24/7. The tram is more comfortable for heavy luggage.
Can I use my contactless card on Edinburgh buses?
Yes — tap your contactless card or phone on the reader when boarding. TapTapCap automatically charges you the cheapest fare and caps at DAYticket price.
How much is the Edinburgh tram to the airport?
£7.90 adult single, £9.50 adult open return (£4.00 and £5.00 for children aged 5–15). The journey takes 35 minutes from St Andrew Square to Edinburgh Airport.
Are Edinburgh transport passes valid on night buses?
Some do. A City DAY ticket doesn’t cover Lothian night buses, where a single costs £3.50, but the £14.00 NETWORK ticket includes the following morning’s night services and the £5.50 City LATE ticket, sold from 6pm, covers NightBus until 4.30am. Ridacards do cover night services.
Where can I buy an Edinburgh transport pass?
On board buses (cash or contactless), via the Lothian Bus and Tram app, at Lothian Travelshops (Hanover Street, Waverley Bridge, Shandwick Place), at tram stop vending machines, and at the Edinburgh Bus Tours Travelshop.
Is there a weekly Edinburgh transport pass?
Yes — a weekly Ridacard is £26.50 and a 4-week Ridacard is £80. But TapTapCap weekly capping is also £26.50 and needs no photo, card or Travelshop visit, so for visitors it is the better of the two.
Do Edinburgh transport passes include trains?
No — Lothian and Edinburgh Trams’ passes do not cover National Rail trains. Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket stations require separate tickets.
Do children pay for Edinburgh transport?
Under-5s free. Children 5–15 pay £1.20 single, £3.00 City DAY. Full-time students at Edinburgh-area universities and colleges can buy a £23.00 weekly or £68.00 4-week Ridacard with their matriculation card; students from elsewhere pay the adult rate.
Plan your Edinburgh transport
The right Edinburgh transport pass depends on your visit length and travel patterns, but for most visitors the answer is now genuinely simple: use TapTapCap on a contactless card. On day buses and city-zone trams you’ll never pay more than £5.70 a day, and no more than £26.50 in a Monday-to-Sunday week, Airlink included. On quieter days you pay only for the rides you take, and you’ll never buy a £6.00 City DAY ticket you didn’t need. Airlink, airport trams and night buses sit outside the daily cap. Only stays of about a month justify the £80 4-week Ridacard. Skip the airport return ticket unless you’re sure of your timing — single fares are more flexible.
All fares on this page checked October 2026, against the Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams revision that took effect on 22 February 2026.
For more budget planning, see our Edinburgh on a budget pillar guide, our £50/day Edinburgh budget guide, our free attractions Edinburgh guide, and our cheap places to eat Edinburgh guide.
