Edinburgh Airport Parking Guide | Off-Airport Parking
Off-Airport Car Parks Compared
Updated November 2011
I've found four off-airport car parks to choose from: Edinburgh Flying Scot, Edinburgh NCP Scotpark, Edinburgh Park and Fly and Quality Parking. These are all located outside the boundaries of the airport. They all offer long stay parking, as well as short term parking for as short a time as one day. The day tickets from these companies may work out cheaper than BAA Short Stay (on-airport) if you intend to stick around for more than an hour or two, so it's worth comparing.
My research shows that it's nearly always cheaper to book in advance as you get to make use of available supersaver discounts!
The main things we want to know with off-airport parking are, ease of transfer to the airport and security when dealing with third-party companies. My research shows that most of these companies are known to offer reasonable security and are no more than 5 minutes away from the airport by shuttle bus. Just remember that shuttle buses will show up at intervals, so if you miss one you might have to wait up to ten minutes for the next!
Here's a quick comparison table of all off-airport car parks, with the main upsides and downsides of each:
Comparison of Popular Off-Airport Car Parks in Edinburgh
| Upside | Downside | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCP Scotpark | Relatively cheap for both short and long stay; good security | Not always possible to cancel or change, and not cheap when it is | £3.49 a day; £24.43 a week |
| Flying Scot | Exceptional security | Charges you a lot for its Meet & Greet equivalent; have to hand in your keys | £3.25 a day; £33 a week |
| Park and Fly | 10% pre-booking discount; offers Meet & Greet service that may be inclusive | Security not certified like other options; very expensive short stay; have to hand in your keys | £15 a day, £30 a week |
| Quality Parking | It's very close to the airport | Probably works out as the most expensive | £4.60 a day; £38 a week. (This info is unofficial; see below for details.) |
NOTE:Costs are subject to frequent change, so please use the links provided below to check current prices on the company websites.
Here are the most popular airport parking options (Edinburgh NCP Scotpark, Edinburgh Flying Scot, Edinburgh Park And Fly and Quality Parking in a little more detail):
Edinburgh NCP Scotpark
- At the time of writing, it's only £3.49 a day if you pre-book, but check their website in case this changes. There is no minimum stay for pre-booking.
- You must bring along printed confirmation of your booking.
- Well lit, security fencing, CCTV and patrols. It's a Park Mark approved car park, which means it's been vetted by the Police.
- Transfer time is about 5 minutes, with a free bus that arrives every 15 minutes.
- Designated parking bays for Blue Badge holders; buses have wheelchair access.
- They offer a valet service where you're driven straight to the terminal and your car is parked in a valet bay.
- Bookings cannot be changed or cancelled if booked with discounts (which seems to be automatic -- it will say 'Non Flexible' when showing booking options). Otherwise, you can change up to 48 hours before your booking. Cancellation can be done up to 24 hours before, but there will be a fee of £9.50.
- Trailers are not permitted.
- You don't have to hand in your keys, unless you're using a valet.
You can book NCP Scotpark parking online
My conclusion: This seems like the best car park to me. It offers very competitive short stay prices, especially compared to the official BAA airport parking, and is apparently the cheapest for long stay. With no compromises regarding security, NCP Scotpark seems like the best all-rounder. Keep your eye on transfer times, though!
Edinburgh Flying Scot
- At the time of writing, Flying Scot are offering 1 day tickets for £3.25, a weeks' stay for £33 and a fortnight costs around £50, but remember to check the official Flying Scot website in case this changes as these may be temporary special offers.
- It's well lit, and secured with CCTV, electrified fencing and 24-hour guard dog patrol. All car parks are fully insured.
- Free 24-hour Courtesy Coaches transfer, a 2-minute drive from the departures terminal.
- There is disabled access.
- It's open 24/7, all year round.
- They offer an extra valet service in various flavours, where you can get your car washed, hoovered and freshened while you're gone.
- They also offer Express Parking, much like Park and Fly's Meet & Greet service, but it'll cost you an additional £10 one-way and £20 return.
- Trailers are permitted, but you'll have to book an extra parking space.
- Cancellations must be done at least 7 days in advance or you'll be charged in full; changes incur a £10 admin charge.
- You have to hand in your keys.
You can book Edinburgh Flying Scot parking online on their website
My conclusion: Flying Scot seem to charge you steeply for anything extra or admin-related, but their actual parking prices are very reasonable, both short stay and long stay. Security and ease of transfer both get a thumbs-up, too.
Edinburgh Park And Fly
[Map of Edinburgh Park And Fly (PDF)]
- At the time of writing, prices start at £15 for one day, £30 for a week and £58 for 15 days, with an additional £3 per day after that. Check their website for current parking rates in case this changes. If you only need airport parking for a couple of days then Park and Fly are the wrong choice, but they are definitely one to consider for long stay parking.
- Prepaid bookings qualify for a 10% discount.
- Free 24-hour transfer. There is an optional Meet & Greet service, but it doesn't say if this costs extra. A fully-insured member of staff meets you at the terminal at an arranged time and takes your car.
- Well lit, with fencing and patrols, but apparently no CCTV.
- I can't find information about booking changes or cancellation on their site, so you may have to contact Park and Fly.
- You have to hand your keys in (because it's Meet & Greet).
You can book with Edinburgh Park and Fly online on their website.
My conclusion: Edinburgh Park and Fly is definitely not an option for short stay parking but the advantages of its Meet & Greet service make it a serious contender for long stay parking, though it's not as cheap as NCP Scotpark. The lack of CCTV is a little concerning, though.
Quality Parking
- It's difficult to find prices for this one. They are run by the same company that runs Secure Airparks (see my page on on-airport parking), but it's at a different location. The official Quality Parking website, which is run in conjunction with Purple Parking, only seems to give quotes for Secure Airparks. Other sites put it at a day ticket for £4.60 per day, or a week for about £38, making it potentially the more expensive car park of the lot.
- Unfortunately I can't find any information on cancellation or amendment policy.
- On-demand transfer takes approximately 2 minutes to reach the terminal.
- It has CCTV, fencing and security patrols. No security lighting.
- Vehicles that don't fit standard size bays subject to additional fees.
- You get to keep your keys.
My conclusion: I can't really recommend this off-airport car park. It doesn't currently seem possible to book online anyway, but what unofficial info I could find suggests that this is more expensive than other alternatives at Edinburgh Airport for both short and long stay, with no real advantages to make up for it. Quality Parking is, therefore, by far the weakest candidate for airport parking.
Conclusion
In short, NCP Scotpark seems like the most solid choice, but Flying Scot and Park and Fly definitely have their advantages too, so it really depends on the exact length of your stay and how much you like the sound of Meet & Greet.
You can find alternative on-airport car parks, as well as some official short stay car parks. Also see our quick comparison of on-airport and off-airport parking. Alternatively, you can have a look at private parking near the airport.
» Return to Guide to Car Parking at Edinburgh Airport main index
Edinburgh Airport Parking Guide Index:
- Short Stay Parking -- Comparative summaries of the three main car parks, BAA short term, BAA 2 hours and FastTrack based on cost, security, and ease of transfer.
- Long Stay Parking -- Summary of two long stay car parks based on the main differences: off-airport and on-airport parking.
- Off-Airport Parking -- Compares Flying Scot, NCP, Edinburgh Park and Fly (and the Meet and Greet offered by this company) based on cost, security and ease of transfer.
- On-Airport Parking -- Compares Low Cost, Secure Airparks and Long Stay Edinburgh, once again based on cost, security and ease of transfer.
- Airport Hotels -- Reviews of several available hotels close to Edinburgh Airport focused on transfer options, value for money, ability to group book, etc.
- Private Parking Spaces -- Cheaper alternatives to big airport car parks from private individuals living nearby.
- Frequently Asked Questions
Transfer to and from Edinburgh Airport:
How to get to/from Edinburgh airport by coach (Megabus):
