Best late-night travel options from Edinburgh Airport to West Fife?

[Gingerkittykat]

My DD is arriving at Edinburgh airport around midnight tonight (Tues into Wed) and I don't know what the best options are for getting her home. We live in West Fife.

I can pick her up from the airport but it looks like it might cost me a fortune to do so.

I think there is a shuttle bus to Ingliston park and ride.

There is the Jet 747 bus which goes to Ferrytoll and Halbeath park and ride which seems like the easiest option for me but more hassle and quite expensive for her.

Do you have any experience of using the different methods? I obviously also want her to be safe travelling so late at night.

I don't think you're going to find anything cheaper than the 747, unfortunately.

Your daughter doesn't hold a National Entitlement Card and would have to pay the £22.50 return fare, I'm assuming?

No, she doesn't have an NEC. She only needs a single fare so it would be £12.30.

@Gingerkittykat why would an ~30 mile, (25 min each way) trip cost a fortune?

It'd be cheaper than £12.30, wouldn't it?

Or am I missing something (assuming you live near Dunfermline)

eta; even Cupar, wouldn't be that pricey and you could park in the long stay car park for free for up to 30 minutes, but it does have a 10-minute walk to/from the terminal.

I'm assuming that the problem is the pick-up charge at the airport? (I don't know what it is, but recall that it's gone up.)

ISTR that my my husband's ex and her partner used to park up at Ratho any time that they picked up the kids, in order to avoid any charges - not a great option at night time, however. (DH just used to pick up at the airport.)

I'm assuming that the problem is possible delays - could be pricey at a pound per minute after the first 10.

The only alternatives that I can think of is to do what DH used to do - park at the short term parking and meet your daughter coming out of Arrivals or monitor flights online and only set off closer to arrival time, in order to be kept aware of delays.

We just used to park up and meet the family as they came out of the Arrivals gate.

The pick up zone is £8.50 for 10 minutes. Just wait at the park and ride until she texts that she is leaving the airport and then drive over.

Yes, the problem is the pickup costs at the airport.

She will phone me when she arrives, it's only a 40 minute drive and if I can time it so I only have to pay the £8.50 for 10 minutes then I will do that.

park sneakily at Hampton hotel (not in car park but on the road) and walk the 5 mins to meet her at the airport. It’s free then

I think there is a 24hpurs McDonald's near by park there let her phone you then go and collect her at the pick up point, ths £8.50 is atrocious though.

I take the turn off before the airport and park in the side road along near the Highland show entrance, where all the taxi drivers sit. Then they phone as their heading into pick up area and I drive round. Or if they don’t have loads of luggage I get them to phone me as they’re walking through short stay car park and I pick them up outside Moxy hotel.
You can also sit in long stay car park (I think for an hour free ) and she can get the airport bus to the car park.

Don't park or wait in the nearby airport hotels, they have CCTV and do issue parking fines.
Wait in Ingliston park & ride car park, or the layby just outside it. Get her to ring you when she's leaving the airport and drive down to the long stay car park where you get 30min free to pick up or drop off. There's designated spaces for this which are closest to the terminal.
There hasn't been an airport bus to the long stay car park since lockdown @ScoStud !

I recently got 747 to airport and the Ember also goes there now direct to arrivals (although only stop in Fife is Rosyth) the bus was fine, wasn’t expensive as only one way - about £13 I think but depends how late at night and how frequent. I often get Ember bus into the evening and never have any issues safety wise - if it’s quiet I sit up front near the driver

Track her flight on flight radar so you know exactly when she's going to land, then hang around somewhere near and only go to the pick up spot when she phones you to say she's ready to be picked up. Then she can get straight in the car so you can be in and out during the 10 minute slot. Better she has to wait a few minutes rather than you paying even more to pick up.

I assume that there's no other on airport pick up point? Leeds has a one hour free drop off point that's about 5/10 mins walk from the terminal, that's what we usually use for pick up/drop offs unless someone has more luggage than they can manage.

assume that there's no other on airport pick up point? Leeds has a one hour free drop off point that's about 5/10 mins walk from the terminal, that's what we usually use for pick up/drop offs unless someone has more luggage than they can manage.

There is a long stay car park you get 30 minutes free, it is a bit of a walk mind you,

We are in east Fife and I use the ember bus for the airport. Have a look and see if there is a stop that would be of any use for you.

I've used it a few times and find it's a great service

There is free 30 min pick up at the airport, in the carpark ( not the multistorey) might be easier to time that.

EEK, I ended up picking her up from the Hilton car park. I was delayed so she walked there and let me know where to pick her up, I really hope I don't get a ticket.

That was a rocky drive, the M90 was closed at the Rosyth slip so I went to Dunfermline to join the motorway only to be diverted off at Pitreavie. There was no proper signage saying what was going on so I tried Inverkeithing and luckily got onto the bridge from there. A heads up that it looks like they are doing overnight roadworks on the M90, I've no idea how long they will be going on for.

That sounds like an absolute hoha! Least you got her ok.