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Picking up your car from the airport

Hiring a car in Edinburgh could hardly be easier. Edinburgh Airport’s car rental centre has direct access to the terminal – from the check-in hall, a covered walkway takes you straight to it – so getting behind the wheel is a breeze.

The centre has been designed to make car rental seamless and hassle-free, whether you’re picking up at the beginning of your trip, or dropping off at the end.

Alamo, Budget, Europcar, Avis, Sixt, Thrifty, National, Enterprise and Hertz all have offices in the car hire centre, offering a wide range of choice. However, if you’re on the lookout for cheap car hire from Edinburgh Airport, try booking in advance. That way, you can scout around for hidden extras and snap up the cheapest car rental deal.

Once you’ve got your wheels, it’s a short 30-minute drive into the city, via the Glasgow Rd/A8.

Swerving the one-way systems

If you’re keen to take a breather before collecting your hire car in Edinburgh, take a transfer from the airport and arrange to pick up your rental car at a later time. Edinburgh’s centre is small, parking is a palaver and the one-way systems can be confusing, so it’s far better to explore on foot.

Edinburgh’s most iconic attraction is its brooding castle, which sits atop a hill in the centre of the city. You’ll find it at the end of the Royal Mile, the city’s main thoroughfare which highlights some of Edinburgh’s finest architecture. For epic views of Scotland’s pretty capital, head to Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park and Calton Hill.

Once you’ve tired of traipsing around the city, you can grab your car keys and head for the Highlands at a faster pace. Further afield, coastal Portobello and Leith are only a short drive away, while Edinburgh Zoo and Craigmillar Castle are also easily reached by car.

Hitting the scenic highways

There are 12 designated National Tourist Routes scattered across Scotland, all offering scenic alternatives to motorways and main roads. These routes will bring you the best of Scotland and come in very handy when mapping out road trips, especially if you’re planning a longer adventure.

Bear in mind that you’ll pay extra for picking up your Edinburgh hire car in one place and dropping it off in another.