Edinburgh Flights: Bargains and When to Book in 2026
Best time to book flights from Edinburgh Airport? Typical fares, the bargains we found and what booking early or late did, one airline at a time, in 2026.
Written By Rick Blyth
Happiest at 36,000ft as the sun rises above the clouds
4 min read
•
Published on 12th November 2026
“In our trip search, Edinburgh Airport had more great-value city break destinations* than any other Scottish airport.”
*Great value: return flights under £150 per person. Europe Unlocked trip search, 12th November 2026. Against the other UK airports our trip search covers, all searched the same day.
85city break destinations*
31countries
32of them under £50 return
78of them in Europe
Here's what we found from Edinburgh Airport, in pictures: the bargains, when to book each airline, what return trips cost day by day, what flights to Europe cost, the cheapest months and how long the flights are. It's the Edinburgh part of our 2026 study of the best time to book flights to Europe.
The Short Answers for Edinburgh Airport ✈️
📅Book easyJet 8 to 14 weeks aheadThat's when its fares from Edinburgh were near their lowest. In the final days they rose 51%.
📅Book Ryanair (leaving out Dublin) 4 to 8 weeks aheadThat's when its fares from Edinburgh were near their lowest. In the final days they rose 88%.
🗓️Jet2 cost more months aheadJet2 fares from Edinburgh were lowest in the final days, and 6 months out they were typically 82% above that.
💷Ryanair (leaving out Dublin): typically £62One way, when its fares were lowest. 13% were under £30.
From the flights we tracked from Edinburgh, March to November 2026. One-way fares per person, each flight against its own fare at its airline’s lowest point. “Near their lowest” means within 3 percentage points of it.
Good News from Edinburgh Airport 🎉
What we found when we searched for city breaks from Edinburgh Airport: return trips, flights only.
Two cities, one tripMarrakech and Madrid3 nights in December, from £46 returnMore multi-city tripsMarrakech and Santander2 nights in December£47Marrakech and Alicante4 nights in December£48Gran Canaria and Marrakech3 nights in December£48Marrakech and Lanzarote4 nights in December£48
City break in IrelandKnock3 nights in December, from £30 return
City break in the UKBelfast6 nights in December, from £30 return
Return trips, flights only, per person, from our trip search on 12th November 2026. Fares move, and you book each flight directly with the airline. Compared with the other UK airports our trip search covers, searched the same day: we only say "more" when an airport is well ahead, and "cheapest" when it's at least £5 lower.
When's the Best Time to Book Flights from Edinburgh Airport? 💡
easyJet: 8 to 14 weeks ahead. Ryanair (leaving out Dublin): 4 to 8 weeks ahead. Jet2 fares were higher months ahead.
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Airlines flying many routes from Edinburgh AirportHow much more fares were than at each airline's lowest point, from 6 months out to the day.
easyJet+51%
Jet2lowest
Ryanair, other routes+88%
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Airlines flying many routes from Edinburgh AirportHow much more fares were than at each airline's lowest point, from 6 months out to the day.
easyJet+51%
Jet2lowest
Ryanair, other routes+88%
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
Each airline from Edinburgh Airport followed its own pattern. Each figure is how much more fares typically were than at that airline's lowest point, flight by flight.
Ryanair (leaving out Dublin): Fares were near their lowest 4 to 8 weeks out. In the final days they were typically 88% above that. Six months ahead, typically 6% above that, though not a clear difference.
easyJet: Fares were near their lowest 8 to 14 weeks out. In the final days they were typically 51% above that. Six months ahead, typically 12% above that, though not a clear difference.
Jet2: Fares were lowest in the final days. Six months ahead, typically 82% above the final days.
A fall here is what these flights did, not a reason to wait: it varied from flight to flight.
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Airlines flying one route from Edinburgh AirportEach line is one airline on one route, against its own lowest point, so the figures are that route's.
Aer Lingus to Dublin+85%
Air France to Paris+40%
KLM to Amsterdam+668%
Lufthansa to Frankfurt+56%
Each line is 0% where its airline's fares were typically lowest, ringed. Each point is the typical (median) difference between each flight's fare then and its own fare at that low, among the flights we tracked with a fare at both: 100 or more each, and not the same flights at every point. One-way fares for one person, without bags.
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Airlines flying one route from Edinburgh AirportEach line is one airline on one route, against its own lowest point, so the figures are that route's.
Aer Lingus to Dublin+85%
Air France to Paris+40%
KLM to Amsterdam+668%
Lufthansa to Frankfurt+56%
Each line is 0% where its airline's fares were typically lowest, ringed. Each point is the typical (median) difference between each flight's fare then and its own fare at that low, among the flights we tracked with a fare at both: 100 or more each, and not the same flights at every point. One-way fares for one person, without bags.
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
Each line here is one airline on one route from Edinburgh Airport, so its figures are that route's. Each figure is how much more fares typically were than at that airline's lowest point, flight by flight.
KLM to Amsterdam: Fares were near their lowest 8 to 26 weeks out. In the final days they were typically 668% above that, more than seven times each flight's own fare at the low. Six months ahead, typically 0% above that, though not a clear difference.
Aer Lingus to Dublin: Fares were near their lowest 3 to 8 weeks out. In the final days they were typically 85% above that. Six months ahead, typically 55% above that.
Lufthansa to Frankfurt: Fares were near their lowest 8 to 26 weeks out. In the final days they were typically 56% above that.
Air France to Paris: Fares were near their lowest 5 to 12 weeks out. In the final days they were typically 40% above that. Six months ahead, typically 46% above that.
What Return Trips from Edinburgh Airport Cost, Day by Day 📈
We priced 11,315 return trips from Edinburgh Airport every day for the 12 weeks before they left: a flight out and the same airline’s flight home 2 to 7 days later.
In each chart, the thick line is the typical (median) trip each day and the shaded band is where the middle half of trips sat. The thin line is one real trip that stayed close to the typical one.
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Ryanair: return trips from Edinburgh Airport, priced every day for 12 weeksThe typical (median) price each day across 10,212 return trips, the middle half of them shaded, and one real trip.
£7112 weeks out£61lowest, about 6 weeks out£154final days
A real trip: Faro and back, 3 nights, out 27th April 2026
Return trips per person, flights only, without bags, on the flights we tracked from Edinburgh, flights out March to November 2026.
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Ryanair: return trips from Edinburgh Airport, priced every day for 12 weeksThe typical (median) price each day across 10,212 return trips, the middle half of them shaded, and one real trip.
£7112 weeks out£61lowest, about 6 weeks out£154final days
A real trip: Faro and back, 3 nights, out 27th April 2026
Return trips per person, flights only, without bags, on the flights we tracked from Edinburgh, flights out March to November 2026.
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
The typical Ryanair trip was £71 at 12 weeks out, lowest about 6 weeks out (£61), then £154 in the final days.
89% of its 10,212 trips cost more at the end than at 12 weeks out. The thin line is Faro and back, 3 nights, out 27th April 2026.
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
easyJet: return trips from Edinburgh Airport, priced every day for 12 weeksThe typical (median) price each day across 1,103 return trips, the middle half of them shaded, and one real trip.
£13312 weeks out£128lowest, about 10 weeks out£226final days
A real trip: Amsterdam and back, 3 nights, out 10th September 2026
Return trips per person, flights only, without bags, on the flights we tracked from Edinburgh, flights out March to November 2026.
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
easyJet: return trips from Edinburgh Airport, priced every day for 12 weeksThe typical (median) price each day across 1,103 return trips, the middle half of them shaded, and one real trip.
£13312 weeks out£128lowest, about 10 weeks out£226final days
A real trip: Amsterdam and back, 3 nights, out 10th September 2026
Return trips per person, flights only, without bags, on the flights we tracked from Edinburgh, flights out March to November 2026.
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
The typical easyJet trip was £133 at 12 weeks out, lowest about 10 weeks out (£128), then £226 in the final days.
90% of its 1,103 trips cost more at the end than at 12 weeks out. The thin line is Amsterdam and back, 3 nights, out 10th September 2026.
The same trips are counted every day: on a day one wasn’t priced, we use its price as last seen. A ring marks the typical line’s lowest day. A real trip is the one whose daily price stayed closest to the typical line, always under £300 and not to Dublin unless that's the airline's only route, and it's shown only where it stayed within 15% of the typical price.
How Much Are Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Europe? 💷
Return flights from Edinburgh to Europe started at £30, and 29 of the 78 destinations in Europe we found (return trips under £150) were under £50 return.
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Return flights from Edinburgh to EuropeHow many of the 78 destinations in Europe (Ireland included) come in under each price, return. Each bar includes the cheaper ones.
Under £304 destinations
Under £5029 destinations
Under £10059 destinations
All of them78 destinations
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Return flights from Edinburgh to EuropeHow many of the 78 destinations in Europe (Ireland included) come in under each price, return. Each bar includes the cheaper ones.
Under £304 destinations
Under £5029 destinations
Under £10059 destinations
All of them78 destinations
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
The 10 cheapest countries to fly to from Edinburgh
The lowest return price we found to each country, flights only, per person, from our trip search on 12th November 2026, for trips from November to April. Fares move, and you book each flight directly with the airline.
Which Month Is Cheapest to Fly from Edinburgh Airport? 📅
In the next 6 months, December is the cheapest month to fly from Edinburgh Airport in our trip search: across destinations, the typical cheapest return city break is £54, against £103 in April.
A typical city break from Edinburgh Airport, month by month, for the next 6 months
Nov 2026£67
Dec 2026✅Cheapest£54
Jan 2027£59
Feb 2027£64
Mar 2027£79
Apr 2027£103
The typical return price of a city break leaving in each month: for every destination, its cheapest return trip that month, flights only, per person, then the middle of those, so half the destinations cost less and half cost more (44 to 71 destinations a month). From our trip search on 12th November 2026, which looks about six months ahead; November counts trips leaving from the 13th.
How Long Are Flights from Edinburgh Airport? ⏱️
In our trip search (return trips under £150), 18 destinations from Edinburgh Airport are 2 hours or less by direct flight. The cheapest of them: Belfast, from £30 return.
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Destinations by flight time from Edinburgh AirportHow many of the 85 destinations we found are in each band of direct-flight time.
Up to 2 hours18 destinations
2 to 3 hours40 destinations
3 to 4 hours17 destinations
Over 4 hours10 destinations
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
2026 fare studyEuropeUnlocked
Destinations by flight time from Edinburgh AirportHow many of the 85 destinations we found are in each band of direct-flight time.
Up to 2 hours18 destinations
2 to 3 hours40 destinations
3 to 4 hours17 destinations
Over 4 hours10 destinations
✈ EuropeUnlocked.co.uk
See every destination:
The cheapest destination in each flight-time band, from Edinburgh Airport
Scheduled direct-flight times, one way. Prices: the lowest return price we found to each destination, flights only, per person, from our trip search on 12th November 2026.
📬 Free · Every Sunday
The Best Trips from Edinburgh AirportEvery Sunday, Fresh in Your Inbox
Each email has the best-value trips from Edinburgh for the following two weeks, found and priced for you.
📥 What lands in your inbox on Sunday
📥 InboxExample
✉Rick from Europe UnlockedSundayYour best trips from Edinburgh for the following two weeksCheapest trips from Edinburgh for the following two weeks.
✉Rick from Europe Unlocked · Last week's best trips from EdinburghLast week
To: you
Edinburgh Airport Figures for Journalists 📋
“Edinburgh Airport has more great-value city break destinations than any other Scottish airport.”
Great value: return flights under £150 per person. Europe Unlocked trip search, 12th November 2026, against the other UK airports it covers, all searched the same day.
Trips you can quote
Marrakech, Morocco: 2 nights in December for £30 return.
Gran Canaria: 1 night in December for £30 return.
Brussels: 6 nights in December for £35 return.
Flights only, per person, from our trip search, 12th November 2026. Fares move, and you book each flight directly with the airline.
Fare figures you can quote
Ryanair fares from Edinburgh Airport more than doubled in the final days.Europe Unlocked 2026 fare study: 1,455 Ryanair flights, March to November 2026, each against its own fare at the airline's lowest point.
A typical Ryanair return from Edinburgh Airport: £61 at its lowest, £154 in the final days.Europe Unlocked 2026 fare study: 10,212 Ryanair return trips, each priced every day for 12 weeks, flights out March to November 2026.
89% of Ryanair return trips from Edinburgh Airport cost more in the final days than 12 weeks before.Europe Unlocked 2026 fare study: 10,212 Ryanair return trips, flights out March to November 2026.
KLM fares to Amsterdam from Edinburgh Airport more than quadrupled in the final days.Europe Unlocked 2026 fare study: 338 KLM flights, March to November 2026, each against its own fare at the airline's lowest point.
Please credit Europe Unlocked with a link to this page. Figures describe the flights we tracked, not every flight.
About the Edinburgh Airport Research 🔍
What we tracked: 5,862 flights from Edinburgh Airport, departing 1 March to 7 November 2026, and 3,994,056 price checks on them: one-way base fares for one adult, without bags, on a sample of the flights we track.
How we compared: each flight against its own fare at its airline's lowest point, the stretch of weeks when that airline's fares were typically lowest (easyJet 10 to 12 weeks, Jet2 in the final days and Ryanair, other routes 4 to 5 weeks). Typically means the middle (median) of those changes, so each line on the charts starts from its airline's low. Each airline's window is where its fares stayed within 3 percentage points of that low.
Return trips: a flight out and the same airline's flight home 2 to 7 days later, their two fares added up for each of the 12 weeks before the flight out, from the flights we tracked; on a day one wasn't priced, its price as last seen. The typical line is the middle (median) of all of an airline's trips each day, the same trips every day, for airlines with 100 or more. The real trip is the one whose price stayed closest to it.
Our trip search: the good news, the destinations, the months and the flight times come from our trip search, which finds return trips whose flights totalled less than £150 per person, so every count of destinations is a count of those.
Airlines and airports: our fare tracking looks at one airline at a time and never compares airports. The good news and the comparison with other airports come from our trip search instead.
Questions People Ask About Flights from Edinburgh Airport 💬
When Is the Best Time to Book Flights from Edinburgh Airport?
It depends on the airline. In our 2026 fare tracking, easyJet fares from Edinburgh were near their lowest 8 to 14 weeks out, and for Ryanair's other routes, 4 to 8 weeks out. That's where each flight's fare typically stayed within 3 percentage points of its own fare at its airline's lowest point.
How Much Are Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Europe?
It depends on where and when you go. The prices from our trip search, with the day we searched, are near the top of this page: return trips whose flights totalled less than £150 per person.
Do Flights from Edinburgh Airport Get More Expensive Closer to the Date?
It depends on the airline. In our 2026 fare tracking, Ryanair fares (leaving out Dublin) from Edinburgh in the final days were typically 88% higher than each flight's own fare at its lowest point, though individual flights varied. The charts above show each airline.
Can I Use These Figures?
Yes, with a credit to Europe Unlocked and a link to this page. Journalists can also get the press pack.
City break in EuropeGran Canaria1 night in December, from £30 returnMore cheap city breaksFuerteventura7 nights in December£34Madrid5 nights in December£35Brussels6 nights in December£35Faro2 nights in December£37
City break in IrelandKnock3 nights in December, from £30 return
City break in the UKBelfast6 nights in December, from £30 return
