Car Hire at Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station

Part of our guide to car hire in Edinburgh.

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station

• Book through eCarBookers first: Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.
• Where the station is: Waverley is Edinburgh's main station, at Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1BB, in the heart of the city between the Old Town and the New Town. It has services to Glasgow about every 15 minutes in around 50 minutes, as well as Fife, Stirling and the north.
• Where the desks are: Green Motion lists its branch at 26 Greenside Row, Q-Park, Edinburgh, EH1 3AJ, on the left side of the street within the car park. One listing places it on level -3 of the car park, about 5 minutes on foot from the Carlton Road exit of the station. Surprice lists its branch as Edinburgh Waverley Station, Station Road, without a published meeting point. The exact meeting point and arrangement for your hire are shown on your booking voucher, which is the definitive source, so check it before you travel and follow it on arrival. Do not assume a desk on the concourse unless your voucher says so.
• Opening hours: The Green Motion listing shows the branch open 08:00 to 18:00 every day. Surprice hours are not published on the listings checked. Choose a train that arrives comfortably inside the hours for your supplier, and confirm them in your booking confirmation.
• Arriving by tram: The city's tram line runs from York Place through St Andrew Square and Princes Street to Edinburgh Airport, a short walk from the station. Trams reach the airport in about 35 minutes.
• Getting around the station: Taxi ranks stand on Market Street and Waverley Bridge, just outside the station, and a left-luggage office is available, bookable in advance online. The Travel Centre is open 06:00 to 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 07:00 to 22:00 on Sunday.
• Parking at the station: The New Street car park (EH1 1BB) lies beside the station. This is a public car park, so ask the supplier at collection where the hire car should be brought back rather than assuming a space there.
• What to bring: The main driver should carry a valid driving licence, photo identification and a credit card in their own name with a limit high enough to cover the excess hold. Visitors from outside the UK should also carry their passport and, where required, an international driving permit.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station

• Returning the car: Return the car within your branch's opening hours shown in your booking confirmation. A key drop box for out-of-hours returns has not been confirmed for these branches, so ask at collection what arrangement applies if your train falls outside those hours.
• Nearest petrol stations: There is no petrol station in the centre of the city. BP Canonmills (23 Canonmills, EH3 5HA) to the north and Jet (128 Restalrig Road, EH7 6UW) to the east are both listed as open 24 hours a day. Refuel before you return the car, and allow time to do so before the branch closes.
• Fuel policy: Confirm the fuel type shown on your booking confirmation before you refuel, and ask at collection which fuel policy applies to your hire, so that you return the car as the supplier expects.
• Before you drive away: Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and again at return, including all four sides, the wheels, the windscreen and the interior. Dated photographs give you a clear record of the condition you received.
• Low Emission Zone: Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone covers a large area of the city centre, and full enforcement began on 1 June 2024. Petrol cars must meet Euro 4 or above and diesel cars must meet Euro 6. Cameras read number plates, and the first penalty for a non-compliant vehicle is £60, rising with repeat entries to £480 for a car. Waverley and the Greenside Row car park sit inside the zone, so check the registration on your booking confirmation at lowemissionzones.scot and ask the supplier at collection how any penalty is handled.

Top Car Hire Agencies at Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station

Car hire at Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station is available through Green Motion and Surprice Mobility.

Every booking through eCarBookers shows the excess amount and full price before you confirm, and the balance is paid on arrival at the desk. Optional extras — such as additional drivers, supplemental tyre and glass cover, child seats, or out-of-hours fees — may be available at the desk if required.

Getting from Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station to Key Destinations

• Rosslyn Chapel — about 8 miles south, in roughly 20 minutes. The chapel lies just south of the city, and it is an easy half-day trip that keeps the car out of the Low Emission Zone for most of the journey.
• North Berwick — about 26 miles east via the A1 and the A198, in roughly 45 minutes. The coastal town in East Lothian is home to the Scottish Seabird Centre, with Tantallon Castle and Dirleton Castle and Gardens along the same stretch of coast.
• Stirling — about 36 miles north-west via the M9, in roughly 45 to 50 minutes. The motorway is the fastest route, and the journey is easy to combine with a stop on the way back.
• St Andrews — about 50 miles north across the Forth, in roughly 1 hour 10 minutes. Leave on the A90 to South Queensferry, cross the Queensferry Crossing into Fife, and follow the A92. Parking in the town is limited, so check the university's parking map before you travel.

How Payment Works for Car Hire at Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station

Payment is made in two steps. A rental prepayment confirms your booking online, with Instant Confirmation from the supplier. You then pay the balance directly to the supplier on arrival, when you collect the car.

The price and vehicle class shown at booking are the terms you receive at the desk. Because the full rental amount is not charged at the time of booking, you keep flexibility if your plans change, and cancellation is free.

The supplier may place an excess hold on the main driver's credit card at collection, so check that the card in the driver's name has enough available limit. The amount is shown in your booking confirmation.