Frequently Asked Questions

You will shortly be able to use a contactless card or device to pay for your adult single tram ticket. Simply tap your card to the platform validator before you get on the tram, and tap it again when you get off on the platform validator to complete the journey

If using a device, you will need to ensure you trigger the payment mechanism for that device when you 'Tap On' and 'Tap Off' to ensure Apple Pay or Google Pay registers the transaction.

We are currently in the final stages of testing, and are anticipating a launch in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for details!

When the system is live, you’ll be charged an Adult single fare for each journey you make, and the system will calculate your fare based on the number of journeys. If you make 3 or more journeys in the city zone on one day, the cost is capped at the City DAY Cap price, £5. If you’re travelling to the Airport, your travel will be capped at the Network DAY rate. If you use TOTO over a 7 day period (Mon-Sun), the fare will be capped at the Weekly rate of £24.50 – so you’ll always pay the best fare for your use.

This system works alongside Lothian Buses’ existing TapTapCap system, and tram travel is now included in the same capped fare – so you can use the tram and bus as much as you like within a daily or weekly period and be charged the daily or weekly cap.

If you used a physical card, you will be able to access your payment history via a portal, like you currently can for Lothian Buses TapTapCap service. Please note this is not currently available for contactless-enabled devices – you’ll need to check your bank statement for details.

Our Ticketing Service Assistants will still be working on the trams, and they will tap your card again on their handheld devices to do an inspection tap. If you have not tapped on, you will not be considered to have a valid ticket, and will automatically be charged the onboard penalty fare of £10. This does not count towards your daily or weekly cap.

If you have Tapped On and don’t Tap Off when you leave the tram, you’ll be charged a Single Airport fare (£7.90) – so please remember to Tap Off! We know mistakes can happen, please contact our Customer Service team with any queries. Penalty fares, including the fare for a card not being tapped off, will not be included in daily or weekly capping.

No, you do not need to tap off. You can continue to use your pass as normal.

The system is designed for solo adult tickets. For the best family rates, you can still buy tickets at the Ticket Vending Machines on platforms, on the et app or Bus & Tram app, or via Edinburgh Ticket. All currently accepted concession passes will still be accepted. 

We will accept Visa and Mastercard (including Maestro) cards that display the contactless symbol, or that have been added to Apple Pay or Google Pay.

American Express contactless payment cards are not accepted on the Platform Validators, but can still be used on the Ticket Vending Machines on the platform to pre-purchase tickets. 

If you find that your card doesn’t work, please contact your bank or card issuer.  Please be aware that cards issued outside of the UK may incur overseas transaction fees applied by your bank or card issuer.

No – capping can only be applied to the exact card or device used, so please continue to only use that contactless card or device for the rest of that day, or week if you want to benefit from weekly capping. If you swap between different cards and devices, your payments will not be capped, even if you’re swapping between digital and physical versions of the same card.

For example, if you use both a contactless card and a phone to pay for travel in the same day, your payments will not be capped (even if they’re funded by the same bank account).

If you use a different card or device to tap off, the system will register this as 2 x incomplete journeys and each card or device will be charged a penalty Airport Fare of £7.90.

Contact our customer service team here.

Our service runs every 7 minutes between 7am and 7pm, out with these times trams run from every 10 minutes. During peak hours Monday to Friday we run additional peak services.

You can find the times for first and last trams below.

To get information about tram and bus connections, and to find out the best route for you, try the Journey Planner on our website or get in touch with our friendly Customer Relations team.

The City Zone includes every stop apart from the one at Edinburgh Airport. To travel to the airport from anywhere on the line, you must have a ticket valid in the Airport Zone.

City Day, City Late and Family City Day tickets can be used on Edinburgh Trams, between Newhaven and Ingliston Park & Ride only, as well as Lothian Buses day services. A Network Day ticket is valid for travel to or from Edinburgh Airport.

We have a pre-purchase policy, so all tickets and smartcards have to be purchased, validated or activated before you board the tram. We offer various ways to travel to suit all needs.

• ticket machines on the platforms: pay by coins or card

• mobile app: pre-purchase your tickets and activate before you board

• website: pre-purchase your tickets and display your ticket on your phone

We also offer two types of passes both available through our TravelHubs 

• citysmart card

• Ridacard

If you do not purchase, validate or activate before you board the tram, you will have to pay the £10 On-board fare to the Ticketing Services Assistant.

If you need to jump on-and-off you might want to consider a City Day ticket or one of our multi-day tram tickets.

Journeys using single and return tickets cannot be broken. Once you step off the tram, your journey is considered completed and you will need to buy another ticket to continue.

If you have a Scottish National Entitlement Card (also known as a Saltire card) issued by the City of Edinburgh Council, you are entitled to free travel on the tram. The same applies to cards from any local authority indicating visual impairment. However cards issued by other local authorities are not valid on the tram.

Child tickets are available for customers aged 5-15 inclusive. Up to two infants travel free of charge per fare paying customer.

Some students are entitled to a discounted Ridacard (see here for conditions) but otherwise there are no students rates available.

Keep an eye out for the validators on our platform, the grey and white machines with a pink square. All that you have to do is hold your card up against that square until a green tick appears on the screen above.

There is an automatic discount of 10% on orders of 10 or more tickets on the Edinburgh Ticket website. For school groups, please contact our Customer Relations team,

You can use any ticket machine, on any side of a platform, to get a ticket to your destination. However, if none of the ticket machines are working or you have any issues when purchasing your ticket, please get in touch through the green help point on the platform (it is staffed 24/7) and we will find a solution for you.

We will very shortly be launching this service - stay tuned!

Yes, we have six spacious luggage racks on each tram, including racks for large/bulky suitcases. Please do not block aisles, exits or priority seating areas and do not place luggage on seats.

Yes, dogs can travel free of charge. Please make sure however that your dog is kept on a lead at all times and is kept off the seats.

Yes, we have two dedicated spaces for wheelchairs and mobility scooters on every tram, located in the middle carriage of the tram.

Due to space limitations, we can only accommodate up to Class II mobility scooters. There is a permit scheme for mobility scooter users. You can read more on our Tram Accessibility page.

Yes, up to two bicycles may be carried on trams free of charge at the discretion of the Ticketing Services Assistant. Restrictions may apply on all peak services (Monday to Friday 07:30-09:30 & 16:00-18:30) and throughout the Edinburgh International Festival in August or any pre-publicised event. Please board at the centre doors indicated with the bike symbol and follow the instructions from the Ticketing Services Assistant.

Contact our Customer Relations straight away. We will do our best to locate your item and return it to you within the same day. After one week, all lost property is sent to the Lost Property Office. You can contact them directly to arrange pick up.

Yes. We recommend that customers use a smaller, easily foldable buggy where possible. Passengers who board with an unfolded buggy should position it in the buggy space whenever that space is available. If the wheelchair space is needed by a wheelchair user, customers with unfolded buggies are asked to make it available.