hhychin

I am researching our upcoming trip to London and Edinburgh this coming July. I have found the Flyertalk forums so helpful in the past for international trips so I'm hoping to get some good information here. We are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 teenagers) and would like more space than a hotel would allow. We would like to rent a flat for about a week in London and 4 days in Edinburgh. I have been looking at some websites (Airbnb, Onefinestay, Plum Guide) and I would love some input about renting through those if you have done so. Or if you are aware of other reputable booking agencies, I'd love to hear about them as well. In Edinburgh, I found a company called The Edinburgh Address and the property at 1 Parliament Sq. is available. The pictures look good but I wonder if anyone has input about this company or this flat. We like to be central to the tourist spots as we like to go back to rest during the day and do not want to spend too much time going back and forth. Thanks in advance.

dulciusexasperis

Nothing can beat the location or uniqueness of this property in Edinburgh. https://www.nts.org.uk/Holidays/Acco...dstones-Land/#

It is a historic building owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Downstairs is a museum. It is located on the Royal Mile and is as 'central to the tourist spots' as it is possible to get.

https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1....0.AZX7J4erL0o

hhychin

Thank you so much for this suggestion. Unfortunately we seem to be visiting at a popular time and it is already booked for our dates.

WorldLux

I wouldn't necessarily exclude hotels in London. Flats to rent in Central London aren't exactly cheap.

Giggleswick

The upside of that location is that it's Tourist Central. The downside of that location is that it's Tourist Central. Just be aware that in July the Royal Mile will be thronged with tourists, and the associated buskers and tourist shops. That would put me off, but I've lived in Edinburgh and visited numerous times, so the lure of being close to the tourist spots is less for me than it would be, understandably, for a first-time visitor.

In case you do look at other properties and aren't averse to public transport, for most places close to the center, buses tend to be frequent and efficient. A day ticket for unlimited rides is only £4.There's a journey planner, maps, and timetables here: https://lothianbuses.co.uk/.

If I may just put in a good word for an attraction in Edinburgh that I love but that you may not have thought of visiting (though it's far from a hidden secret), it's the Botanic Gardens (a/k/a/ "the Botanics"). http://www.rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/Edinburgh . Especially nice for a respite from sightseeing.

hhychin

Yes. You are right. We will not save a lot of money but since we will be there for a week, we would like the extra space and possibly use the kitchen.

hhychin

Thanks for the suggestion of the Botanical Gardens. We do enjoy them in general. If you have suggestions of neighborhoods that would be a good alternative to Tourist Central, I'd appreciate your advice. I agree about the pros and cons of staying in a tourist area but not knowing the city, it's hard to go too far afield. Will there be places to eat? How close is the public transport? etc. In Edinburgh we will have 3 full days and a part of the 4th so we would like to make efficient use of our time.

Giggleswick

I didn't mean to be as discouraging as my reply might have sounded. The Old Town may very well be the best for what you want--it's certainly historic, central, and desirable. Just don't expect a low-key Olde Worlde vibe on the Royal Mile.

I'm probably actually a bad person to give advice on where to stay. For one thing, I'm a budget traveler, so I tend to seek out affordable B&Bs in the unexciting residential neighborhoods where they cluster such as Bruntsfield (SW of the historic center; near the Meadows) and Newington or Prestonfield (SE of the historic center). Also, I'm hopelessly nostalgic for the Edinburgh of my younger days, when there were things like breweries, local shops, and newspaper offices where the big hotels now stand, and when large-scale tourist onslaughts were pretty much restricted to August. So, sorry, I'm not really au courant with the modern accommodations scene!

I guess I also meant to point out that, if you decide not to go for the Old Town, you won't necessarily be remote, transport-wise. If you look at the network map and city centre map on the Lothian Buses site I gave, you'll see that pretty much all roads lead to Princes Street. For example, you could consider the New Town, the West End (technically part of the New Town, but not usually denominated as such), Broughton & Calton.and still be close to the action. Even the neighborhoods where I stay, or others like Stockbridge (a personal favorite; ex-bohemia, now yuppified) or Inverleith (near the Botanics), are well-served by buses--though not really convenient if you want to be going back and forth during the day.
By the way, since you do like gardens, there are a couple of pleasant little, tiny ones tucked off of the Mile: in Dunbar Close and in Chessels Court.

(Can you tell that I'm currently caught up in my own plans to visit Edinburgh soon?)

dulciusexasperis

I agree with Giggleswick that there are plenty of areas a short distance from the main 'tourist centre' that can be considered. One area that my wife and I sometimes stay in is around the Haymarket Station. Many visitors to Edinburgh do not even realize there is a second train station that is still within reasonable walking distance or very short bus ride from Princes Street, the Royal Mile, etc. It has also recently had a major update done. Map here: https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Hay...211!4d-3.21859

It is easy to get to from Edinburgh Airport and if you are taking the train from London, it will be the first stop in Edinburgh, before Waverley Station.

In that area I do not have any specific apartment type accommodation to suggest. I have a couple that might interest you Giggleswick though. We like the Brooks Hotel which refers to itself as a 'boutique B &B'. Far more interesting than the usual cookie cutter chain hotels while also being a bit nicer than some B&Bs. Brooks Hotel Edinburgh - Edinburgh Hotels - Bed & Breakfast Edinburgh : Brooks Hotel

Another that interests me and we may try next time is the B + B Edinburgh. That is the actual name, B plus B, not B & B. They also refer to themselves as a 'boutique B&B'. http://www.bb-edinburgh.com/index.php
You don't find many B&B's with an entrance lobby like this one:


More photos here: https://www.google.ca/search?q=B+%2B+B+edinburgh+photographs&rlz=1C1CHZL _enCA704CA704&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved= 0ahUKEwjQ7snWoavaAhVq5YMKHbn8D8EQsAQIKA&biw=1366&b ih=662#imgrc=Y2R3TxB3LUsoFM:

Both of those are quite reasonbly priced by Edinburgh standards but of course they may or may not meet your definition of 'budget' Giggleswick.

Both have family rooms for 4 people hhychin, but not with kitchen facilities. There are plenty of places to eat nearby however from fast food to upmarket restaurants. My wife will not stay in a place with a kitchen because she does not go on vacation to cook as has told me more than once. Maybe your wife would appreciate not having to do so after your time in London?

Giggleswick

I'm all sorted for my next stay, thanks. Staying in a top-secret location that I can't reveal. Actually, staying in Leith for a change of pace.
But for others who may be reading, thought I'd clarify that--unless something has changed recently--Haymarket is not normally the first Edinburgh stop if taking the direct train from London. It is so only on the less frequent and slower western direct route from Euston, on Virgin Trains. The more frequent and faster direct trains from Kings Cross, on Virgin Trains East Coast, (the route that goes through York and Durham) normally don't stop at Haymarket at all, though some do stop there after stopping at Waverley.

hhychin

Ha Ha. I am the wife so I appreciate your looking out for me. We don't plan on cooking full meals necessarily but it is nice to have milk on hand and snacks or lighter fare once in a while. And you are right, a kitchen is less necessary for us than our stay in London as we are staying a shorter period in Edinburgh. Would you say the Haymarket area would be better in terms of restaurants? We don't like to eat at super touristy spots. I know it's unavoidable to eat with tourists when you are a tourist yourself but I like to better my odds.

dulciusexasperis

Yes you're right of course Giggleswick re the stops from London. It is easy on the new tram from Edinburgh airport though. We planned to use the tram on our next visit (June this year) we've always rented a car on other visits but this time it will just be an overnight stop. However, I am now of two minds regarding the tram vs. a taxi and perhaps you can help me decide.

The whole issue revolves around the cost of a taxi from the Airport to a hotel in the Haymarket area. One website suggested the taxi would cost around 16 GBP one way from the airport. So presumably 32 GBP return. If I compare that then to taking the tram at 17 GBP (2 adult tickets) return, the tram is cheaper, but saving 15 GBP is not really a budget buster for us. The tram will also only get us to Haymarket station and using either of the hotels I mentioned above, it is then only a relatively short walk to either. Providing it is not raining and we then have to take a taxi the short distance to the hotel anyway.

What I am questioning in my own mind is the reliablity of the 16 GBP airport to Haymarket taxi fare. Not being familiar with taxi fares from previous visits, I don't know if that sounds correct or not. It appears to be about a 20-30 minute taxi ride. Got any feel for whether the fare sounds correct or not?

I won't ask about your top secret location. I've had a few of those myself in the past. I remember one just around the corner from the bus station in St. Andrews Sq. where the landlady was particularly welcoming to me. But we won't go into my bachelor days.

Hhychin, I'm glad you appreciated my comment about cooking. Edinburgh really has no shortage of all kinds of restaurants really in any area relatively close to the city centre. You can easily find all kinds in the Haymarket area using Google.
https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1....0.26ILBLx6uHQ

It should not be difficult at all to find some with fewer tourists than in the absolute tourist centre of the city.

But I would not discount some of the more 'touristy' offerings either. When doing your sightseeing, you may want to visit the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers St. and it gets incredible reviews for its 3 places to dine. Take a look at the 'tourists' who consider the Tower Restaurant a must, "Catherine Zeta Jones, J K Rowling, Sean Connery, Joanna Lumley, the Countess of Wessex, Kate Winslet and Helena Bonham-Carter are among those for whom the Tower has become a must."
https://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museu...at-the-museum/
The Brasserie could be a good choice for lunch with 2 teenagers. They have some very interesting items on the menu that none of you will have ever heard of before. Cullen skink?

Reviewed here: https://www.timeout.com/edinburgh/bl...-friendly-eats

Personally, just reading it, I would really like to try the haggis and potato rosti. I'm a big haggis fan. I also love the somewhat related Black pudding also called Blood pudding as part of a 'full Scottish' breakfast. I can just hear your teenagers now. 'A sheep's stomach, a lamb's heart and lungs, no way.' 'How is that a pudding and it has real blood in it? Are you kidding.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/haggis_66072

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pudding

Giggleswick

It's been a while since I took a taxi between EDI and the city--something I do only if I've got a travelling companion to split the cost or need to catch an early flight--so I don't recall the cost, but £16 sounds low to me. I'd guess at more like £25. The taxi companies that serve the airport must have online calculators, so you could try those.

I normally take the Airlink 100 express bus, which has a stop at Haymarket. I checked the other day, and the current fare between airport and city is £7.50 return. It's probably not a comfy as the tram, which I've never taken. But I'm fine with it and it's actually slightly faster than the tram, barring traffic delays. Thank goodness for Edinburgh's bus lanes. This time I may take the tram, though, as I'll be travelling near rush hour and it's a bit more convenient for my Leith destination.

dulciusexasperis

Thanks for the input Giggleswick. I think I'll just forget cost and consider which will be more convenient and comfortable.

TribalistMeathead

My wife's older sister and her family live outside Oxford, and we've stayed at 2 different AirBnB properties in their town (both owned by the same landlady). I can't recommend the experience highly enough. They're cheaper than a hotel or B&B, there's plenty of room to stretch out, and having a kitchen is great and a massive money-saver as well (though, to date, we've only used the kitchen to fix breakfast and heat up ready-made meals for dinner).