alanR

About 2 minutes walk from the hotel - and that's if the lights are against you.

dm827430

wow, blast from the past. do they still have the {prize} china dogs and vases in the window?
all this talk about gambling and hookers is starting to make EDI sound like the scottish Vegas

ceescai

This site has provided such valuable information in helping plan my most recent trip that I hope that this will help someone else out...

I travelled to Edinburgh for a couple of days recently and it wasn't till I had already left that I realised that I completely forgot to use a voucher I purchased on Groupon.co.uk. (I was 4 weeks into a trip that had already taken me to 4 countries in 2 continents, so this Groupon I lost track of!)

It's a loss for me, but I'm willing to email the voucher for free to someone who could use this before it expires on 31 July 2011. It'd be nice to know that the voucher doesn't go to waste!

Details:
Edinburgh Bus Tours
Two adult Grand Bus Tour Tickets (ie. the 1 voucher is good for 2 adults)
- access to all four main tours
- tickets last 24 hours
- hop on and off at any stop
- Groupon must be exchanged at Waverley Bridge Travelshop
- admission to attractions not included

Please PM me if you're interested, hopefully there'll be a taker!

ceescai

Voucher's been claimed, thanks!

newflya

TBH, Edinburgh's hotel prices during the summer took me a bit by surprise (not just during the Edinburgh festival but also in part of July).

Can somebody suggest accomodation that's more on the budget-friendly side? It's for a weekend/city sightseeing trip.

I usually would go for Hilton or Marriott but prices are well over GBP 200 during our dates. I noticed some posters on the UK forum recommend Premier Inns as budget options. I'm not from the UK and generally unfamiliar with them. So IDK which one of the gazillons of Premier Inn's to pick as a tourist in Edinburgh...

Also, during our dates, both of the Motel One hotels as well as the Dakota Edinburgh are quite cheap.

Scots_Al

bradleykhofmann

I stayed at the HUB by Premier Inn on Rose Street. Just a 1/2 block off Princes Street Gardens. It is a concept where the rooms are very tiny. However there was ample space for luggage under bed (which is very comfy) and shower was very nice. It's perfect for sleeping and getting out on the town. Also has a bar downstairs and also encourages you to have food delivered and enjoy down there if you like. Random Saturday in July shows 83 GBP.

Raffles

Why not just stay at the Moxy or Hampton at the airport, which are both within a few minutes walk of the airport tram stop which will get you into town in 30 minutes? You lose a bit of your day but could save a large sum.

Scots_Al

lwildernorva

I think Premier Inns are a good option. The beds are generally comfortable although the rooms are small. Premiers on the fringes of the larger cities tend to be relatively new construction while intown, you're looking more at renovated older buildings.

There are other options although your preference for Hiltons/Marriotts might rule these out. I've stayed at Pollock Halls at the University of Edinburgh. Yes, these are dorm rooms, but they are clean, they are safe, they have double ensuite rooms, and a Scottish breakfast is included in the package. In addition, they are in relatively close proximity to the east end of the Royal Mile (about a mile from Holyrood Palace). Plenty of visitors use these rooms during the summer months, and if your room is just to dump your stuff and sleep/shower, I think it's a good option. I looked at the weekend of 7/18-21 and you could get a double ensuite for $400 for the weekend. In comparison, the Premier Inn City Centre on Princes Street is closer to $600 for the same dates although you could reduce that to around $450 if you pay in advance for a nonrefundable room.

A little further out along Newington Road/Minto Street (they run together) in the EH9 postcode, there are a number of less expensive B&Bs/guest houses/small hotels. The city bus service will take you to the Royal Mile in a few minutes or you can walk in/out--there are lots of restaurants/pubs that line this section as the road, the A7, morphs into Clerk Street and Nicholson Street before intersecting with the Royal Mile.

Gagravarr

From the Moxy, it's not very much further to walk to the P&R to get the tram, which is then the cheap price.

DYKWIA

I stayed at the Motel One Royal last year. Basic, but comfortable, with a nice bar area. Very close to Waverley station and about 10 minutes walk to the Royal Mile.