The first thing to remember is that the population in Edinburgh triples during August so beds are at a premium. The second thing is that the cost also increases. Having said that, there are a variety of options for you stay whilst in Edinburgh during the Festival.
Stay with Friends
If you can blag a couch or spare room with friends it is the cheapest option and a great way to catch up. Although you might have to be flexible with dates, as strangely many people want to visit us during August! Alternatively, you can also try signing up to some of these groups to exchange spare beds: couchsurfing, stay4free or hospitality club.
Hostels
There are a large number of hostels catering to the backpacker trade in Edinburgh. Rooms are generally shared and can be very basic through to rooms with a view and luxury . Those in the City Centre are often near a lot of noise late at night, so check out the reviews before selecting your choice..
The SYHA hostel on Leith Walk is very popular with groups and is fitted out to a high standard as it gets 5 starts from VisitScotland. It fills up quickly
You can also use a number of booking sites to check availability of hostel beds in Edinburgh such as HostelBookers or HostelWorld
University Rooms
There are a number of Universities around Edinburgh who offer student rooms for let over the summer holidays. Some are city centre, some further afield but are good for basic accommodation.
The University of Edinburgh offers single and twin rooms
Napier University has 3, 4 and 5 bedroom apartments with kitchen and lounge
Queen Margaret University Offers 3,4,5 and 6 bedded apartments with kitchen and bathroom for self catering for a minimum of 7 nights
Hotels and B&B’s
Edinburgh has a wide variety of hotels, both independently run and chains such as Holiday Inn, Premier Inn and Travelodge. Best check out the site individually but VisitScotland www.visitscotland.com is a good place to start for most hotels, or try a site such as www.laterooms.com or www.tripadvisor.com Hotels are generally pricey, as during the Festival Edinburgh has some of the highest occupancy rates in the UK, so they can afford to be picky!
Self catering
There has been a growth in City Apartments for let, as well as traditional self catering homes. Expect at least £75 per night. With people coming from all over the world, and so many shows being put on, these book up fast. A lot of people in Edinburgh also let out their flats for August and the Edinburgh Fringe site usually has an accommodation noticeboard www.edfringe.com– remember these have not been vetted in any way.
The following Sites may be of use
- Booking.com: Hotel search engine
- Late Rooms: Deals on hotel rooms.
- Hotel Bookers: Deals on last minute rooms.
- Festival beds: Deals on Bed and Breakfasts
- Edinburgh Aparments: Serviced Apartments
- Hostel World: Details and deals on hostels.
Guide courtesy of Alison Metcalfe (Ed Skeptics Treasurer)
