We’ll be visiting in July 2020 and have already found a great Airbnb. According to maps it’s about a 20 minute walk or a 16 bus ride to get to the castle. Any pointers on traveling to olde city when coming from Abbeyhill (on Spring Gardens just south of A1 and just northwest of Holyrood Park)
Thanks
Wayne
Just that if you buy a day pass for the bus instead of individual fare per ride, you'll get your money's worth with just a couple of trips.
Keep in mind , that the mile from the bottom at Holyrood to the top at the Castle , is uphill the whole way . It's not terrible if you're in reasonably good shape , but keep that factor in mind .
I always get the day bus pass when I go to Edinburgh. It's a good deal and not hard to use. Ask your AirBnb host if they have any recommendations. I'm actually curious to hear if you get any info from them. This is exactly the advice and info you get from a traditional B&B or hotel. Do Airbnb 's typically provide that help?
Pam
Thanks to all of you for the great replies and ideas. I will contact the AirBnb host and ask about that, among other things, and post their response here when I get it.
best,
Wayne
"Do Airbnb 's typically provide that help?"
It varies. The whole point of Airbnb is that each one is different, that it's not "cookie-cutter" like a hotel chain. It always amuses me when people generalize about Airbnb as if it were Marriott or Red Roof Inn, where one knows what to expect.
Some Airbnb hosts are "absentee landlords," renting out multiple properties and not on site. Others are as present as any traditional British B & B host (they may live next door or downstairs). This is where reading reviews is so important - you want to make sure that the host's aloofness or intrusiveness matches what you're looking for.
Hi Harold, I guess I was thinking more along the lines of the traditional B&B host as a comparison than the Marriott Concierge. :) Most B&B's that I have stayed at in Scotland and the UK are generally really, really helpful. My view of Airbnb is no doubt colored by living in NYC where it is theoretically illegal in most places, but they exist nonetheless. And they often don't really have a host. I was curious to know what the expectations would be.
"I was curious to know what the expectations would be."
That's my point - you have to check each property individually. Airbnb is not a uniform product, and I find it amusing that they have succeeded in convincing people otherwise, when initially that was supposed to be part of the appeal.
If you want a very available host, you can certainly find one in many places. A friend and I had a great one in Siracusa in Sicily. He lived and worked next door, and was very interested in making our visit as good as possible.
But due diligence is required - you can't make ANY assumptions when it comes to apartment rentals, and that includes Airbnb, VRBO, etc.
So, basically, no expectations. The brand has no attributes beyond online availability. That feeds into the discussions around the need for regulation. That's how you know when you go to a three thistle B&B in Scotland you know what you are getting into. With Airbnb, you rely on reviews that can work but may not. And you have little recourse. I will have hard time overcoming my NYC bias on this.
