Edinburgh Parking and Driving Horror

we could purchase a gps. So everyone is saying to keep the car and park on the street rather than return it for the day?

Also, the b&b is right on the pay zone for street parking.

I have read about the park and ride programs but I don't think you can leave the car overnight.

I'm sure the B&B would have good parking advice.

We stayed in Edinburgh for a week in 2007 with a car. Our apartment was near the Holyrood Palace and about 4 blocks away was the border of the metered parking ring around the central city. Just beyond the border was free parking. It was a bit inconvenient, but not awful.

Edinburgh is a little confusing to drive in - like a much smaller version of London - but doable with a good map and a good non-driving map reader.

We stayed at the Kildonan Lodge last August and really liked it. Plenty of off-street parking in back and a city bus stop out front. Taking the bus back and forth to downtown was easy. We never used our car during 3 days in Edinburgh.

www.kildonanlodgehotel.co.uk/

I would probably ask advice of the B&B. We drove in Edinburg and I must agree - it is very confusing because the streets are poorly marked and the same route can have many different names. That said, I don't remember that the traffic was very heavy. Any chance of a GPS? Its a great city.

Turning it in, then checking it back out, would really eat into sight-seeing time.

Driving ain't that bad.

Ask the B&B. It's pretty bad these days in Edinburgh due to the Tram works. But the B&B should have solid advice that keep you from tickets. I agree that checking the car in and out would eat into time and likely be expensive. Pam

I think you just need to factor in the cost of parking to your whole budget. You won't need the car while you're in Edinburgh, walking and the buses are so much faster, effecient and less stressful than a car in Edinburgh. Driving itself is not stressful at all.
Edinburgh has an excellent public bus system, no metro. You don't have to go far out before there is free parking and buses every few minutes on a 24x7 basis.

I drove a car to the city center on my trip in '08. Stayed a night, then went to the highlands. I came back a week later and stayed another two nights in Edinburgh. Granted, you really don't need the car while in Edinburgh, but driving and parking really aren't that bad. You might have to park a couple of blocks from your B&B. Just drop off your travel companion and luggage, then park and walk back.

We won't need the car to tour Edinburgh, just when we travel outside Edinburgh. I agree, we would lose too much time going back and forth returning the car.

The owner of the b&b pointed me to a car park a block away that only cost 4.50euro a day. So I will park there unless I can find free parking.

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Probably a typo, but just in case ... Euro's are not legal tender in the UK (which at the moment still includes Scotland). It will be 4.50 sterling.
If you're not going to the continent don't bring any Euro's with you.

You are correct, I meant pounds.

Sounds like great price. You could pay 5-10 times that to park a car in NYC Even here in Madison you pay about 50% to park a car overnight at the airport.

Pam