Hostels in Edinburgh Scotland

Tania, I haven't stayed in either hostel, and I hope someone who has will post for you. I would say though that these two hostels are in two different parts of town. The Smart City Hostel is closest to the Royal Mile and all the tourist sites that are associated with that. The SYHA Hostel is over in New Town and a bit removed from the Royal Mile, but personally I prefer that location. The city is not a big city and it's easy to get around. So you don't need to feel obligated to stay right on top of your favorite tourist site. Pam

Tania, I've also never stayed in either Hostel, but of the two I suspect the HI Hostel might be better for a family group. The other property appears to be aimed more at the younger crowd and at that time of the year it could be noisy and busy. HI Hostels appear to have two properties in Edinburgh, and both look like they have availability for July. The Edinburgh Central has rooms with four beds and ensuite, listed at £141.25 per night. That would likely be your best choice. One point to note about HI Hostels is that having a Membership usually provides better pricing and preferred booking. The Membership is not that expensive (check the website for details). If you happen to be in Toronto, you should be able to obtain a Membership at the Hostel there (76 Church St., north of King St.) or you could purchase online. You should have better availability in July, as the Edinburgh Festival doesn't start until Aug. 9 this year. However, it's usually busy in the summer anyway, so booking early would be a good idea. Happy travels!

Hi Pam and Ken, thanks so much. A membership might be the thing. Appreciate the great feedback!! Cheers!

Hi Tania,
We have stayed at the SYHA Central Edinburgh hostel as a family (2 adults and 3 children). The rooms are fairly basic (but enough room) with a small shower room and separate toilet. The hostel has a good kitchen but also has a cafe - we bought breakfast, which was quite handy. I personally found the room too hot and as we live in the country the noise from the street was loud and intrusive. It's also not particularly cheap but then nothing will be in Edinburgh in the summer. It's well located for getting to the various sights; just about everything is within walking distance. There is no need to have accommodation on the Royal Mile. Hope you have a lovely time wherever you decide to stay; there is so much to do and see in Edinburgh! We have also stayed at the Blue Rainbow apartments on Queen Street, which may be worth a look. They are more expensive but often do special offers. Again, within walking distance of everything.

Thanks Lynn, great info and suggestion!! I was wondering if you know if the public bus runs over the bridge from
across the river and if it might be more economical to stay over there and commute into the main area and royal mile?? Thanks again, very much appreciated.

Tania, I am a single woman in my late 30's, who has stayed in many hostels in Europe (including a number in Scotland). The last couple years, I have stayed in teh Smart City hostel and enjoyed it. I have seen a number of families there, and while it has a younger clientele, it wasn't really noisy. Plus, you are off the mile, so the noise factor is less than those on the mile. I found the hostel to be clean and well-maintained, the staff to be friendly, and would recommend it. You can stay further away from the Mile, but why would you want to? Isn't part of the fun of being on holidays to be right in the middle of it all? Plus, it's less travel for the kids, which means more time exploring this great city. In high season, for a 4-bed dorm, I paid 27 pounds last year and 25 the year before; to give you a rough idea. Enjoy your trip!

For a group of four a rental apartment starts getting a good option www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/ www.holidaylettings.co.uk/ and
http://www.homelidays.co.uk/ are some of the the usual suspects. An place for 400 pounds a week should be possible, for 600 there should be good and ample supplies. A search would not hurt.