Reasonable B & B's in or around Edinburgh in May 2012

One person's "affordable" might not be another's, but you might want to look into 23 Mayfield. We stayed there last summer, and loved it. It is similarly priced to many other B&Bs, but you get so much more for your money. I can promise you that you won't find a better breakfast in all of Scotland! The house is lovely, and it's right on the bus line to the Royal Mile....or about a 30 minute walk.

We stayed at Elmview this past summer and loved it. Walkable to Old Town through the Meadows and good bus service too. The hosts are very friendly and accommodating, and the breakfasts are fabulous. Very highly rated on TA, so book well in advance.

If you are going on the Rick Steves tour you should ask about what rate they would offer you for coming in early. And, heck ask for the end too. I did this in Berlin when I did the Berlin Prague and Vienna Tour. Otherwise, there are so many places to stay in Edinburgh and I wonder how much the Diamond Jubilee will really be affecting Edinburgh, unless the Queen is visiting Edinburgh. It sounds like there may be street parties etc, but I bet it won't affect hotels and B&B's that much. It looks like most of the activity will be down at Windsor. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_197517 I've most recently stayed at The Walton in New Town and found it affordable and convenient. If you want to escape further, check The Inverlieth Hotel near the Botanic Gardens. The Dalkeith Road area is also good. It's a small city. You can walk or hop a bus and be anywhere in about 15 minutes. Pam

We just spent three nights at Priestville Guesthouse, which is mentioned in Rick Steves' books (in fact, his "Great Britain" book was in plain sight in the lobby) and has been reviewed here before. By "just" I mean that we checked out this morning (I'm typing this from our hotel room in London). The owners are super friendly, the hotel is impeccable, and the breakfast is terrific. It's a short walk (one and a half blocks) to bus stops, or about a 20-30 minute walk to the Royal Mile. This property is in a very quiet neighborhood. The only consideration is the second flight of stairs, it's rather steep and makes a sharp turn. This may or may not be an issue for you, but discuss it when you contact them. There are rooms on the second floor, that flight of stairs is fine. http://priestville.com/

Don 't forget that in the UK the first floor is the ground floor and the second floor is the first floor. : ) So, a second flight of stairs would take you to the second floor. Pam

We did numberfive self catering -http://www.numberfive.com/- a couple of years ago and loved it. It is on the first floor however. I use crutches and managed. There is free parking and a bus to Edinburgh stops basically outside the door, which is nice. Bus was 1.30 pounds with return. Cheaper than driving and much less trouble than trying to find parking in Edinburgh, which I tried to do this summer during the festival. Never again!!! Number five was full and I had to book in Belhaven/Dunbar, to get a room that I could afford. I chose the Rossborough -http://www.therossborough.com/. They had a good breakfast, which was included in the room rate and a good chef doing dinner. We enjoyed our stay there.

Sue - Our family stayed at Mingalar(mingalar.eu) a couple of years ago. It is about a 10-15 minute walk from Waverly Station. Clive is extremely knowledgeable of the goings on in Edinburgh.

TRy 14 Hart Street - not real cheap, but a great, highly rated B&B. I think it is #1 or close to it on Tripadvisor.
Thanks - Bill

Hi Sue, I recognize the names of many of the above recommendations from other requests for ideas of where to stay in Edinburgh, so you won't be going wrong with any, I expect. Here's one more for the mix: Dene Guest House, www.deneguesthouse.com. I've paid under 30 pounds for a single, standard room (ie, bath in the hall). The breakfasts are great and the location has three bus routes easily available. Cheers.

We stayed at The Victorian Townhouse. http://www.thevictoriantownhouse.co.uk/
The host was absolutely lovely. We felt like we'd made a friend by the time we'd left. Our room and bathroom were enormous. The breakfasts were hearty and delicious. We walked to and from the main part of town. We also traveled with backpacks... I believe she gave us a discount for staying 5 nights with her. I think it was about 100 pounds/nt when we went. And that was two years ago.

Sue, I can recommend No. 53 Frederick St. B&B. See http://www.53frederickstreet.com/. The rooms were delightful and the breakfast hearty. It's located in a charming Georgian townhouse that's within walking distance of the castle, Royal Mile, restaurants, shopping, everything you want! I stayed there in March 2009. Enjoy! Tara

Sue, As you've booked a tour, I'd first try to book a room in the same Hotel or B&B used by the tour. The tour department will send you a list of your first and last Hotels a month or two before departure. However, I'd suggest contacting them early to get that information, as it would be a good idea to book as soon as possible. If the tour Hotel doesn't have any room, I'd highly recommend This Hotel. It's located about 10-minutes or so from the Royal Mile, is very comfortable and the owners are wonderful. Happy travels!

My daughter and I stayed at Elderfields Guest House and thought it was a lovely B&B. Reasonable rates for a twin room and it included breakfast. The hostess, Maureen, was charming and helpful and the place was lovingly decorated. Depending on when you stay there and what kind of room you are looking for, the average rate is about 65 for a double. Location is on the same street that turns into the Royal Mile after a 10 min. walk. Nice, residential neighborhood, and buses were a 5 min. walk away. http://www.guest-houses-edinburgh.com/index.php

Thank you very much for all of the suggestions. I just received an email from the Travel Center with the first and last hotels confirmed for the trip. So, I will be looking elsewhere, for my pre-tour stay. Again, thank you for the information. :)