9 Ways To Save Money for a Trip to Edinburgh

Edinburgh is one of those cities that looks expensive and does not have to be. The castle, the closes, the hills and the pubs are all there whether you spend £1,000 or £300.

The difference is planning. Save steadily beforehand, pick your dates carefully, and the trip pays for itself without any stress. Money guides make the same point about everyday spending. Here are nine ways to do it.

1. Sort Your Debts Before You Save for the Trip

A holiday you are still paying off in February is not a bargain. Work out what you owe first, because debts take money every month before you get to use any of it. List all your debts like credit card bills, loans like short term loans from direct lenders like Monixa (https://monixa.co.uk/), etc., and see which you pay first.

Remember, you should only make extra payments if you can afford to do so. Once the costly debt is gone, that same monthly amount can go straight into your Edinburgh fund instead.

2. Open a Separate Pot and Pay Into It Monthly

Money left in your current account always finds something else to be spent on. Give the trip its own home.

Work out the total cost, divide it by the months you have, and set up a standing order for payday. A long weekend for two usually comes to £400 or £500, which is about £80 a month over six months. Most banks now offer free savings pots you can name, and seeing 'Edinburgh' climb each month keeps you going.

3. Avoid August Unless You Want the Fringe

August is wonderful in Edinburgh and it is also the most expensive month of the year by a long way. Accommodation can triple during the Festival and Fringe.

If the shows are the point of your trip, budget properly and book many months ahead. If they are not, go in May, June or September instead. The weather is often just as good, the Royal Mile is walkable, and you will pay a fraction of the price for the same city.

4. Book Your Travel Early and Compare Everything

Advance train tickets go on sale around twelve weeks ahead and are far cheaper than buying on the day.

Set a reminder, book as soon as they release, and split your ticket if that works out less. A railcard pays for itself on one return journey. Coaches take longer but cost very little, and budget flights sometimes beat both. From the airport, the tram or the Airlink bus costs a few pounds, while a taxi costs far more.

5. Stay Outside the Old Town

Rooms on the Royal Mile carry a premium for the postcode, not the quality.

Look at Leith, Newington, Bruntsfield or Haymarket instead, where prices drop sharply and you are still twenty minutes from the centre on foot or a short bus ride. Edinburgh is a small city, so nowhere is really far. University halls are let out cheaply in the summer holidays, and hostels near the centre offer private rooms for less than a chain hotel charges.

6. Use the Free Attractions, and There Are Plenty

Edinburgh is unusually generous for a capital city. The National Museum of Scotland, the Scottish National Gallery and the Portrait Gallery are all free to enter.

Climbing Arthur's Seat or Calton Hill costs nothing and gives you the best views in the city. So does wandering Dean Village, the Water of Leith walkway, the Botanic Gardens and Greyfriars Kirkyard. Pick one or two paid attractions you genuinely want, such as the castle, and fill the rest with free ones.

7. Walk, or Buy a Day Bus Ticket

The centre is compact and most of the good bits are within half an hour on foot, so you will not need much transport at all.

When your legs give out, Lothian Buses run everywhere and a day ticket costs less than two single fares. Tap on with a contactless card and the daily cap does the work for you. Avoid taxis unless it is late and wet. Wear proper shoes, because the hills and cobbles are real.

8. Eat Away From the Royal Mile

Restaurants on the main tourist streets charge tourist prices for ordinary food.

Walk five minutes to Leith, Stockbridge or the streets around the university and you will eat better for half the money. Lunch deals and pre-theatre menus are much cheaper than the same meal at eight o'clock. If your room has a kitchen, buy breakfast from a supermarket. A bakery roll and a coffee costs a few pounds and keeps you going all morning.

9. Set a Daily Limit and Stick To It

Trips rarely go over budget because of the flights. It is the rounds, the souvenirs and the third coffee that do it.

Decide before you go what you can spend each day, then take that amount out in cash or keep it on a separate card. Check where you are each evening and adjust the next day if you need to. Leave a small amount spare for the last day, because there is always something you did not plan for.

Final Words

Edinburgh rewards people who plan. Save into a separate pot, clear your costly debt first, dodge August, stay a little outside the centre and walk everywhere.

Do that and a weekend in one of the best cities in Britain costs less than a night out for four in London. Best of all, you come home with nothing left to pay and every reason to go back. That is the way to do it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do I need for a weekend in Edinburgh?

Around £250 to £350 each for two nights covers travel, a simple room, food and a couple of paid attractions. Less if you stay in a hostel. Prices rise sharply in August.

When is the cheapest time to visit?

January to March is cheapest, though cold and dark. May, June and September give you better weather and much lower prices than the festival months of July and August. Book early either way.

Is Edinburgh Castle worth the entry fee?

Most people think so, but book online in advance for the cheaper rate. If money is tight, Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat give similar views for nothing. Go early to avoid queues.

Should I borrow money to pay for the trip?

It is better to save up and go later than to borrow and pay interest for months afterwards. A cheaper trip now beats an expensive one on credit. Edinburgh is not going anywhere.

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This release was published on openPR.