Edinburgh by coach from se England?

[Boxingshibes]

Dd wants to visit some museums in Edinburgh this summer.
I've looked at the train from Brighton to Edinburgh and we're looking at ££.
This would need to be a cheap trip.
Am I mad to think we could get an overnight bus from London Victoria to Edinburgh and back?
I've found a central premier inn for about £195 for 1 night.
So we'd leave
Mon- Brighton to London by train then overnight coach to Edinburgh.
Tue- arrive about 8 spend day wandering around then stay in premier inn.
Wed- wandering around then overnight coach back to London
Thu- get train back home.
Am I mad to think this could work?

Why would it be mad? Is it
because you are worried about getting a good sleep on the bus?

The bus up to Scotland from SE is a notorious endurance test. I'd strongly advise not to unless it's literally the only way you'll ever get there financially.

I did that often as a student. It's not a great sleep, but it's not bad. I'm clearly out of touch with local prices though, because £195 for one night in a premier inn seems extortionate. I think I'd look a little further out. Portobello is only three miles from the centre of town and the bus fares are £2 single and capped at £4 for the day however many buses you catch.

Are you managing to avoid the festival? The hotel seems expensive!

I'd be looking at Easyjet Gatwick to Edinburgh, stay over in a cheap hotel at the airport, bus/tram into Edinburgh and back to the Airport again, stay over, flight home.

Flying can be £20-30 if you are prepared to slum it, and you'll be in the air for barely an hour.

Did you check Lumo trains?

This.
It took me 30 seconds to find a one way flight from lgw to Edinburgh for less than £50.

I live in Edinburgh. I’d look at premier inns further out. New Craig hall or out towards the airport.

also might be worth looking at a family and friends railcard. Sometimes you can save the cost on one trip alone. You could also try lumo who are supposed to be cheaper.

I use to get the night coach from Victoria to Glasgow on Friday night and return overnight on the Sunday. I would be at work early on the Monday morning
No bother at all.

Try ticket splitter too - there will be cheap LNER or Lumo tickets that won’t show up if you search from Brighton to Edi as a single journey.

If you booked far enough in advance you could fly for about £50.

The Sleeper train might be better than a coach, but I would fly, it honestly won’t work out much more expensive

Yes I think timing is going to be key. Newcraighall premier inn is not far from newcraighall station on the border railway with trains every half hour in to Waverley. Journey time is about ten minutes.

£195 for a night in a PI is outrageous. Look on Booking.com, surely there are cheaper options. Make sure you’re avoiding the Fringe, when prices will be extortionate and the city will be rammed.

Or if it's out of term time try summer at the university. Their rooms include breakfast and are less than that. Last time I looked it was about £140 for a twin bed room.

The coach works out to be about £100 return for 2.
I'm worried about sleeping on the coach.
I'll look at limo. And the sleeper train.
I'd prefer to be closer to the centre of Edinburgh as dd is planning a pub crawl.

There a premier inn in newhaven too which must be near the new tram line

The sleeper is lovely, but eye-wateringly expensive.

Having regularly taken the Glasgow-London bus in my younger years, OP, it won't be the most fun you'll ever have, but it's doable.

Agree with a PP that those hotel costs are steep and you could get a lot cheaper (assuming you're not planning on visiting in August).

I'd pay out a bit more on travel and less on accommodation, if it's only a bed/shower that you need.

Could you fly? It is often cheaper than train. Or get a railcard or go via Lumo train. If you book three months ahead when fares are released it can be cheaper. Edinburgh is easy to get around so you don’t need to stay very centrally.

Edinburgh city centre hotels are expensive, check air bnb as there are some great apartments which cost less than a hotel (eg premier inn on Princes Street). If you can stay 2 nights as there is so much to see and do. We go at least twice a year

I do Glasgow-London on Megabus all the time, I've done for the day a few times.
It's absolutely fine.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/edinburgh-first-at-the-university-of-edinburgh.en-gb.html

I've taken the overnight coach between Glasgow and London a couple of times because of family emergencies necessitating getting there asap. I can't sleep when travelling so wasn't bothered about the fact I couldn't sleep on the coach. It wouldn't have been worth paying for a cabin on the sleeper as I wouldn't have slept there either. The coach ran to time on both occasions, which I thought was quite impressive, and I was relieved that it was very quiet on board even though it was very full. The lights were dimmed as we left the coach station and most people did seem to doze off very quickly. There was a stop halfway where people could get off and use the service station loos if they felt the need, and the lights went back up at that point, so you don't get an uninterrupted night. There was a loo onboard. It was very cheap. If I had to do, I'd do it again.

Avoid The Fringe dates (unless that is why you are going) as accommodation will be very limited and £££’s. Many performers have to sofa surf, camp or stay in uni rooms.

And yes to flying

Break the journey in Yorkshire somewhere. Harrogate is nice.