Edinburgh Festival

[LIZS]

Any suggestions as to how to make a visit to the Festival as economical as possible. Is it better to book travel and accommodation separately or as a package? Any recommendations please?

The festival is the most expensive time to visit , even the basic Premier inn which would be £70 next week will be about £190 in August per night. Self catering / air bnb is in high demand for the thousands of performers who come and stay for the month so again supply and demand puts prices up. However, the local bus service is excellent and very cheap www.lothianbuses.com so you could widen your scope of search to the outer suburbs and travel in and out to experience the festival atmosphere.
In terms of actually going to the shows, there are usually 2 for 1 offers in the first few days of the fringe, and then there is a half price ticket booth which operates over the month, and always offers in the local papers for 2 for 1 tickets for a handful of shows each day. There is now a parallel "free" fringe which you pay what you think the show is worth , and there are also lots of free street performers on the Royal mile.

Would you be prepared to camp? The Edinburgh Festival Campsite appeared to be popular last year...

To save money you could go for less time I.e. 2 full days and just pay for one nights accommodation etc. or stay further out as public transport is good. Their are always plenty of free street entertainers on in and around Edinburgh during the fringe. If the weather is nice you can watch these which are essentially free although many have a collection afterwards.
As you are posting on mumsnet I am unsure whether you are visiting the Fringe as a family, a couple or with friends? Their is loads going on for all tastes we live an hour away so have taken the kids up since they were about 4/5 we have seen some fab age appropriate plays with them which were quite reasonable and they have watched fire eaters, acrobats,musicians, magicians etc and my son took part in a show when he was 5 and received a fiver about 9 years ago.