York or Edinburgh

[Laalbod]

Can anyone recommend an alternative to staying in a hotel? We are a family of 6 (2 adults, 3children) and would need two rooms which starts to get really costly. Can you recommend a static caravan site or lodge where we can either drive into York/Edinburgh or use public transport.

Goosewood Holiday Park. The number 40 bus into York stops within short walking distance

We once had a lovely short break at a B & B in North Berwick, and got the train to Edinburgh.

Mortonhall Camping and Caravan Park is on the outskirts of Edinburgh, you can get the bus from just outside into the city centre if you feel inclined. I haven't stayed there as I live in Edinburgh but I've walked past many times. It's a lovely setting.

We’ve stayed twice at the YHA hostel in York. It’s really nice - good breakfast and other meals available fairly cheaply, pool table. We’ve had a family room (again really good) for 2 adults and 3 kids. You can walk in to York along the river or get the bus in. Would really recommend.

When are you going and how much are you looking to spend?
Depending on the time of year you can get an appointment in Edinburgh for a reasonable price.

And for how long?

Check and see if you can get a good deal at the Edinburgh Park premier inn. Literally next door to Edinburgh Park station with easy access to Edinburgh.

Seton sands Haven site, right on the beach and on a bus route in to Edinburgh that goes through the city centre and out to the zoo. Really nice, well kept site too and surrounding East Lothian beaches are stunning and loads to explore.

Also lots of air b&b's in and around Edinburgh

We stayed in a hostel on Mickelgate in York. They do a variety of room sizes, it was very good value.

A family of 6 - 2 adults, 3 children?!?
Firstly, you don't want to be driving in Edinburgh or York city centre for sight seeing, they are both a nightmare for parking but both have park & rides if you stay further out. Edinburgh buses are brilliant.
Mortonhall is a lovely site and closer to the city centre of Edinburgh than Seton Sands which i've read less than favourable things about the clientele!
There's a Youth Hostel in the centre of Edinburgh which is showing £132 for a private ensuite room that sleeps 6. You could leave the car at a park & ride car park and have everything on your doorstep. They usually have a kitchen so you can prepare your own food and the breakfasts are good value. There's also one in York that has parking.
Edinburgh Park is a good option for weekends - it's a rather soulless business park but has a Premier Inn, Novotel and Ibis budget that all have parking and are a stone's throw from a tram stop. The hotels are often cheap at weekend when they don't attract business travellers.
There's also a few serviced apartments in Edinburgh which might suit you and a lot of AirBnBs.

These are brilliant. Thank you so much all of you for these recommendations. I'm going to have a cuppa and look up all of these places.

if you find an AirBnB in Edinburgh then make sure it has parking as a lot of the city is on-street short stay pay & display or residents permit parking only. Also, post a link to them so we can "validate" for you, the locals can usually work out locations from the vague descriptions and photos!

Edinburgh Park is a good option for weekends - it's a rather soulless business park but has a Premier Inn, Novotel and Ibis budget that all have parking and are a stone's throw from a tram stop.

I can highly recommend that Premier Inn.

The Premier inn in Edinburgh is dirt cheap at the moment.

@FelicityPike

Edinburgh Park is a good option for weekends - it's a rather soulless business park but has a Premier Inn, Novotel and Ibis budget that all have parking and are a stone's throw from a tram stop.

I can highly recommend that Premier Inn.

I second the PI at Edinburgh Park.

Hotel B+b Edinburgh is fab hotel but more bed and breakfast. It really is lovely. The family room has king bed, sofa bed and side room with bunk beds. It overlooks a beautiful village and in the evening you can get a takeaway and bring it back. Lovely library with fairy lights, you can have a glass of wine in. The history of the place is amazing, was a wealthy home but when the husband died he left it to his wife who turned it into a hospital.
Prices are reasonably, so much more to to do in Edinburgh then york.
The + in b+b is meant to be.

@Laalbod

Can anyone recommend an alternative to staying in a hotel? We are a family of 6 (2 adults, 3children) and would need two rooms which starts to get really costly. Can you recommend a static caravan site or lodge where we can either drive into York/Edinburgh or use public transport.

We were in Edinburgh for my nephew's wedding a few years ago. We basically had to be there a week, as a family of seven.

We stayed in the Haven resort at Seton Sands. We had an 8-berth top spec static caravan. We weren't too bothered about the facilities on site as we were out and about and our children weren't tinies, but did use the bar a few times.

The bus to Edinburgh was about an hour, but I'm sure you could shorten this by taking the main bus into Musselburgh and then picking up an express. You could also drive in just over 30 minutes.

There is also a good caravan park with lodges at Mortonhall on the south side of the city, with good public transport.

Premier inn Leith. Sea views. . Cheap and bus right outside into Edinburgh in just 29 mins x

There are indeed a lot of air b'n'b's in Edinburgh. So many it has hollowed some areas out, like the Old Town. Some traditional flats might have only one permanent resident subjected to noise, smoking in the stair, litter left in the stair. I'd suggest not using them. There are very many alternatives to these ghost hotels.

*The bus to Edinburgh was about an hour, but I'm sure you could shorten this by taking the main bus into Musselburgh and then picking up an express. You could also drive in just over 30 minutes.
*
There is also a train station at longniddry which is about a 5 minute drive