Edinburgh Festival - anyone been? Any tips?

[DFOD]

Thinking of taking my 15 year old - don’t need to stay in the city and need to be on a budget. Will drive up from London maybe stop over in Northumberland - so will have a car.

Budget and Edinburgh in august really don't mix- hotel prices are usually double if not triple what they'd typically be. There's the Edinburgh International Festival which is pretty high-brow arts type stuff, and then the Festival Fringe which is all the amateur, performed in any spare bit of space, type performances. Plus there's a number of other festivals and military tattoo if that sort of thing floats your boat. www.edinburghfestivalcity.com/
I'd take the train rather than driving up from London, it takes a fraction of the time and then you could stay somewhere more central as accommodation with parking is about as common as hen's teeth! If you do drive make sure your accommodation is on a bus or train route as you don't want to be driving and parking in the city.

It's expensive to stay in Edinburgh and you may already have left it too late to book anywhere decent. Trains from Glasgow are frequent so may be better staying there and travelling in for the day, concentrating what to see.

It's exhausting. If you are there for a whole week, plan a day away.

Not festival, but we had a week for my nephew's wedding one July. We stayed at Seton Sands Haven park, an hour away by bus. For seven of us, this made a lot of sense.

@CraftyGin

Not festival, but we had a week for my nephew's wedding one July. We stayed at Seton Sands Haven park, an hour away by bus. For seven of us, this made a lot of sense.

If you’re staying at seton sands with a car you’re a lot quicker driving to one of the stations nearby and taking the train into Edinburgh!

Thanks everyone - sounds like a good shout to stay somewhere with a good train link in. Glasgow would be good - love that city.

Oh lordy, don’t bring a car. Edinburgh is painful to drive around at the best of times (I live here). During Festival you’d be quicker tunnelling through the volcanic rock. Train is good, or look at flights — BA and EasyJet have loads of flights between London and Edinburgh.

Check the programme to make sure there’s actually stuff you’d want to see, the line-up is a bit weak this year (not as many international acts as usual — pandemic hangover I suppose).

Most people just grab food on the go, so it’s a lot of things like hot dogs and burgers. If you want proper sit-down food in a restaurant, you’ll need to book well in advance because most places get booked up.

If you stay in an Airbnb — ideally don’t, it’s wrecking the city from the inside out— but if you do, remember that other people actually live in that building, and aren’t at festival or on holiday. (Personal gripe there…!)

Hi, as others have said don't drive it's a nightmare at the best of times but horrific in August. Most of the fringe venues are concentrated around the university and within short walking distances of each other. The Royal Mile is packed with street performers and fringe acts, you'll get tasters of some of the shows. (it is really crowded though) Check out the free fringe and free festival too, they have their own programmes...can't remember if they list in the main fringe magazine/website. A lot of the food stalls charge the same for food and drink as indoor places, expect to pay £5+ for pint. The Book festival used to be a great spot to escape the madness but I haven't been since it moved to the Art school.

I went a few years ago. Stayed with my sister as she was living in Edinburgh at the time. We just did the free/cheap fringe stuff. It was a bit hit and miss but there was lots to choose from. My abiding memory was the fucking awful weather!

Yes every year! Your 15 yo will love the Fringe. For heavens sake don't drive though. The train is brilliant abs if you fit on the right you get a glorious view of the coast round Northumberland, Holy Island, Berwick upon Tweed etc.

Tips for the fringe - download a programme and book a few key things you both like the look of, say 2/3 per day, then take a punt on a few when you get there.

Walk up Arthur's Seat and watch the fireworks if you're there for the end.

Bring a kagool!

Seton Sands is on the 26 bus route I think? It's also a beautiful, if long walk or bike ride along the John Muir Way to the city centre.

Op I love the festival, although I'm sometimes na bit jaded about it. The atmosphere can be wonderful. I just get grumpy because I work in the city centre.

Oh and lots of free review publications will tell you what to see.

Weve been a few times with our boys 11 through to 16. They love it but it's busy and pricey.

A non fringe thing to do..... Mary Kings Close. Worth every penny.

While Glasgow is a great city to visit, if you are planning to travel into Edinburgh most days then the train fare will soon mount up.

Are you committed to any dates? There are a couple of 2for1 days which are worth booking tickets for in advance and look up free fringe options.

On a nice day you could pick up supplies to take sandwiches, drinks etc. out and about with you to help keep food costs down. Plenty of places to park your bum and have a snack watching some street theatre or just the world go by.

Yes to 2for1, cagoule, comfy shoes. Worth looking at staying in Midlothian - the borders railway will get you into central Edinburgh in 15/20 minutes.

We went a few years in a row and really enjoyed it. As PP mentioned a car can be a bit of an encumbrance. Finding somewhere affordable in the centre (so that you can walk to almost all the venues) without breaking the bank may be difficult now, when all the best things will have gone.

Our modest hotel in the first year wasn't great but I kept an eye out and booked an apartment for next year on the spot, then booked again each year for the next.

DH did the heavy lifting of choosing what to sea. We had a lot of great experiences, a few ok and no real duds. He enjoyed the actual finding possibilities. Left to myself I would have got tickets for https://www.mervspotfringe.com each day and then booked the shows I liked.

DH was keen to 'discover' less well known gems. I have no confidence that I could find great shows that way.

We also loved just strolling along the royal mile and interacting with the many, many performers touting for business with over more eye catching ploys.

This sounds wonderful - thanks for all of the information

The fringe is great! Bring a waterproof jacket, bring lots of £5 notes to give to the 'free' performers, book a couple of acts you'd like to see but also just mooch about and find new acts that look fun when you get there.
Those are my tips

Is it generally daytime or evening or both - trying to work out where to stay and eat - if lots of evening stuff then will eat out in the city then it might be nice to stay somewhere with a nice beach for morning walks before heading into the city.

But it it’s mainly daytime stuff not much point coming back to a beach place at night?

If it’s both - what time / place is the best atmosphere.

Any suggestions of where to stay? We will be on a road trip so will have a car to drive to stations.

Starts in morning, and goes on right through to 1 or 2 am.
Most people do 2 or 3 shows a day. Book 1 thing a day and then just find something else that takes your fancy at the time. It all adds up though and you can spend quite a bit.
Free shows/street performers on royal mile.

Loads of street food and food at venues.
It's get very booked up and accommodation in Edinburgh during the festival is super expensive.
You could stay out of the city somewhere on train line. Fife, east or West Lothian.
There's also camping and caravan sites

Besides Glasgow, Dalkeith has good transport links into Edinburgh (and a wonderful country park if you want a break from city centre activities). Also a short distance from North Berwick and the beach in that direction, so some good options.

OMG the accommodation costs in the city - student halls - £500 a NIGHT for 4 of us. 4* hotel £700/night !

Yup prices are stupid! It’s not uncommon for local residents to move out of their properties for a month to rent them out to visitors or performers.
look at north Berwick and Dunbar although they’ve probably latched onto their commuter train line to Edinburgh and bumped up the prices!

Premier Inn at Edinburgh park is £170pn and is a direct tram or no22 bus into city centre. Has parking. No beach and a bit soulless.

South Queensferry is a good shout - bus or train into Edinburgh, some good 4* hotels and a nice place to wander around in it's own right.

I'm confused that you're surprised it's expensive to stay in Edinburgh during the festival, OP. Everything gets incredibly busy and prices rise as a result. It also effects eating out - if you want to eat out in "real" restaurants you'll need to book well in advance.

They're really popular places in their own right in August - usually packed out with visitors.