I love festivals, any kind!

AlanRow, I've been off line a couple of days -- does your post refer to a message that is no longer on this thread? I'm confused, so I'm guessing that's what happened!

surfergirl - it looks like that particular reply was deleted. It was blatant advertising.

Try the B&B "14 Hart." I don't think there is a place for your car but it is a fabulous B&B that doesn't have a fabulous price. See the TA reviews. It is in New Town and about a 15-20 minute walk to the Royal Mile.

If you need to be more central, I noticed a Hotel of the budget Ibis chain that has a great, just off the Royal Mile location. It looks nice from the outside. Maybe someone else knows more about it. Parking will not be available there either.

The Ibis is indeed in a top location. We really enjoyed Jury's Inn and I wouldn't hesitate to book there again. However, I'm afraid you won't be able to pick and choose and will have to be satisfied with what's available.

Just as an update, I followed everyone's advice -- weekend was impossible, but found room starting on a Sunday at Tailor's Hall -- so thanks much Judyrem and everyone else for your extraordinary input!

Needless to say another door opens once making a reservation! I kept looking for something starting on Sat. and found an Apex per Caroline Edinburgh's recs on Grassmarket, so booked there. Looks good!

Oh good ! The Apex will be much nicer - I didn't like to say anything before but I would not fancy staying at the Tailor's Hall myself, especially in the summer when there will be 1000s of young people crowded into the courtyard. (Would probably like it if I were 30 years younger :-) ) The Apex is still in the thick of things and close enough to plenty of "young people's" pubs & clubs if your son wants to go out on his own.

For the Fringe and Book festivals, the programmes are now out & booking has opened !

Just wanted to get back and thank everyone for the great help. Apex City Centre was absolutely perfect for us. We had a big, well appointed room -- very boutique style luxurious accommodations, in fact. Could see the fireworks in the evening following the Tattoos.


Tailor's Hall was right down the road, so we did go there for drinks, music, and lots of people partying. Some guy named Craig was having a Stag Party -- and how do I know this? His mandatory stagwear for his stags included getting all his mates t-shirts with their names in big bold letters plastered across the backs, and down at the bum end was printed: Craig's Stag Party, Edinburgh 2010. Just in case someone got so completely plotzed, I guess it would help finding their way back home. Anyway, there were loads of Craig's stag friends pushing back the brews not only at Tailor's Hall, but scattered all over Edinburgh.

It was crazy easy getting tickets to events, and there were ton of hawkers pushing shows. I got to see a really great play; free music; and a comedy show.

One thing about Edinburgh and GPS (i.e. the handy Tom Tom): it doesn't recognize that Edinburgh's streets are not on the same plane (meaning elevation), nor does it recognize that during the festival, a number of streets are blocked off. After we finally figured out that streets that looked liked they intersected ACTUALLY involved one road being a bridge going over another road about 50 feet below it, were we able to orient ourselves to finding the hotel.

Another note on parking during festival -- as all said, it can be tricky. We had to park at Apex's sister hotel down the street, which would have been fine had they had a spot left. We improvised a spot under a ramp -- which just fit the car, although we had to duck getting in and out of the car.

By the way, we had fabulous, beautiful weather, the people who live there and work there are all super nice and helpful, the city itself and its architecture is amazing. What a great place!!! Loved it!

So glad you liked Edinburgh & your hotel - and were even lucky with the weather ! I hadn't previously noticed you were bringing a car or I would have advised against it - at any time of year :-) But glad it worked out.

Thanks for the update. I love hearing about the Edinburgh festivals.

(Hi, Caroline!)

<<< Some guy named Craig was having a Stag Party >>>

I would have thought the noise, quantity of alcohol and the increasingly naked groom to be would have been a dead giveaway. Or is that normal round your way?

As for streets blocked off, that's mainly for parking coaches for the Tattoo

And the elevation thing - why do you think Edinburgh has streetnames like "North Bridge", "South Bridge", "George IV Bridge" as each and every one of those streets is actually a bridge - South Bridge has 17 arches - with buildings going down several levels from "street" level. In fact at least two venues - Underbelly & The Caves are built into the bridges

That is a hoot about the stag party at Tailor's Hall! :-D
But wasn't it a great pub?
Now, I really want to go back again in August.
Maybe stay at the Apex instead.
Was much younger when we stayed before at Tailor's Hall,;-)

Hi Nikki !

Surfergirl, I was caught out by the streets-crossing-over-each-other thing too when I first came here - and that was on Waterloo Place which doesn't have the word 'bridge' in its name.

Ha, it never occurred to me to consider why a name of something might have any relevance to what it was! Especially a street with the word "Bridge" in it. Could mean expansion or connection, or not a bridge over something other than dirt. Mind, I lived on "Ascot Close" in England, and it took me a while to figure out what a "close" is. Likewise the words "Mews" or "Gate". It certainly flummoxed the Tom Tom!

Alan -- "is that normal 'round your way" -- meaning lots of naked grooms?!? I wish.

P.S. I just tried to change my profile pick, which in good time will pop up with the infamous stag t-shirt, although the "Michael" at the top seems to have been cut off in the uploading process. Also, should have found a shirt stuffed with a guy in a little bit better shape . . .

I wouldn't worry - 'close' means something different again in Glasgow !