Should I buy tickets now? Or can I wait for a few more months? I ask because I have no idea what I'll be doing by then as I am leaving for europe in March. But I just HAVE to see the tattoo.

I'll be based in London, are there travel agent packages that would be the best or should I just buys tickets??

You advice is much appreciated.

Go to the Edinburgh Tattoo web site and see what tickets are still available (if any--they went on sale a month ago and sell out quickly). With luck, you can still purchase one.

Cheers,

Jinx Hoover

Yes, go on-line and purchase the best possible seats now. I went Aug. 2003 and was so glad I purchased them in January. It was magical...something for the first time visitor. Loved the lone piper at the end.

If sold out, you can line up for a few odd tix the morning of the show. I did this and got a prime seat a few rows in front of Princess Anne. However, the process was horrible.

Every morning I would finish my free hotel breakfast in the earliest 15 min of opening (7am?) and run to get in the long line. Maybe 2 hrs later they would find spare tix for everybody except my end of the line.

Instead of the wise thing of skipping breakfast I eventually started an unofficial line after they sent everyone away, hoping for some cancellation. Some actually appeared, but there was a mishap giving the same seat to me and someone else.

Well, you get the picture of possible fallback plans, and I'l spare the story of someone trying to throw me out of my seat in front of the Princess. Was disappointed by the small amount of piping; they focused more on some visiting ethnic dance group. Almost too exciting was the machine guns firing blanks just over our heads - maybe for Anne?

I do some work for a company that runs three day coach trips from all over the UK to the Tattoo at weekends in August.
They pick you up from a designated point on the Friday, travel north with a stop at somewhere like Harrogate in Yorkshire before arriving at a hotel in the Newcastle/Middlesborough for the evening.
An early start on the Saturday sees you in Edinburgh by lunch. You then have free time or an optional trip to Holyrood before being taken to the early evening performance of the tattoo.
It's a long journey back after the show, usually back in your hotel by 1.00am.
On the Sunday you go home via York. Prices include 2 nights B&B, coach travel, a Tour Manager and a ticket. Cost is around £150.00 per person. Please let me know if you want more info.
If you want to do it yourself, then get tickets ASAP!
Good luck, Adam C

That would explain why all the weekends are sold out, but there are plenty tickets for weekdays.