Trying to figure out where to stay in Edinburgh for Sat-Sun-Monday May 25-27th. We will have a car. Is is better to stay outside of the city or is it more fun to stay in city? <BR><BR>The advantages I see to being in city is the ability to walk to the pubbs, etc. Disadvantage might be price and parking availibility at the accomodations. <BR><BR>What do you think? Where specifically would you stay?

Definitely stay in the city of Edinburgh. I visited in march. I spent about 3 weeks selecting the hotel. I wanted a hotel that would be smack in the middle of everything and between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. I chose the Carlton Hotel. It is on North Bridge. I don't know if they have parking though. I got a good rate through www.totalstay.com.

We're booked to stay at the George Intercontinental in early July. Never been there before (hotel or city) - got decent rate through Hotels.com. Anyone ever stayed at The George?

I stayed in the George some time ago. It's fine, if a bit on the faded grandeur side. Good location<BR><BR>John, try the Apex in the Grassmarket. 1 It has parking. 2 The location is good and 3. It often has deals at the weekend.<BR><BR>Don't settle for the first rate they offer; they often do better if pushed.

We stayed in Joppa(where we parked the car) and took a bus downtown (about 10-15 minutes). We used the car for day trips along the coast. Joppa accomodation was DEFINTELY cheaper than downtown accomodation and there were plenty of pubs and restaurants near our B&B. Dont try to drive in downtown Edinburgh.

I too stayed at the Apex International Hotel in the Grassmarket and enjoyed it. Great location. Didn't use the parking.<BR><BR>http://www.apexhotels.com/<BR><BR>The hop-on/hop-off bus ran right in front of it. Very nice since I had my Dad with me who has a bad knee.

Definitely stay city centre- you'll kick yourself if you don't! There is a cheap + newish hotel in a fantastic location right on the high street called Ibis which does good room rates (last I checked &pound;60 for a double). If you fancy a bit more luxury, the Balmoral does great deals so you should definitely check if there are any available when you go. Try looking at www.lastminute.com - they often have good deals on for luxury Edinburgh hotels incl the Balmoral. Enjoy!

Hi there. Just our experience to add. We had a wonderful time staying in a B&B in the Mayfield section of Edinburgh. The bus picked up right out front of our accommodations and the owners were so kind, telling us how to take which buses and giving us personalized service. I was pregnant during our trip and the B&B was extremely well appointed, with a full Scottish breakfast served each morning. They offered us fruit and refreshments during the day as we came and went also. (We always look for the best ammenities for the value!)We even received a discount for stating that we found them on line. Per night exchanged somewherer in the $80's (42 pounds per night I believe). The owners corresponded graciously with us by email until our arrival. Also, we stayed in Edinburgh a few days and took day trips from our destination also. (May I mention Prestige Tours, they are fantastic.) During our stay, we took a four day tour around Scotland and then returned to the same B&B. ...To my dismay, I cannot locate our B&B's website, but the Mayfield area of Edinburgh is loaded with wonderful ones. Good luck and happy travels.

Thanks for your help. We ended up renting an apartment near the castle for 3 days. It appears to be a great price and is in the heart of the town, which may be exciting with the Queen's visiting town.

How did you find an apartment to rent for only three days? I have used Mackay's to book Sat-Sat self catering flats and have always been satisfied but would like to know about other options.