The Edinburgh festival is indeed the worlds greatest arts festival. Stretching over 30 days it means Edinburgh is the place to be in August. Unfortunately not only is it massively popular but also a very expensive couple of weeks. Luckily for my readers I am not only a very tight fisted backpacker but also a local and am happy to pass on advise on how to have as cheap a festival as possible.
Getting there
Edinburgh airport is serviced by all the major airlines and has a healthy option of budget airline options from London that if booked in advance can cost less than 50 GBP Leaving it last minute during the peak of the summer can leave you paying over 200 GBP. Trains to London roughly cost the same one way if booked in advance however you can pay as much as 120 GBP if you leave it late by train. The super budget option is to take the overnight bus from Victoria station. Both the Megabus and National Express offer singles for 30 GBP or less which can be booked on the day. Take a pillow, and have a glass of wine before you get on though!
Accommodation
All hotels and B&B tend to be fully booked well in advance and the prices charged are enough to make your nose bleed. Hostels represent your cheapest option but also tend to be booked up well in advance. The Caledonian Backpackers in the West End or Brodies Hostel are both highly recommended. For some reason sharing a room with 8 strangers is not everyone’s cup of tea so in that case I would recommend. Hiring a room from the Edinburgh University student accommodation. A friend of mine paid 200 GBP for a week.
Seeing the shows
Shows depending on the act and time of day can cost anything in the region of 8-14 GBP. It’s entirely possible to see 4 or 5 shows a day over the period of a few weeks it can really add up. My tip is to do as much in the first week as possible. The first two days are preview days and tickets are as much as half price. The first Monday and Tuesday of the festival means tickets are buy 1 get 1 free.
After the first week your best bet for cheap tickets is to hang around the half price hut just off the mound and see what they have on offer. Another option is to just hang around one of the bigger venues such as the Pleasance or Assembly rooms. Promoters are aware of how online sales have went so if a venue is looking empty come show time it is quite common they will send out PR staff offering half price tickets to get people through the door. If you are super keen, you could always volunteer to work at one of the venues in exchange for free tickets. Comedy events held for TV recordings also tend to be free so keep an eye on the Ed Fringe website.
Eating and drinking
Eating and drinking at the venue tends to be very expensive with most venues charging at least 4gbp for a pint of lager. Luckily there are several excellent cheap cafes and pubs in and around the main venues. Opium bar down on the Cowgate based across from the Udderbelly is legendary for its cheap drinks and late late license. El Falafel just off Bristol Sq also does excellent cheap food.
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