Edinburgh Festival Accommodation

Cheap hotel accommodation can be hard to find during the Edinburgh Festivals in August. Try looking at student flats and houses now for 2007’s best bargains.

The Edinburgh Festivals, held every year in August are an undoubted highlight of the international cultural calendar. However, with (deep breath…) the Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh International Television Festival and Edinburgh International Book Festival all held in the same month, accommodation can be expensive and hard to come by.

This shouldn’t put potential visitors off going in 2007, though. From a personal point of view, I have spent some of the best weeks of my life seeing various theatre shows, stand-up comedy gigs, classical concerts and dance productions in Scotland’s capital. The secret is booking early, and looking a little outside the box for accommodation.

Hotel rates in Edinburgh are expensive anyway, but not nearly as steep if you get in early – the sooner you can book, the more availability there is, and the cheaper rooms are.

However, hotels aren’t the only accommodation option. Plenty of locals disappear for the month while the festivals are on, renting out their apartments. It’s well worth hunting on the internet to see if you can pick out a bargain, bearing in mind that location is important when you want to see as many shows as possible.

Arguably the best value option, however, is to search for student flats. The festivals are on during the university holidays, which means the students aren’t there, and their accommodation is available. Most of these flats are rented out to visitors, and whilst not luxury, they certainly fit most people’s needs for a week at The Fringe.

But I’m not joking about booking early – leave it until late July or early August, and there will be a lot more competition.