Edinburgh: I saved over £1000 on a city break to one of the most expensive cities in the UK

A report by Post Office Travel Money revealed that the total average price for accommodation and other tourist expenses is higher in the Scottish capital than in other cities.

On a budget, our reporter Sophie Mei Lan Malin attempted a cheap break away to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The last time I visited the city, it was for my best friend’s hen do, and we stayed at a cheap Airbnb. Since 2023, however, the government has tightened up on such properties, which has seen accommodation prices rocket.

My husband Danny, and I have always wanted to explore the city together, but with five children at home, we have limited time and money. That said, the toddler always comes with us.

Danny tends to book the accommodation, whereas I plan the outings. We drove to Edinburgh too, which worked out better financially, although we do love to try to use a train where possible. It also means we can pack the car with drinks and snacks to keep us going in between meals.

Danny booked a two-night stay at a Premier Inn in West Lothian. This is positioned right in between Edinburgh and Glasgow, with just a 45-minute drive from either city and free parking. This alone saved us at least £750 if we had stayed in like-for-like accommodation in Edinburgh city centre, where you also have to pay for parking.

Before checking in, our first stop was Edinburgh’s Royal Mile for a day out. Here we were lucky to find a parking space, or so we thought.

Parking costs £20 for three hours. Ouch, but after a long journey, we would have paid anything for a quick bit of solace.

As it was our first rookie day there, we decided to explore without a plan.

Edinburgh is full of alleyways and interesting artefacts, not to mention architecture. There are well over 4,000 listed buildings in Edinburgh.

The first stop was the Museum of Childhood, which is free to enter. This museum is full of toys, old and new, as well as interactive exhibits. It's on a few floors, complete with a collection of antique dolls.

We then headed down a nearby alleyway where we spotted the Museum for Magic, Fortune-telling, and Witchcraft. You have to pay to go in, but it really wasn't worth it as it was just a small room of artefacts.

We wanted to try out the National Museum of Scotland and the Library, for free, the following day.

We had a stroll along the Royal Mile, which connects Holyrood Palace with Edinburgh Castle, it's one mile and 107 yards long. It is home to St Giles’ Cathedral, which is free to enter, and the World’s End Pub. The 16th-century listed pub is where the gates to the city once were, now marked with gold cobbles.

We popped into the shops, but the best place to buy gifts and souvenirs is Tron Kirk Market, which is full of artisan traders.

There's a range of alleyways to explore off the Royal Mile, but the most impressive is the real Mary’s King Close. You have to book tickets to visit this ‘underground city.’

We then had a drive around Beecraigs Country Park. Here, there's a playground and plenty of hiking trails, but sadly, there aren’t any animals anymore due to ‘council budget cuts.’

The next day we decided to park on the outskirts of the city centre and jump on a sightseeing bus. We’re not the usual sightseeing bus type of people, but with a toddler and limited time, it meant we had transport for £25 for the day.

Here you get to see a glimpse of some of Edinburgh’s 4000 listed buildings, as well as getting a view from the open-top bus. Rather than an organised tour, we love the freedom of hopping on and off, and it meant we could save money by bringing our own snacks.

"It was more impressive than the Natural History Museum”

The best museums were free from the library to the National Museum of Scotland. I was more impressed by this place than the Natural History Museum. From Dolly the Sheep to a Tyrannosaurus Rex and millions of objects as well as a huge sensory play area, it was a real treat. We could have spent the whole day there.

When it came to tea time we headed back to West Lothian for a cheap and cheerful supper. I have to confess, there was a Toby Carvery next to our hotel.

The next day, we drove 45 minutes to Glasgow. We had three hours walking around the Merchant City seeing the Cathedral, Necropolis, and the oldest house in Glasgow - all for free.

With better planning, next time we would use the park and ride in Edinburgh and stick to the array of free museums. We saved over a thousand pounds staying in between Glasgow and Edinburgh where we had breakfast included, we brought along snacks, and there was a Toby Carvery, which saved us from the tourist tax on some of the central venues.

In Glasgow, there's a range of street food venues near the university which are reasonably priced, or The Wild Olive Tree Cafe, based at a church in the main shopping area, Buchanan Street.

Our biggest win was saving on accommodation by staying out of the city centres where parking is free, and it was nice to have a break from the hustle and bustle.