Edinburgh Fringe - how to save 💰 before and during your trip

Accommodation

We're starting with the hardest bit, accommodation is super expensive in Edinburgh throughout August, but there are ways to keep the costs at a minimum.🙌

⏰Book in advance⏰

This is a great way to get cheaper accommodation usually, but because Edinburgh Fringe festival is always around the same dates, the prices are usually still high, but you will be able to get a hotel at a better price than if you leave it until nearer the dates.

👯Book a room for a group👯

Many hotels offer rooms that sleep more than the usual two people, so you can book a room for a group and split the price. You can also book an entire room in a hostel for your group to have to yourselves.

🧑‍🎓Stay in student accommodation🧑‍🎓

The dates for Edinburgh Fringe always fall in August, which is when students are on their summer holidays between terms, so many of the student accommodations become available for you to book a stay in, usually at much more affordable prices than nearby hotels.

🛣️Stay further out🛣️

Edinburgh is well-connected with public transport, so you can book accommodation a bit further out of central Edinburgh and travel in to visit the Fringe each day. You can even get to Glasgow in under an hour, and trains run really early and late.

🏕️Find a holiday park🏕️

Holiday parks can be a good bet if you are travelling with family, and you will also have the benefit of using the on site facilities when you aren't at the Fringe.

🐈Use pet or house sitting sites🐈

You can sign up to pet and house sitting sites such as TrustedHousesitters and House Sitters UK and get free stays (there is an annual fee) in exchange for looking after peoples pets or houses.

Transport

There are many different modes of transport to get to and from Edinburgh, and a few ways to get the best deal on your preferred choice of mode of transport.

⏰Book early⏰

The same applies for booking transport as for accommodation, the earlier you book, the cheaper you can book trains and flights. You can also get really cheap buses to and from Edinburgh.

🚂Book off-peak/exact train🚂

Booking transport for off-peak and at less desirable times can sometimes save you a lot on booking transport. The same applies for the type of ticket you buy, booking a train for an exact time can save you loads more than if you book a flexible ticket.

🪪Use a railcard🪪

There are many different railcards about that save you usually around a 1/3 off every journey. Even if you only use the railcard for one trip, it can still sometimes be worth it, as you can sometimes save more than the cost of buying the railcard.

🚙Park and ride🚙

To save on the cost of public transport, the stress of driving in a big city and the cost of parking in central Edinburgh, you can drive to certain car parks on the outskirts of the city and then jump on public transport for a short part of the journey to get closer to the action.

Edinburgh Fringe

Now we get to the good part, the actual festival itself. Edinburgh Fringe festival can be overwhelming and expensive, but it is also super fun, and here are our tips for saving money during your visits. It will take place from the 4th to the 28th of August 2023.

🤑Free shows🤑

There are many paid shows at the fringe, but there are also lots of shows you can see for free, you can find them easily by using the filter on the Edinburgh Fringe website. You will also stumble across buskers and other performers when you are walking around.

👀Preview shows👀

Many of the acts, artists, and shows put preview shows on in the first few days of the festival, to maybe test out the material in front of an audience for the first time and see how it is received or if there is anything they want to change. You can get tickets to these preview shows at a discounted rate.

💲Half price hut💲

Half price tickets can become available for shows that day or early the next morning. Check the website closer to the time for more information on bagging a bargain half price tickets.

💸2-for-1 tickets💸

Another way to save on ticket costs is to see a show when there are 2-for-1 offers available. These shows are usually available on selected shows on the first Monday and/or Tuesday of the festival.

💛Become a Fringe friend💛

By paying a yearly fee to become a 'friend', you can get some 2-for-1 offers, discounts and other perks such as priority booking. There are a number of different levels of 'friend' at different prices.

🧑‍💻Use discount sites🧑‍💻

There are many street food vendors and pop-up bars around the city, but if you really want to save on food and drinks during your stay, you could use discount sites that offer money off many restaurants and more.