A Racing Weekend in Edinburgh

[Tuffers]

Now that Cheltenham’s out of the way I’ve turned my mind to a possible weekend trip to Musselburgh for the Easter meeting.

Can any forumites recommend the best travel options from the Midlands (I’ve already discounted driving to Scotland and back over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend!) and a good place to stay in Edinburgh?

[Irish Stamp]

Train would be picturesque – West Coast Mainline to Glasgow and then on to Edinburgh, takes in the lake district etc.

[Robert Gibbs]

Oh how I miss my tour guide days……….

Anyway Tuffers a good option might be something I made use of last year.
If you have a look here http://www.superbreak.com/promo/rail.htm

I’ve checked before I posted, and their still have lots of availability over the easter weekend.

It’s two nights hotel accomodation and an open saver return rail ticket, I booked two of these last year and it really is a good deal, especially for last minute bookings as the train fares alone would could a fortune to Edinburgh.

If you put in Edinburgh as your departure station at first you’ll then see that the stations you can travel too will be the ones you can depart from to go to Edinburgh, if that makes sense. There aren’t any really in the midlands, Peterborough might be an option I don’t know, but even if you booked it from London, I’m sure you could join it from a later station.

The cheapest hotel at the moment is £100 per person, for 2 nights includes the return ticket. I stayed in the Royal Terrace Hotel last year, it’s very central, good facilties, staff were friendly etc etc

The train ticket is an open saver, so if you were to go on Saturday 23rd you could catch the train of your choice, as it’s the weekend. As the Monday is a bank holiday you wouldn’t have any restrictions either. If you went on the Friday you wouldn’t be allowed on a peak train (usually before 9:30am)

Taking the tour guide hat off again now

[Tuffers]

Thanks for that, Robert.

[robnorth]

Tuffers

A couple of points regarding the Bank Holiday travel.

There won’t be ap eak time restriction on the Friday since it’s Good Friday. However, the down side might be that it’s more expensive.

As fas road travel is concerned it may not be quite the pain that you would think. Good Ftriday is generally a holiday in Scotland, but Easter Monday isn’t a Scotland wide holiday. As a bank worker I’ve got the day off, but the schools will be working as normal on Easter Monday, so my wife will be working. In many areas Scottish holidays tend to take precedence over Bank Holiday. There should be less traffic if you go back on the Mnoday.

I’m not over familiar with hotels in the Edinburgh area but I’ll ask around to see if anyone I know has any advice.

I’m racing that weekend, but I’m off to Kelso who are racing on the Saturday evening. It’s a busy day on the Saturday as the Fife Hunt point-to-point takes place at Balcormo Mains and that’s always well attended.

Rob

[Drone]

There are direct Birmingham – Edinburgh trains up the ‘East Coast’ via Sheffield York and Newcastle that may be quicker than trundling up the ‘West Coast’ via Glasgow

‘Saver’ tickets now masquerade under the name ‘Off Peak’ by the way

There are innumerable types of cheaper tickets that must be booked well in advance

I use:

http://www.qjump.co.uk/

and spend an evening perusing the alternatives

It’s often cheaper to buy two single tickets rather than a return if you can commit yourself to travelling on specific trains

In Edinburgh I tend to stay in the hotels on or around Princes Street

http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/edinburg.html

should offer choice enough

There’s a frequent train service from Edinburgh to Musselburgh, from which it’s a 20 minute walk to the racecourse

[% MAN]

There’s a frequent train service from Edinburgh to Musselburgh, from which it’s a 20 minute walk to the racecourse

Or get the train to Wallyford from where there is a free shuttle bus to the course.

[Tuffers]

Thanks, guys. All much appreciated.

[Author]

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