Hi can someone advise please?
I am just starting out and this is my 1st event (it's the half on 22nd May, not in April) and we are travelling from the Newcastle / Sunderland area.
We could travel on the day but am not sure it's wise as it starts at 08.00am.
But so far B&B costs are prohibitive and they ask us to stay 2 nights! (Even the links from the organisers; and the Premier Inn type places are already fully booked)
What do people think of planning to travel up in the early morning?
(It's not as though a B&B is likely to give us breakfast at the time we need to go)
And then we need to keep warm and get clean again after the finish........
Any advice anyone? Thanks,
Pete
Comments
I definitely wouldn't recommend travelling from Newcastle to Edinburgh on the day as that's a terrible journey. You could try hotels outside Edinburgh - Dunbar and North Berwick are on the way to Edinburgh from Newcastle and you would be a lot closer or try places like South Queensferry or the South of Fife (eg Dunfermline) or Falkirk. Most of these places will have public transport into Edinburgh if you didn't fancy driving, but you'd need to check on availability at that time on a Sunday.
Hope that helps a bit.
Thanks all,
Will go for something a little closer as suggested - and the local swimming pool idea had occurred to me.
Pete
Hi Pete
I'm also running this as my first half marathon (I've done 1 10k before). I don't know if it's any help but there's an easyhotel opened up in the centre of Edinburgh. I wouldn't imagine it's luxury, and I believe the rooms are tiny (never used them myself), but may be preferable to travelling up at that time before running 13 miles, depending on the price??
Failing that, as Fiona says, somewhere close to Edinburgh depending on the transport on a Sunday morning.
Cheers
Mike
I'm basically looked around the stations on the train lines on the way out of Edinburgh for places to stay.
I've settled on the Premier Inn at Falkirk - a double room is £54 and the train will take me right into the city centre.
If all things are equal, a room in North Berwick would be better than Falkirk because you could catch an almost empty train at the end of the day from the Musselburgh racecourse area. (Getting back into the city from Musselburgh at the end of the race -- either bus or train -- is time-consuming. Or at least was last year.) I could personally recommend a B+B in Dirleton, but it's not convenient by train from the race.
for those suggesting to stay outside of the city centre I would recommend checking that there is public transport available.
I am based in Stirling (not far from Falkirk) but have to stay with a friend in Edinburgh on the Saturday night as no public transport will get me to the start line on time.
Hi all,
Thanks for the support
I've found what sounds like a lovely B&B so I'm sorted for Edinburgh. (And I only pay for the 1 night)
I found it by:
looking on line for B&Bs that had no internet site and no on line booking facilities.
I then sent e-mails asking if they had vacancies or if not could they recommend somewhere.
Of course I could have telephoned but this allowed me to e-mail directly with minor modifications to each e-mail so that it was "personalised" to the advert.
(I also used Trip Advisor to identify B&Bs to write to).
There will be many less B&Bs in Newcastle but this strategy may work for you.
It may be possible to prioritise by location so there is less hassle after the finish
My next step would have been to try pub accomodation and move outside the city but bearing in mind transport considerations. (I don't know the arrangements / restrictions on the day in Newcastle). I assume you have tried places like the Premier Inn etc and found the same problem I did.
Good luck