5 stars
Jim - England
March 2010
gpellis - England
4 stars
Mike - Scotland
This is an excellent and comfortable hostel in a superb situation for exploring one of the most beautiful cities in Europe (and possibly the world !) We thoroughly recommend it !
Sue - England
The Waverley Train station is about 10-15 minutes walk from the Youth Hostel. Our young son particularly loved the Camera Obscura (and all its visual illusions) and the attraction 'Our Dynamic Earth' was a major hit. Both visits take about 1.5 to 2 hours. We loved the Hub Cafe, on the Royal Mile, close to the Castle, with its bright colours and comfy sofas. It's good for coffee and cakes and lunches. Ness clothing is particularly worth a browse, ladies, for its brightly coloured tweeds and accessories.
4.5 stars
name goes here - Germany
aitch - England
Kirstyj - England
Deans - England
Superwoman - Spain
In the website they say that there is free shuttle. Be careful, it's not true, they used to have shuttle from the airport but it doesn't work now.
Ricardo - Mexico
Steve Abbott, Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury - England
Our sttay at Edinburgh Central was excellent. The food was great (70 boys will corroborate that!) and nothing was too much trouble for the staff. Thank you.
mucha - Japan
February 2010
convenient hostel
RH - Bahrain
3.5 stars
keyes - England
The Hostel was very well positioned for the centre of the city. It was either a 10 minute walk from the Railway station or if carrying heavy bags was well served by local buses. It has its own self catering restaurant and its own cafe but it is also in an area with numerous restaurants, cafes and take-aways.
experienced hosteller - Scotland
Richard - England
derek - Australia
Welshtone - Ireland (Republic)
Paolo - Italy
3 stars
Wendelena50 - England
jackie50 - England
edinburgh hostel is such a convienient hostel for the center of the city and to travel around the area-we did both we are not youths (we are 4 active "grannies")- the hostel accomadated us with comfort and had all that was required for the 4 night stay. 5stars are deserved by this hostel.
thelma - Scotland
Lindsay - Scotland
laura - England
What a contrast to an equivalent stay in a London Hostel same time last year. Everything in the Hostel was great. It was clean, the room was pleasant, the showers powerful, the breakfast was lovely and location of Hostel within easy walking distance of city centre. Would not hesitate to stay again.
Pietro - Italy
Richard Tee - England
5 star comfort in the centre of Edinburgh-enjoy.
FAUSTINO SPAIN - Spain
anonymous - England
Phillip Goodrum - England
Tobi - Germany
January 2010
DAVID - Spain
microbe - England
It has everything any reasonable person could want. But it has no soul.
jodian - New Zealand
Traveller - Portugal
Daniel PM - Spain
The hostel is really good, cleaner and with more facilities than many others (although it is even more expensive than others...) I recomment it (If you do not mind to pay a little more)
Fen - Scotland
ksmwl - Australia
Aline - France
Angelika - Germany
fuzzypeg - Scotland
Very convenient for bus and train stations. Excellent self-catering facilities
Andre - England
Floresta - Brazil
steve mcqueen - Scotland
AI - Japan
Charis - England
We had an absolutely superb stay... Edinburgh Central combines the advantages and facilities of a traditional Youth Hostel with the standards and customer service of the prime location city centre hotel that it is!!
JO - Scotland
KEVIN HUTCHENS-STONEHAVEN - Scotland
Great location for Central Edinburgh
Kasiti/Thailand - Thailand
big bird - England
the family adapted room is spacious with two private facilities excellent for wheelchair use. book early for thiis room.
amy - England
Andream - Switzerland
tiromail - England
Cristina - Spain
tstatho - Greece
Frank - Wales
SJ - Wales
Carla - England
Z - England
Lovely hostel. Like a 5 star hotel apart from sharing a bedroom with 5 other people! But definately the best way to stay in Edinburgh.
ruby - Peoples Republic of China
December 2009
2.5 stars
w - American Samoa
Marie - Scotland
Close to train station and easy to find.
Louise Plewes - England
French girl - France
Edinburgh
Peter - England
marco - italy - Italy
dereksitou - Macau
15-20 min from train station. Simple but good enough for a short stay. will stay again.
lighthouse - Germany
groove - Netherlands
Alfred - Italy
Elvet - England
We brought a group of teenagers by train to Waverley and walked the short distance to the hostel. The weekend they had in Edinburgh (despitethe foul rain on Saturday) was described as excellent, cool, mint and generally praised. Corstophine Hill on a dark Friday night was memorable.
Vasilis - Greece
Colin M - Scotland
Abi_traveller - Scotland
elaine - England
tickey74 - England
The only downside to our trip was taking our bags to Waverley St on the morning of our departure, the left luggage at the station was £7 per item which is a real rip-off. The left luggage at the Hostel would have been only a couple of pounds.
mickyl - England
taz - Australia
steaphan - Scotland
Fabio - Brazil
Edinburgh and the castles are wonderful. Scotland great country. Don't loose your time. Go to Scotland now.
guvnorx - Scotland
this was my first stay in a Scottish Youth Hostel. However, having stayed in many around the world and more recently in London, I have to say that the Edinburgh Central Hostel was in a league of it's own. The dorms were excellent and the staff were so helpful and friendly. I would highly recommend a stay here.
tweena - Scotland
helpful staff.clean and tidy.expensive but it is central for all attractions.noisy if staying in the front rooms over looking main road.would recommend the conran doyle pub for good pub grub at a reasonable price.
wulfried - France
Tim - England
Rhi - Australia
A great hostel but better experienced if your in a group. Individual travellers might feel a bi alienated but nevertheless it is one of the best hostels I have stayed at!
Bob Brown - England
Dutch - Netherlands
Haich - Australia
katz - Japan
very friendly stuff and new building hostel. close to the station and nice location.
dee - Republic of China (Taiwan)
November 2009
zheng zhou - Scotland
Man Chan - England
ken - England
it would be better if the check-in time is earlier and the lockers are free. i also find few of the reception staff was not as friendly as the kitchen staff, breakfast food just so-so. but very impressed with the cleanliness of the rooms, beds, linens, and bathroom. location was okay too, about 15-20 minutes walk to the city centre. all and all a great hostel and will definitely stay there again.
Bernard - England
Elaine - England
Comfortable stay.
Carole - England
Great location near the city centre for shopping, doing the sights and sounds and for onward travel. Tours of Scotland can be arranged from the Hostel as a bonus. And the Post Office across the road is handy for sending your postcards home.
psalm 1 - England
Edinburgh central youth hostel is one of the best run Y hostels that I have stayed in. I have stayed in quite a lot of Y hostels on my travels also it is not to far from the main railway station.
branded - Russia
djamespri - Germany
Anon - England
Ken - Scotland
Noo - England
Fantastic hostel in a great location. The only thing letting it down was the attitude of the chef, all the other staff were so friendly and couldn't do enough to help.
frank leppert - Germany
the best yha i stayed in is in Bristol. it has got excellent facilities and the atmosphere is great. clifton suspension bridge is breathtaking. the nightlife in the city is wicked. there are plenty of restaurants and cafes.
zak - England
it is a brilliant hostel to stay in, looks modern and the staff are very friendly. The rooms are pleasant. There is no games room unlike other YHA's i have stayed at. there is also no hot drinks machine which is a shame especially after a late night in the winter periods.
Hanna - Germany
Anne - England
lily - Wales
Tonia, Tweed Heads, Australia - Australia
Fabulous location for Edinburgh. Make the most of the wonderful clean kitchen and washing facilities as they were one of the cheapest in Scotland and Republic of Ireland!! Would not hesitate in recommending this hostel to travellers of ALL ages!!
blah - United States of America
October 2009
dolphin - England
Helen - England
Himb - Hungary
tracy - England
Linzie - Scotland
Easily accessible by mainline bus services from the north of England and Scotland.
Michelle - Scotland
nnnnn - Scotland
ROSE MOLONEY - Scotland
REMEMBER TO BRING A TOWEL AND SAVE A POUND ! BRING A BOOK THERE'S NO BOOKSHELF AND LAPTOP FOR CHEAPER CONNECTION. LOVELY LINEN PROVIDED, GOOD BEDS.
Shane - Peoples Republic of China
I like the softly and comfortably bed.
Barts - England
Excellant place to stay for sightseeing and able to walk easily from rail station. Great atmosphere terrific food and very friendly staff
Brian Tomlin - England
Overall a very impressive hostel! Only the eating zone adjacent to self-catering kitchen was unattractive. The room was excellent if you kept the window closed to shut out the traffic noise, but then the quilt was too hot for September. Tip: the Irish pub just down the road has good beer and excellent live music on Monday evenings.
jac - Australia
Ian - England
AmberB - Canada
GreigS - Scotland
spanish couple - Spain
The staff was very nice.The kitchen downstairs is really nice, but the bedrooms are very small and the shower too.We had no table.This place is thought only for groups, not for couples.No double rooms.It is OK for some few days, no romantic days.
A great youth hostel, and if you've used hostels before you'll be more than satfisfied with this: the facilities are great, the bistro and bar are great value, and the rooms are clean and comfortable. Just bear in mind that this is a very popular hostel, with lots of people willing to and fro, so it will not feel as personal or cozy as the smaller hostels. Also, it's in a city, and not everyone will be booking here with the intention of getting an early night/early start: some will be in Edinburgh for the nightlife, so could make the nights rowdy and slightly unpleasant as I found on one occasion. But this is nothing to do with the hostel per se, but the other people. All in all, very good, and would definitely go again.
Ian - Ireland (Northern)
H A S - England
Edinburgh Botanic Gardens are withing walking distance of Leith Road Hostel and provide year round interest. Architecture in Edinburgh New Town well worth a wander around.
Nicolas SAUCISSE - France
September 2009
Ricki - Australia
Jenny - Republic of China (Taiwan)
speedy mouse - Scotland
i highly recommend people visiting this hostel when in edingburgh and its about 5-10 minutes from the city center, also the breakfast in the morning is good value.
travelers - Germany
Julius Caesar - Colombia
Lorraine Whyley - England
easy to get to, on foot or by number 22 bus from princes street, easy to get around edinburgh by bus, £3 day ticket on lothian buses great value for money.
swew lin - Singapore
nil
cam - New Zealand
Duke - Germany
yo - France
Jeffrey - Republic of China (Taiwan)
niubib - Germany
juande - Spain
Steven Kirby St.Helens - England
I had a great stay here, friendly helpful staff, great atmosphere, belting food, nice clean room, i stayed in a 4 bunk room on the 2nd floor with easy access either from the stairs or lifts. Tip1: if you are new to, or returning to youth hosteling as I was, throw a towel or item of clothing on your bunk to show it has been taken, otherwise it may appear to be an empty bunk and you may get a surprise when you jump in your bunk in the dark. Tip 2: If you have a disability, it would be wise to inform the hostel when booking, either on-line or by phone, of your needs & requirements to avoid any disappointment on arrival. Yes, I would recommend this hostel as a great friendly place to stay.
YveS - France
A very pleasant hostel with the beautiful Joanne at desk.
Claudia - Germany
angusb - Scotland
figaro - France
Simple ,clean and basic accomodation-well priced and well placed-will stay there again as it is an affordable option for a single mum
alan.m - England
their is a distinct lack of bakers shops in edinburgh,publicity should be given to the small bakers near to the bottom of leith walk.
Susie - England
Don't forget to bring a towel!! Only a 10 minute walk from the train station which is great. Very clean & quiet :)
traveller - Australia
shasa - Hong Kong
excellent. because the price is steeper than a normal backapacker hostel, it attracts the right kind of people, who wants comfort, is respectful. quiet in the room and clean. Highly recomended
piro71 - Germany
olga - Spain
Matthias - Germany
me - Germany
Mel - England
marselo - Italy
setanta7 - Latvia
The location, not far from the end of Prince's Street , places it as very handy for all that the city offers. Excellently maintained.
James - England
Excellent hostel with very friendly staff. The Bistro provided a great meal at a reasonable price. Very close to Edinburgh Waverley Station and local facilities.
jessie - England
anne65 - Scotland
The facilities are excellent, the staff very friendly and helpful and this made for a wonderful experience. I would DEFINITELY go back and have no hesitation in recommending it to all.
J - Ireland (Republic)
a recent visitor - England
Sarah - England
Capri5orn - South Africa
Take a tour of the highlands; absolutely beautiful!
anonymus - Italy
david - England
George - Hong Kong
Mon - England
palani - England
Thierry - Luxembourg
We had a nice stay in Edinburgh in august. the streets are very crowdy but we enjoyed the small shows of the Fringe festival. Edinburgh is iundergoing major road works at the moment, so those planning to use a GPS in the car... it's not very easy to get to the Youth Hostel! Otherwise the hotel is situated at a crossroad that remains busy at night and our room was therefore very noisy...and warm as we could not open the window beacause of the noise. Also there is no ventilation in the rooms... thank god we had a private room. Nevertheless, I recommend the youth hostel for short stays, but plan to have more restful nights afterwards ;-)
hjuh - England
Maria E. Albarran-Alvarez - Spain
The best city in the world after mine, lol!!!!!
John - England
Rumple - Germany
NCR - Spain
pawski - Denmark
Michael - United States of America
bullpower - England
Pei Pei Yang - Scotland
jmv - Spain
Thoosie - England
lerch-k - Switzerland
ducono - France
anon - England
Jerem - France
pscutt - Scotland
rats - South Africa
August 2009
this is a good city hostel
Tez - England
The hostel was efficient, friendly and clean. Our check-in was excellent and lots of useful information was given to us. The breakfast experience was a bit odd as we had booked for a cooked breakfast but were surprised this did not include cereals, most places would. That was our only hitch. We will be back.
Robert - Sweden
Tatiana - Russia
Love Edinburgh ,great place to be this City is to be firmly recommended .
Huldi - Switzerland
Kevin - England
A good base for exploring Edinbugh, but the nightclub in the basement can be noisy with patrons standing in the street outside.
Pipeband - Sweden
Good standard and good beds, though towels are extra. Very noise breakfast room.
mo - Netherlands
seenit=) - England
willi - Germany
Ikke - Belgium
family d - France
Philipp - Germany
joe bloggs - New Zealand
iBean - Canada
What the Edinburgh Central hostel lacks in atmosphere it makes up for in its location (though the directions to people on foot needs some work). I appreciated all of its green facilities. Once you figure your way around all the current road construction and road blockages as a result (just in time for Edinburgh's high tourist season), its location makes it easy to get to the Royal Mile, the Old Town, shopping on Princes Street, etc. It's a 15 minute walk from the Royal Mile. I recommend the free (but donate a tip at the end) historical walks that are in brochures at the hostel. It’s a fun way to get to know the city. If you don't mind the cholesterol, the Castle Rock shop on Grassmarket in the Old Town is a source of deep fried Mars Bars!
rosca - Spain
cc - England
Kristin - Norway
jacqueline - Republic of China (Taiwan)
anon - South Africa
do not leave any belongings unattended.
Fumie Suzuki - Japan
Jeemac - Scotland
This is a lovely modern city-centre in a fantastic location. A great base for a stay in Edinburgh.
Prely - France
yossarian - Germany
Maureen - Australia
weeanna - England
ozzie - Australia
st Andrews - France
July 2009
Koen Nieuwborg - Belgium
aso4200 - Denmark
fergus5522 - England
Bettina Amm - Germany
Good place to stay in Edinburgh. Short ways to pubs and a lot of places of interest....
uta - Germany
Friedrich Schildger - Germany
First of all is to visit the Edinburgh Castle, then the Royal-Mile, Carlton Hill and Arthur's seat. Take your Meals in Restaurants behind Royal Mile (it's much cheaper)
blueflower - Germany
dozza1957 - Scotland
A great hostel so centrally located for all Edinburgh city attractions, reasonable price if a bit higher than usual because of it's location.
sarah - United States of America
tkringle - Australia
teerth hiremath - India
Its the most cost-effective & hygenic accomadation, there are o B&B services available at this cost. A must place to stay. :-)
Jdenby - England
Sheena - Scotland
Rawfyrocks - England
massi - Italy
bearwalk - United States of America
Tipsi - Germany
Marke - New Zealand
If you want a cheap way to see the city - buy a £3 all day Lothian bus pass and ride them in all directions.
2 stars
Paul - Sweden
sandya - United States of America
First rate hostel in an excellent location. Nicely appointed, well manged. A few hundred meters from the bus and rail station, but get oriented before you head off.
Ninad Raikar - India
Try the Edinbugrh free tours. There is a tour company called European walking tours (or somehting similar) which takes you around Edinburgh for free. Its a 3 hour tour. Also go for the organised 'pub crawls'. The brochure is available at the youth hostel reception
toto - United States of America
It took me a few days to learn the bus system and the numbered bus routes and where they go, but everyone at the hostel and Edinburgers were very friendly and helpful. You need to go to the top of the hill on the left, to the bus stop across from the large department store to easily catch several buses going to Princess St.
erina - Italy
paul - Italy
abc - India
An Korvat - Belgium
The best of all the Scottish Youth Hostels I slept in... An example for all the other SYHA's. If you go to Edinburgh: stay there!
Judy - England
josh8576 - Germany
Bessie - England
Lou28 - England
Better facilities than if staying in a Budget Hotel and much friendlier atmosphere. The best place within walking distance of city centre for budget travellers to stay.
Geranium - Scotland
Midori - Japan
maggie0417 - Australia
Fantastic hostel, so new, neat and tidy. It was just like a nice hotel room. The facitilites are great too, washing machine and dryer downstairs and place to cook our meals if we wished.
linoa - France
Heinz - Austria
June 2009
Sweetie67 - France
Nice location in Edinburgh (about 15 minutes walk from the city centre), rooms clean, nice building. However, my experience of the staff was really unfriendly, and the atmosphere was really "individualist". If you want to meet people and chat, go somewhere else.
Dicky Ticker - England
puffo - Italy
peterofbrill - England
susie - Italy
juAN - Argentina
me - England
Jasper - England
marie - Austria
braveheart - United States of America
Rainald - Germany
Arnold - Germany
Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel is a wonderfull place to stay. We enjoyed very much.
Frank - Germany
Room, public areas and kitchen spotlessly clean. We had a family room with en-suite facilities. Even soap was provided, and the beds have little reading lights. Very bright lobby and breakfast area. The hostel is easy to find and situated within easy walking distance to Waverley train station, Royal mile and castle.
Marco - Netherlands
pj - England
The excellent accommodation, good food and friendly staff contributed to a most enjoyable experience.
Edo - Spain
shazwilky - England
Our first trip to a Scottish Youth Hostel was similar to staying in a high star hotel. My son's first words were 'mum! We don't have to make our beds! and they aren't bunk beds!". It was a short walk from Princes Street and attractions and had lots of places to eat and a great bus service nearby. Only problem was eating when 3 large groups came in but we just ate out. Luggage lockers were great as we didnt want to leave until the evening.
Traveller - England
Great location and all amenities. Definate recommend
abc - Peoples Republic of China
Hou fengxian
NZ Jo - New Zealand
Exit Waverley Station the back way - save a long walk
Lizzy - Scotland
Wanderer - Germany
Mags - England
adrian - Scotland
cherry - Scotland
Annie B - Scotland
Found it quite noisy as room below street level - maybe best to stay at back of building if possible.
Kate the Hat - England
DaveB - England
Brian - England
Stephanie - Germany
max planck - Germany
german class - Germany
nataliabalia - Poland
gerart - France
laurmurf - England
MJ - England
Pradeep - England
Arnie - Ireland (Republic)
Nick T - England
Excellent example of a city centre youth centre, ideally located close to, but not in the centre of the city. Eat and drink in the immediate, residential, area and feel like a local rather than a tourist
Deshar Primary - Scotland
Dale Lewington - England
The location of the hostel is fantastic for a city break in Edinburgh as nearly everything is within walking distance - the location will only be bettered once the tram line works are complete in 2011. The facilities at the hostel are as better than some hotels with all of the staff being freindly and helpful. I would recomend this hostel to any one considerting staying in Edinburgh.
PaulaY - England
Very centrally located - but it's a bit more than a 10 minute walk if you have luggage with you!
Peter - Scotland
Leith Walk, on which the hosteo stands, is a fascinating cosmopolitan area.
lulu - Italy
westbromtom - England
Mac C - England
May 2009
I liked the bar and brekfast facilities as I was travelling light and didn't want to have to cook. The hostel is easily accessed by bike and there are some pretty good cycle paths to use. I approached Edinburgh using the Union canal and there is a cycle route taking you across the Meadows and up to the Royal Mile from where it is all down hill to Leith Walk. Leaving I joined a cycle trail which jpined NCN 1 to cross the Forth Road bridge then onto the Fife Coastal route to Kirkcaldy.
pernmom - United States of America
No towels provided bring your own or rent at front desk.
Gonzalo - Spain
schnick - Germany
kaschoe - Germany
BY - Malaysia
HEGVT - United States of America
This was my favorite Hostel in Scotland. I recommend going up to the Isle of Skye and walking some of the West Highland Way
saiadave - England
goegie - Germany
alejandrol - Spain
igelgirl - Germany
brian h - England
Highly recommended for City visits.
c - England
AEB - United States of America
A clean efficient very modern facility in a great location. Loved it.
kiki - Germany
alim - Germany
April 2009
Alexander - England
ADRIAN - Mexico
Psi Raptor - India
Yves - Belgium
davidpenfoldward - England
chloe - Hong Kong
November 2008
Very good location and competively priced - even for mid August when the Fringe is in full swing and good accomodation is hard to find. Will be going back again next year.
Morag - Scotland
Lorna - Scotland
Good hostel but less convenient for main High Street venues during Festival time .
Chriton Seward - Scotland
Nice hostel. Great staff. and anyone who complains about the 500m walk from the train station should not be backpacking in the first place.