2.5 stars
R F Bell - New Zealand
September 2011
Please be aware that the price for accomodation is stepped up during the festival season, without any prior notice. I would recommend fellow YHA members to book alternative more reasonably priced accomodation well in advanced.
3.5 stars
Tanja - Germany
5 stars
Evan John - Wales
Cheap, central and all working - fabulous in other words!
4 stars
John - Germany
1 stars
Ruth - Israel
the location is very good, all the rest is very basic and simple and why they charge for Internet access, I do not understand, its a university for god sake
4.5 stars
Judith - England
This is an ideal hostel if you want somewhere convenient for the centre of Edinburgh but as it is all separate student flats don't expect to see many other hostellers.
3 stars
Rainyday - England
emilia - Chile
pog - England
Rabatquincehouse - England
This was a perfect venue for the Edinburgh Fringe - everything in walking distance. We shared a flat for a party of four and it was great having our own rooms and a kitchen / seating area to relax in and cook some of our own meals - which saved money. It was basic, but functional -which is all you need for the Fringe. Rooms facing the courtyard will be quieter at night than those facing the street - which is what we had - but it was not a big problem. We would certainly use it again.
Hector - France
2 stars
Becs Barker - Scotland
Edinburgh is well documented and a great place to visit. I would urge travellers to Edinburgh to explore other places too that they might not consider e.g. Glasgow's museums and art galleries, Argyll and Bute and other places off the beaten track
GD - England
yves - Belgium
Tedra - United States of America
A bit clearer on the directions will help. I went to three different people (2 other hostels and one tourtist activity booking agent) and was sent in the wrong direction each time. Once we got there it was easy and we always used Blackfriar as our street for orienting ourselves. Your staff too were exceptionally helpful. After finding the hostel at long last we were told our room was on the 6th floor (no lift) and seeing that I was perhaps still a youth in spirit but not in body, she offered and carried my bag to the room. I so appreciated it!!! Thank you. It was great to be so close to the Royal Mile and all the Fringe activities.
Al - England
Maggie - England
A great place to stay during the Edinburgh Festival - central, secure and reasonably quiet.
Anonymous - Japan
Alastair - Scotland
jockp - United States of America
Great location and stay fo the money. Save money on food being that there is kitchen. Great friendly staff. The only thing I dont like is the beds are small and not comfortable at all. They need to be replaced . I go here every year and ALL the rooms have terrible beds.
Kabu - England
Old Exile - Scotland
The Edinburgh Metro is a great place to stay if you want to be in the heart of the Old Town Festival area. It is easily reached on foot from Waverley station via Market Street and Cockburn Street. Then cross the High Strret and descend to Cowgate. If you are able climb to Arthur's Seat for fantastic views of the city and the firth.
belleray - Ireland (Republic)
For the fringe these self contained apartments are great for groups, fully functional and its great to be able to cook for yourself and just hang around for a chat. Perfect for access to loads of the gigs too.
Mature traveller - England
Perfectly adequate overnight acomodation. In a very good location. Comfy beds. Nice 'flat' with useful cooking facilities. Would certainly use again. But it is student accomodation, so basic.
dmc - United States of America
tubby - England
ned kelly - England
PeaTeaBee - England
ELSIEMAY - Scotland
Great central location but check out other options, especially if travelling with a partner. Basic accommodation is only a bargain if you're paying basic prices.
Sue - England
Great location for Edinburgh Fringe
anon1810 - Scotland
Perfect town centre site for edfringe. Brilliant staff. Comfortable accommodation. Highly recommended.ano
niska - France
A very well located place but make sure you ask for a room at the back or you will have problems sleeping with the noise of the bars and those who have had one too many on Cowgate, and there are quite a lot of them during the festival, especially at weekends.
forfar - England
ghfy - England
Fringe fan - United States of America
Travelling Girl - England
August 2011
Excellent place for the fringe-central location. Having a kitchen is great we saved money by eating in-thanks to tesco just up the hill!!
amc - Spain
Tina - Germany
Roxanne R-W - United States of America
I've stayed at the SYHA's summer Cowgate youth hostel before and certainly will again if I get the chance. It's superbly located to explore the heart of Edinburgh, with private rooms and a kitchen to cook all your meals!
tdwright - England
This hostel is in the most ideal place to see Edinburgh/The fringe. If you don't know the town I assure you this location cannot be beat. Once you have your key you have complete independence and privacy but there are also opportunities to meet other people.
no - England
travelman - England
Darcy - Germany
Auro - Spain
Janet - Scotland
CATHY - England
loet - Netherlands
M - United States of America
Matej Pavlicek - Scotland
ching - Hong Kong
Rosi - Germany
silentb0b - Scotland
Ruth - Scotland
room where I was was very noisy at night with noise from the street, especially as it was too hot to sleep with window shut
Vere - Netherlands
Mary M. - France
info@dav-giessen.de - Germany
kanda81 - England
Convenient for town centre and local eating. Not disturbed by noise.
q - Australia
me - England
Marion - England
A fantastic city centre location making sight-seeing hassle free however, be aware that the number of bars and clubs in the area mean it can get very noisy at night.
Sasha - Germany
July 2011
Very conveniently located!
Lucida - Republic of China (Taiwan)
really good location, clean facilities!
Lana - Russia
I would recommend this hostel for those travelling in groups of 8-12 people-a very good choice to stay together in one apartament with kitchen facilities and dining room to have breakfast and dinner together and to feel privacy while having your own single room but having your teammates next door. I find it correct to divide flats into male and female ones. And the position of the place close to the historical High Street-Royal Mile is beneficial-you get everywhere on foot in a very short time. There is a Tesco in a 2 min walk that is also very convenient. I have stayed at Metro in 2004 and this year (2011) in July and I am really pleased with cleanness and the helpful staff though they need some redecoration.
German Couple - Germany
jogle - England
Martin - Sweden
Go for the small roads in the northwest. Marvellous sights and friendly people.
jhavier - Spain
JB - United States of America
We enjoyed having private rooms and use of the kitchen ~ lovely stay! Not the place to go to meet people, however.
Bettina - Germany
Therese - Australia
The single room and 1 bathroom between 4 bedrooms was good. It would have been nice to have a toaster in the kitchen and bed lamps in the bedrooms.
abc - Switzerland
Anders - Sweden
Great non ends beds! I´m 6´9" =) Private room as deafult. Just two minutes walk up to the Royal Mile. This is a great youth hostel!
Mladen - Slovenia
Patrick Bentley - England
Family-of-five - Denmark
Ce - Argentina
tricia - New Zealand
October 2010
PETER L - England
BRING EAR PLUGS
Sarah - New Zealand
September 2010
Parking is expensive in this area but the locatione is very handy and central. Washing facilities on site are a bonus but the flat kitchen facilitie are a bit sketchy. Overall though the beds are comfortable and the faciilities are adequate.
Smith - England
This youth hostel is excellently situated in Edinburgh for visiting the different Edinburgh fringe events. Certainly not luxurious but good enough for a short stay.
Ilse - Germany
Safe, clean, comforable and central.
Vinod - India
Edward K - Scotland
The location is great if you are going to the Festival
Joy - England
PEMMA - England
TOP STAFF AND GREAT LOCATION!
aileen - England
sailstothewind - England
I stayed in this hostel for the Fringe Festival 2010. This is a brilliant hostel if you want to be in the city centre, the hostel is literally 2 minutes away from the Royal Mile. The staff were lovely, very helpful and happy to explain anything. The room is very private and mine had a single bed, wardrobe, desk and chest of drawers (basic uni accomodation). The flat consists of several single rooms with 2 bathrooms/toilets and a communal kitchen. I hardly saw anyone staying in my flat so it was quiet. If you're looking to experience the Fringe without a huge price this is a brilliant place to stay.
Doris, Austria - Austria
Great place to stay especially if you travel alone and want privacy. Very central. Friendly staff. I can really recommend it.
KA - England
Although not the most luxurious of accomodation the position is good, right in the middle of everything that is going on in the Fringe and close to the fantastic Edinburgh attractions.
GDinShrops - England
Tracy - England
A good central location. A short 10 min walk from the rail station. Reception in car park area. Edinburgh is rather hilly as a town so would suggest flat shoes rather than hills if sightseeing around the town. If coming up by rail (on the sleeper or leaving late afternoon/eve on day of departure) would suggest getting a plus bus ticket when you book your train tickets as you can then travel around the Edinburgh area. Bus station with times and maps signposted in town centre. Buses are very frequent.
Klepper - Germany
peateabee - England
Please provide something that will benefit your fellow travellers, as this comment will be submitted to our site for others to read.
Steffi - Austria
honeybee - England
An excellent location for many fringe festival venues.
Mads - England
anna - Spain
mary - England
Billybob - England
anneke - Netherlands
Relatively quiet spot in noisy Edinburgh. Private and secure. Good startingpoint for walks to Arthurs Seat and along the Leith. Close to all venues of the Fringe and the Festival. Busses, trains, shops, pubs and restaurants close by. Lovely town.
Mary - England
Ed N. Burger - Spain
I would recommend the Metro hostel for the single traveller. It's in the heart of the city and has a high standard of cleanliness.
toinkca - Canada
Great location! Just two caveats: (1) Be aware that there is no lift, so you may have to walk up four floors. Consider leaving whatever you don't absolutely need in the luggage room. (2) Cowgate can get very noisy at night -- bring earplugs or plan to use a personal music device!
JAVAL - Spain
RYU - England
One toilet and bathroom for six costomers are not enough. Besides, they cannot be used at the same time.
Stanley - England
fourthofapint - England
Schnorbitz - England
donald duck - Scotland
Jane - United States of America
August 2010
KEVIN HUTCHENS - Scotland
Great location to enjoy the Fringe
Nina W - England
Klaas - Netherlands
Tom - Scotland
stephen - England
bexter - England
Spanish - Spain
Paolo - Italy
haylesbeth - England
Elisabeth - Netherlands
joy - Canada
A lovely break to have your very own room while backpacking and being in dorms all along my journey!
Judith P - Wales
Very central for Festival and Old Town but noisy from street at all times. Take earplugs.
aissek - Germany
e - United States of America
sarstep - Scotland
Alison - England
Excellant service: friendly and efficient staff, and clean facilities.
Ellie - Germany
ewanwr - Scotland
great location to all attractions in the center of Edinburgh
Edward Kellow - Scotland
Great place to stay for the festival
joelle - France
Markw - England
ol griz - United States of America
Ken - Scotland
Katja - Finland
Dodi - Scotland
orson - United States of America
MUST take one of the "free" tours that leave from by Starbucks. The hostel staff had mentioned them. More than worth the money (you tip what you think it was worth and we gave him a decent sum) for a four hour historical walking tour on which we learned a lot about Edinburgh and Scotland.
Andrea - Peoples Republic of China
Caroline - France
george - Germany
isaac - England
July 2010
Lydia - England
Pat - Brazil
This hostel appears to be a converted university dormitory. As such, each room is private and locked behind two doors (room and suite) that made it nearly impossible for me to reach other people who were travelling with me but not staying in the same suite. There is no room-to-room calling capability, and a pan-hostel common room is non-existant. Location is fine though tucked away and a bit hard to find.
Alexandra - Spain
No privacy, at 10 when is the check out they enter your room without even knocking at the door. I found it expensive for the services they offer.
brian - England
October 2009
ilse - Germany
September 2009
Aussie - Australia
Reviewer666 - New Zealand
Olga - Poland
I would certainly use SYHA once I'm in Scotland. I've stayed in some of their hostels and all of them were really clean and safe with friendly and really helpful staff:)
IAA - Spain
Ray - New Zealand
Definitely stay at the Metro hostel if you get the chance, your own room and privacy for the price of a normal 4,6bed hostel, it was the best of all the hostels i visited in 3mnths in scotland, ireland and the uk!
feststayer - England
MATHILDE - France
Ted - Canada
Great security and privacy, the only drawback is when you travel with a member of the opposite sex, they are located in a different locked apartment and the room's phones are disabled, so reaching your partner can be complicated.
Edinburgh Metro gives you privacy in a central location within walking distance of the Pleasance and other main attractions at the festival. It is fantastic value.
Magoo! - England
Jane Weare - England
hotspur - England
&&&& - Wales
h2osarah - Canada
This place was perfect if all you wanted was a cheap, single room in a great location. It was very basic, not a place to meet people either, but for my needs (I wanted a place to sleep during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that was somewhere central to the show venues) it was perfect. Two downsides were that my room smelled strongly of smoke (despite it being a non-smoking place) and the bed was very creaky and uncomfortable. If and when I go back to Edinburgh, I would consider this place again. It was an inexpensive, single room which was clean, secure, and in the middle of town.
cocokouko - Japan
Bard - Norway
My third trip to Scotland in 2 years, and i`ve visited Oban, Stirling, Perth, Glasgow, Edinburgh , Isle of Mull, Isle of Bute and Gourock. All different places with their own atmospheres,but one in thing in common they had and that is the friendliness and kindness of the Scots !! Just brilliant all over the place :-) I`ll be back !!
PTB - England
Robyn - England
Meirion - Wales
Great location for the Fringe Festival.
alfie - England
helene - France
Great location, own bedroom, clean, open all night. Perfect for the festival in summer in you're travelling on your own.
mike - England
Ideal for the Festival as it has a dozen Fringe venues in a stone's throw although visitors need to be aware that the Cowgate is lively until 3AM,4AM in Festival time so a room facing out onto the street might not be for everyone.
macdonald - England
CC - Hong Kong
Eva - England
Jenny - England
howlieT - England
Great place to stop but perhaps consider bringing an ipod or something of the like if you want an early night, since whilst I was there the late night festival go-ers seemed to forget not everyone was capable of staying up til 3 or 4 am.
Frances - England
The Metro is brilliantly situated for the Edinburgh Fringe . It is less than 15 mins walk, even with heavy bag, from Waverley Station and is only some 5 - 7 minutes from the Royal Mile. Many of the Fringe venues are within 5 mins walk from the hostel. The use of self catering enables those staying at the Metro to limit costs by taking at least some meals within the flat. It is very convenient and I hope that SYHA is able to keep it as an option in the future.
alexandre bucaille - France
Scoltand is so exciting and such a nice country !
family traveler - United States of America
August 2009
rai - Spain
Paul - Australia
Alison - Australia
Perfect place to stay for the Festival, right in the heart of all the action. Not to mention all the free venues literally just outside the door. Beds were amazingly comfortable, loaction was fantastic, very secure, and easy to find. Definitely be using it next year
Anonymous - England
fox - England
Fantastic central location. Very friendly helpful staff
Bkk Ange - England
Perfectly located for all the venues of the Fringe Festival....well equipped and reasonably comfortable. A bit noisy at night sometimes due to late night revellers, but the convenience of being so centrally located was well worth it.
Julia, Norwich - England
Waverley Bridge, Scott monument behind you, go up hill & left Cockburn St, left at High St, right at South Bridge, into Infirmary St, 1st left (cobbled), right before night club into courtyard (barrier), follow temp signs. Cowgate lower level. 24 hr access really useful. Keys to the individual room, flat (6 rooms) & block, £10 deposit. Communal kitchen & dining area & 2 bathrooms in flat. Suggest bring own mug, coffee/tea, spoon. Can hire bath towel. Location excellent - shops (inc food), restaurants, pubs & festival venues nearby down Nicolson/Clerk St ("Zoo", Queen's Hall), & easy walking to city. Left luggage facility bus station St Andrew Square good £4-6. Festival info available at hostel. Careful closing window - read notice. Would stay again. Great city, very busy in August. Airport bus excellent £3.50. Buy castle tickets online in advance & take free tour. Great view from Crags. Central hostel cafe open to public.
Jack Spratt - England
darcy - Germany
threshold - Spain
Do not miss the Free Tour of the city!!!
SarahB - England
The very best place to enjoy the Edinburgh festival!
Flip De Ruifel - Netherlands
High Street Hostel is more lively.
Buzz - United States of America
cathy - England
Mrs T - England
Excellent location for Edinburgh Fringe; facilities/location/comfort all perfectly acceptable.
feduz - Italy
Bulky Antiquie - England
Very central. BY far the best SYH to stay during the Edinburgh Finge Festival.
J - England
As YHAs go, this is one of the better ones - uses student halls, so private rooms in flats rather than dorms. Younger feel to it and friendlier staff that most places, too - can't beat it for a cheap central place to stay.
axel - Poland
tandem rider - United States of America
Jude - New Zealand
inadequate car parking
cozzy - England
elsen - Indonesia
phil - England
Alien - Germany
There was no tap water in both bathrooms and obviously also some damage in the sanitary facilities, as there were always puddles on the floor. It also took quite a while to find out the mechanism how to switch on the heating of the shower water. apart from this we had a pleasant and quiet stay.
abc - Germany
tawat - France
A good place to stay in Edinburgh. Closed to the main places to visit.
bebop210 - United States of America
Definately great location and staff that will do anything to make your travels easier
Imaniman - Hong Kong
Maxi - Romania
smithraz - England
Skgirl - Canada
A little hard to find but very friendly and helpful staff. Don't take heavy luggage as there are stairs to get to the rooms, but very nice to have a private roo with a key. Definitely going back again!
lucille - United States of America
josepanzeri - Spain
Es imporrtante el tema enchufes y diferencias de electricidad o disponer algunos de ellos en recepción
arisaidh - United States of America
Perfect experience. I will definitely return to this unusual hostel that has so many great, helpful staff.
julius - Spain
James - Australia
It is an old building, so one cannot expect too much, but the important things like having a clean room, security, ability to sleep without external disturbance, and, above all, friendly, helpful, competent staff, were all there. Conveniently located, near to the Royal Mile and city centre. Most accommodation is upstairs and there are no lifts, but one cannot beat the price, or find nicer staff, so I would happily stay there again.
fratz - Austria
Gundi - Germany
helen - Netherlands
piscator - Germany
MCB - England
Very close to the city centre / Safe and Clean. I would stay again at Edinburgh Metro and also would recommend it.
hardy - France
Mirka - Czech Republic
Anna - Germany
Momo - Germany
JULIAN - Spain
ANDREA - New Zealand
WHAT A RELIEF TO FIND A HOSTEL THAT HAD MY OWN ROOM THAT WAS SECURE AND WAS CLEAN, NEAR EVERYTHING AND QUIET PERFECT REALLY ESPECIALLY FOR THE COST.
blaugrana69006 - France
John (England) - Scotland
If you want a single private hostel room in Edinburgh, this is the place, though as it's a temporary summer hostel in a typical student accommodation block, don't expect bags of atmosphere - book in at Central Hostel instead. Having said that, the hostel is in a very interesting part of the old town, and very handy for all the Festival. Be aware that some of the rooms are three or four flights up, and there's no lift. It is very secure, but (as with probably everywhere in this part of Edinburgh) can pick up noise from night-life on the street. There was a good small kitchen with fridge, microwave and cooker to serve the 5 single rooms in our section. Here's a rarity - a youth hostel with a bath! (as well as the usual shower). The hostel assistants were charming and friendly.
12354 - England
Passwell - Scotland
July 2009
Easiest access is down Blackfriars St off the High St as Niddry St is a back alley.
Jan - Czech Republic
This hostel has amazing value for money. It's location is perfect - it's right in the heart of Edinburgh, whithin easy walking distance of all the main sites. The rooms were clean. I can only recommend.
Elisa - Denmark
You get a single room that is really clean and comfortable. Everywhere it is really clean. My sister's luggage was hopelessly late with Norwegian and was just dropped of at the hostel after three days. The air service company had been informed that we were travelling around in Scotland, but didn't seem to care at all; just wanted to get rid of the luggage (don't choose Norwegian if you can avoid it!!). However, the hostel staff phoned me and checked if the luggage was my sister's. They kept the luggage until we were back on the last day. VERY good and friendly service. Would definitely recommend this hostel to anyone!!
Manish Modi - India
pete - England
fat_freddy's_cat - Wales
Walk up the hill from the the hostel and past the Royal Oak (bit pricey but live music on two floors every night) and turn left onto the main road. About one kilometre along there's a Mosque on the other side of the road and there's a really pleasant Mosque cafe - cheap and lovely vegatable curry etc. Open from about mid-day to about 7pm
Maria - Sweden
Longdistanceclara - Scotland
This hostel is in quite a lively area of Edinburgh with a lot of pub and club activity immediately outside your bedroom window. If you are by yourself, it is probably a good idea to be cautious about going through the area at night. The hostel was fairly clean, though bathrooms are shared and the one I was using was fairly unpleasant. This is a university hall of residence in term time and is in need of some refurbishment. I probably wouldn't stay here again.
chainsaw earl - Canada
Christina - Hong Kong
francesp - England
November 2008
Good accommodation for a few days in the city central well-priced and good to be able to share a flat with a group of friends
anoni - Scotland
ideal position for festival fringe
festival - England