New gig in Edinburgh - Advice needed

[css_jay99]

Hi all,

my new gig is in Edinburgh and I need some advice with flight... accommodation...

1) What is cheapest average price of flights from London City/Gatwick airport (preferably City)?. How long in advance should I be booking to get best prices and what websites to use?

2) Similar also goes for Hotel or B&B
3) Allowances - Whats the max allowances allowed per day for eating?
4) Any one is Edinburgh who has a good old with Tax & MOT to sell ?. I could do with that to move around
5) and whats the night life like ?


cheers

css_jay99

[Keldin]

For flights go to http://www.moneysavingexpert.com. They have a search engine for budget airline flights which works very well. It's currently experiencing a DDOS attack so may take a little while to come back online. Their forum is quite good as a source of advice and info as well.

For B&Bs you can try sampling a few your first week and see which you like and then negotiate a weekly rate with them. Most are keen to attract regular Monday to Friday guests. You can also try finding a room to rent by the month somewhere which may work out cheaper and better for a long term gig. Perhaps somewhere like gumtree or other student frequested sites might be a good place to look for that.

K

[NoddY]

For flights go to http://www.moneysavingexpert.com. They have a search engine for budget airline flights which works very well. It's currently experiencing a DDOS attack so may take a little while to come back online. Their forum is quite good as a source of advice and info as well....

K

Interesting the DDoS attack is happening as Money Saving Expert has a campaign about Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) being a con; with details on how to claim against mis-selling.

[Troll]

Hi all,

my new gig is in Edinburgh and I need some advice

Stay South of the Border

HTH

[r0bly0ns]

3) Allowances - Whats the max allowances allowed per day for eating?

As you are staying away from home, you can claim £5 per day subsistance without getting receipts.

This is to cover 'normal' day to day expenses that you would pay out of your own pocket were you at home, i.e. phone calls, newspapers, lunch etc...

For food, you can claim a 'reasonable' amount for breakfast and evening meal. There is no rules as to what is reasonable, but a general rule of thumb is to eat at a 'middle of the road' restaurant or eat in your hotel and you are fine.

Double check with your accountant though as I may be wrong

[xoggoth]

Pointless my answering much of that as it was ten years ago I was there. Good restaurants, decent nightlife and if all else fails great cheap massage parlours. (So I am TOLD of course)

[scooterscot]

Hi all,

my new gig is in Edinburgh and I need some advice with flight... accommodation...

1) What is cheapest average price of flights from London City/Gatwick airport (preferably City)?. How long in advance should I be booking to get best prices and what websites to use?

2) Similar also goes for Hotel or B&B
3) Allowances - Whats the max allowances allowed per day for eating?
4) Any one is Edinburgh who has a good old with Tax & MOT to sell ?. I could do with that to move around
5) and whats the night life like ?


cheers

css_jay99

1) I've used Gatwick plenty of times and it's busy hole of a place always feel stressed using that airport. City too costly who are you? A city banker and is worried about their meal allowance.. Heathrow is the best for Edinburgh more choice. use skyscanner.com

2) You've picked the most expensive city in scottyland for accommodation. My 2 bed get's £1400 pcm expect to pay similar if living in town, more if using a hotel.

3) Are you sure you're a contractor?

4) forget using a car in this town are you mad? £30-35 a month buys you a bus card you can get on and off them as much as you like and that includes the airport bus. You cannot park a car in town unless you are resident.

5) Best city to live in 2007 nuff said: http://channel4bestandworst.com/

[al_cam]

Hi,

Agree with what Scooterscot is saying - forget driving unless your gig and accommodation is on the outskirts of town.

Choose accommodation wisely as despite the plethora of bus lanes, buses can take forever (student here took over an hour to travel 6 miles each morning)

Where is the gig?. (might be same place as me)

Alan.

[css_jay99]

scooterscot, £1400pcm ! are you living in a wing of the castle or your dig comes with a pool and playmates?. That certainly is way expensive!

What a bad start for monday flight as my cab got to city airport late, left my Jacket in the cab and got charged £50 for excess luggage

Current Hotel cost £50 per night.

Basically I need to look for 1bed for max £550pcm(incl council tax).
I certainly need a car, how else am I going to ferry those scottish lasses to my La Chambre . All work no play is not so good



al_cam, gig is at Pentland House


css_jay99

[KathyWoolfe]

scooterscot, £1400pcm ! are you living in a wing of the castle or your dig comes with a pool and playmates?. That certainly is way expensive!

What a bad start for monday flight as my cab got to city airport late, left my Jacket in the cab and got charged £50 for excess luggage

Current Hotel cost £50 per night.

Basically I need to look for 1bed for max £550pcm(incl council tax).
I certainly need a car, how else am I going to ferry those scottish lasses to my La Chambre . All work no play is not so good



al_cam, gig is at Pentland House


css_jay99

I'm working in Edinburgh at the moment and the average cost of flats is £500 - 600 pcm and there are a few places around right now.

Agreed about the buses - use them to get to and from places during the day because driving is a nightmare - but if you have to buy food from supermarkets a car is essential as they are all on the outskirts of the city.

LOTS of nightclubs/pubs etc.

No, I'm NOT working at Pentland House