Last month I took my first trip overseas and went to London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. Traveling to Europe was a definite bucket list item of mine, and I finally decided to just go for it. I learned a lot from this trip, from saving up and planning to the actual execution, and I wanted to do a mini travel series to share my experiences!
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I spent four days in London, three in Edinburgh, and three in Dublin and Edinburgh was by far my favorite city, so I wanted to highlight there first. But before I dive into what I did in those three days, a few quick tips and things I learned while traveling overseas:
Pack as light as you can! I traveled solo and fit everything I needed for 10 days in Europe in a carry on. I purchased the
Away Bigger Carry On specifically for this trip and it was amazing. It had more than enough room for everything I needed and was easy to roll around. It fit into the overhead bins for my Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue flights, but I had to check it for my RyanAir flights within the UK and Ireland.
If you're traveling with others this may not be an issue since you'll have more hands to manage more luggage, but since I knew I'd be on my own I only wanted to worry about one bag. I took a travel backpack and the Away carry on and both fit everything I needed. Plus, the less you have when going through all those airport security checkpoints, the faster and easier it is to get through them.
Use the ATMs: One of my biggest concerns was the monetary exchange, and everyone I talked to who had traveled overseas recommended just using ATMs instead of constantly using a card, as the fees would be less than the exchange rates, or something like that. I took their word for it. Plus, my credit card charged me a foreign fee every time I used it, so I saved on that as well. I just took out about as much as I thought I'd need at each airport at each stop and ended up having enough in each city. Plus, it was easier to keep to a budget when using cash.
Book direct flights if you can afford it: I flew out of Rochester and down to JFK then straight to Heathrow on my way to Europe, but on the way back I booked a layover in Stockholm from Dublin to save $100 and it was
not worth it. It made for a
very long day, and when I finally touched down in Rochester I had been awake for a straight 24 hours (a few naps on the planes, but we all know that isn't the best sleep!).
Pack rain boots and a good pair of sneakers: If you're going to any of the cities I visited you're going to need to be prepared for rain. It actually only rained one day (keep reading for more on that) during my trip, but having a nice pair of boots was so worth it (I got the
Sam Edelman Tinsley Rubber Rain Boot). I spent most of my time walking around each city as well, so you'll need a good pair of comfortable sneakers (I recommend the
Skechers GOwalk).
Tipping: If you're American like me, you'll be pleased to hear that you won't need to tip in the UK and Ireland the way we're used to in the States. Most restaurants do not expect tips, but if you want to leave 10% or so for good service you definitely can. Taxi drivers don't expect tips either, but I also found that leaving one or two pounds is a nice gesture. Taxi drivers in Ireland, though, do not expect tips
at all and will often round down your fare, especially if it's a longer ride.
Public Bathrooms: If you've ever been to NYC then you know how difficult it can be to find a free public bathroom. That was luckily
not the case in Edinburgh. I found that they were way more lax about their facilities, as I could walk into a coffee shop and use the bathroom without having to buy something. I only did this with bigger chains, like Costa and Starbucks, not the smaller independent stores. But rest assured that if you really need to find a bathroom, you can probably find one for free nearby.
Day One: I flew into Edinburgh Airport from London Stansted and touched down at around 10 AM to see a gloomy, rainy day. I wasn't bothered since I knew I was traveling to the UK in the fall and would likely see some rain. I was planning on using Uber to get to my guest house, but there were no cars available in the area so I used a taxi instead. The ride was about a half an hour long and cost me roughly £30.
I checked in to
Fraoch House, a beautiful guest house that was about a mile outside of the Edinburgh city center. I actually found it and booked through Hotels.com and cost me about $80 USD per night after the booking fees, which I found to be incredibly affordable. I kept joking with my family that I booked 3+ nights in each city for less than one night in NYC!
I highly recommend Fraoch House to anyone headed to Edinburgh! It's in the New Town section of the city and, like I said, is about a mile walk away from the city center. I liked being able to walk down the streets and admire the architecture while heading into the Old Town part of the city, and they're also a mile away in the other direction from the coastal enclave of Leith. I stayed in a single room that had a private, locked bathroom across the hall to which only I had a key. There were tons of amenities, from tea and coffee to toiletries, and the house operates as a bed and breakfast so there was plenty of food each morning.
One note: If you stay here, there's a bell outside to ring to be let in! I didn't realize this and was a bit frazzled when I arrived in the rain, but I called their front desk and got let in that way.
Given that it was raining, I didn't do much on my first day in Edinburgh, but I did eat dinner at
La Favorita. It's an Italian restaurant and the food was
so good. The prices are pretty fair and they have your standard pizzas and pastas. All I wanted was some warm, hearty carbs and I ordered a seasonal risotto that was to die for!
Day Two: The first thing I did on my first full day in Edinburgh was walk up to the top of
Calton Hill. Google Maps took me up the most arduous trail and my heart was pounding by the time I got to the top, and I realized that the other side of the hill has a much more user-friendly climb. Lesson learned! Regardless, you must visit Calton Hill! The views are phenomenal.
The
National Monument of Scotland is located at the park atop Calton Hill and is also known as "Scotland's Disgrace" because it stands unfinished. Basically, the Scottish government wanted to create a grand monument in the style of the Ancient Greeks and they ran out of money, so they stopped construction in 1829/
You'll also be able to get a glimpse of
Arthur's Seat from Calton Hill. I didn't end up hiking up Arthur's Seat, but there are also some amazing views from this well-known spot. The green hills were exactly what I was envisioning before I got to Scotland, so the view was absolutely breathtaking to me.
I can imagine this is a beautiful view at any time of year, but I especially enjoyed the leaves starting to change and the somewhat gloomy weather (makes for better photos, anyway!). It was also cool to see Leith on one end and Old Town on the other.
After Calton Hill I walked to the
National Museum of Scotland. A friend described it as a "museum of everything" to me and that was incredibly apt. Entrance is free, as is admission to most of the museums in Edinburgh, and I highly recommend staking out some time to see everything. I tend to move through museums at a quicker pace, but I spent a good two hours looking through everything. There are three floors with several different halls, including Earth sciences, animals, Scottish history, world cultures, and so much more!
Next up was the
Surgeons' Hall Museums, located on the Royal College of Surgeons campus. There was no photography allowed inside of the museum, but here's a shot of the courtyard at the entrance.
This museum is not free, but entrance was only £7 when I went. Inside you'll find a history of surgery, including many preserved specimens ranging from bones, severed feet, fetuses, and pretty much any other body part you can think of. Needless to say, if the thought of that makes you squeamish, this might be a museum for you to pass on. But if you're interested in medicine I found this museum to be incredibly informative and very well put-together.
Greyfriars Bobby sits outside of
Greyfriars Kirkyard, another landmark on my must-see list. I actually missed the little Bobby statue when I first when in the kirkyard and doubled back to see him after. If you don't know his story, he was a Skye Terrier who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner who had passed. He became so well known that the city memorialized him with this statue.
Greyfriars Kirkyard is said to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in the world. They allegedly have a poltergeist in one of the closed-off sections and people have reported feeling a presence and even leaving with physical scratches and marks. So I went during the daytime!
Note: If you want to go into the supposed haunted park of the cemetery, the only way to gain access is with a
City of the Dead Tour.
This might seem weird, but I find old cemeteries fascinating. It's quite humbling to walk around one and pay your respects. Seeing all of the gravestones from the 19th Century was quite a sight.
I also happened upon a free
Potter Trail tour while I was in the kirkyard so I joined for a bit. Normally I wouldn't hitch on to a tour that was already in progress, but I knew this one was free so I didn't feel guilty. I had actually planned on doing the tour, but I wasn't able to make it to the meeting spot at 2pm when it started. Guess I didn't have to worry, as they found me.
Unfortunately I can't remember our tour guide's name, but he had an encyclopedic knowledge of Harry Potter! The tour hits up several spots that are integral to the Harry Potter series and J. K. Rowling's life, including a stop at
The Elephant House where she first started writing the series. I actually only stayed with the tour while they were in Greyfriars Kirkyard, as I found it to be a little bit
too in depth for me (I'm a casual HP fan at best), but I could see where die hard fans would love this tour!
After all that walking I was very hungry. I stopped for lunch at
Yocoko Noodle Bar. Edinburgh has a fantastic array of international cuisines and I was in the mood for some cheap and delicious noodles. Yocoko definitely delivered! The inside was calm and the service was prompt and friendly. I had a plate of noodles and a side of rice for about £10.
The last thing I did during day two in Edinburgh was an
Edinburgh Dark Side Tour with Viator. It cost $16.24 USD booked ahead of time and was really interesting! My tour guide was quite enthusiastic and had a ton of knowledge and made it really fun to listen to. The tour is at night, so if you go in the fall like I did, wear layers, including a warm jacket and gloves. The tour covers the darker history of the city, including true stories about the witch trials, murders, and more. I highly recommend this tour.
Okay, I lied. The dark side tour was
not the last thing I did. After walking around at night in the cold I needed a warm meal, so I headed to
Roti for some Indian food. They serve their dishes tapas style, so I got the best garlic naan I have EVER had in my life plus a mango lassi and butter chicken. Another delicious meal for less than £15!
Day Three: To kick things off on my last day in the city I headed up the Royal Mile to
Edinburgh Castle. This was the most expensive attraction I visited, with an admission fee of £18.5 for adults (£17 if you book online in advance). It's well worth the price, as there are several smaller museums within the castle. Plus, how can you visit a city with a castle atop a hill and
not go see it?!
As I said, there are several small museums within the castle that focus on the military history of Scotland. I really liked seeing the different regiments and learning about their contributions during various wars because, as an American, I really don't know much about European history. My favorite was the
National War Museum.
You'll also find fabulous views of the city from inside the castle! And if you visit around 1pm, prepare yourself for the
One o'clock gun. The firing of the gun dates back to 1861 and was used to alert ships to help them set their maritime clocks. It's said that people from Edinburgh will often look down at their watches at this time, even when not in Scotland (not sure how true that is, it was in one of the guide books I bought).
After spending a few hours at the castle I took time to stroll along
The Royal Mile. This is the main hub of the Old Town city center and it has tons of shops, restaurants, and other attractions to see. If you want to do some shopping, this is the place to be (there are some great shops off the beaten path, too, though!).
During my walk around the city I found
Maison de Moggy, Scotland's first cat cafe! I honestly couldn't believe I didn't look up to see if there was a cat cafe before visiting, since I try to go to one in every city I visit. But much like the Potter Trail tour, these beautiful kitties found me and it all worked out!
Definitely book your spot ahead of time online. They're open from 10:30 AM to 2 PM and then again from 3 PM to 6:30 PM, and from 7 to 8 PM on Thursdays only. Entrance was
£8 for one hour, not including refreshments. I chose to buy a slice of cake for £3.
The cats are so beautiful! There are 12 cats who live at the cafe permanently and most of them were raised since kittens, so they all get along quite well. If you've never been to a cat cafe, keep in mind that the cats make the rules. This was probably one of the most relaxed cat cafes I've been to, as the staff told us we could pet the cats while they were sleeping (a no-no in most other places I've been), so long as we didn't disturb them or try to wake or pick them up. A few of the cats were sleeping, but I went at at good time (3 PM), since many of them were awake and quite playful!
The Scott Monument and St. Giles' Cathedral are two more landmarks that I passed while walking around. I didn't tour inside of the cathedral, but it was beautiful from the outside.
I ended the day with a stop at Holyrood Palace, where the Queen stays when she's in Scotland. Unfortunately I was not able to go inside because I visited after the gates had closed for the day, but I wasn't too disappointed. To be honest, I wasn't planning on visiting it at all but had some time left on the last day so I figured it was worth it to go and at least take a few pictures.
I can't remember what I ate for dinner this night! But I do know that after the castle and before Maison de Moggy I stopped in to Pumpkin Brown and had the most delicious vegan chai latte! I also went to The Fiddler's Arms for a dram of Lagavulin 16 Year, since I had to have scotch in Scotland.
Bottom Line: Edinburgh is the most beautiful city I have ever seen and I can't wait to go back! I want to visit Scotland again as soon as possible and also hit up Glasgow and Inverness. I was enchanted by the architecture and overall mood of the city. The people were friendly and there was plenty to do, see, and eat!
- If you would like to see more photos from my trip, please check out my Flickr
