Instant confirmed reservations.

We use Hostelworld to process our online bookings. This means you can be assured of a safe, secure environment in which to book. When you book a bed it is guaranteed that you will receive that bed type, or better.

To book you will be required to pay a 10% deposit to Hostelworld, as well as a service charge. The remaining 90% you pay to us when you arrive at the hostel, either by card or cash as you prefer.
If you fail to arrive for the booking, you will be charged the remaining 90% for the first night, and subsequent nights will be cancelled, so always inform us if you will be late, preferably by email. Also, if you wish to change your booking in any way, for example if you are arriving to Edinburgh on a different day, then please email us to change your booking.

Cancellations can be made up to 24 hours prior to your arrival without charge, however the 10% deposit is retained by Hostelworld, so we are never able to refund that.

Click to book your bed at Caledonian Backpackers Hostel Edinburgh.

You can call us anytime 24 hours a day by calling +44-131-226-2939 to make a booking. We will require you to leave your security card details as a guarantee, however no charge will be made unless you default. If you fail to arrive for your booking you will be charged the full amount of the first night to your card, and the remaining booking will be cancelled. If you let us know at least 24 hours beforehand we will not charge you. If you have problems arriving, please always let us know as soon as possible. Our emails are processed immediately, so email is always a good way to contact us.

You also call us on Skype anytime 24 hours a day.

Any amendments or cancellations should be preferably done in writing by using our contact form

Group bookings, for any group over 10 people, should be made by filling out our group booking form.

Click here to access the group booking form

We do not accept bookings from Stag/Hen groups at all. Unfortunately such groups annoy our other guests too much. If you make a booking and arrive and we discover you are a stag or hen group we will not allow you to check in.

Click here to get some recommendations for places to stay for a stag or hen party in Edinburgh.

Most people travel with a credit or debit card, but some people still don’t. Personally I wouldn’t even try backpacking without at least a debit card. Its best to link it to another account, so you can keep most of your money in the other account and transfer it into your debit card when you need it. That way, if anything happens to your card, the most you can lose is what you have in the card account.
But, I digress, if you have chosen not to do it this way, then the only other option is to make a booking using paypal, on our booking page. Other than that, you cannot make a booking. We apologise for this, but we have found that without the fear of paying for a bed for not arriving, many people make bookings and then fail to show. Even when people have begged us to allow them to book into our hostel without a credit card guarantee, and we have allowed them, then they haven’t shown up. Its unfortunate, but we cannot afford to have empty beds, so we must, absolutely must, have a credit card/debit card or paypal for a booking.

Its often a worry for the backpacker about whether to book their accommodation in advance. We want to maintain our freedom to stay longer in a fun place, but we also don’t want to arrive in a city and not have a bed. So here I offer some guidelines…
1. If you are arriving on a weekend, particularly late in the day or at night then book ahead.
2. Check the hostel’s cancellation policy. If they have a 24 hour cancellation policy with no penalties, as most do, then you should be safe, because you can cancel if you change your mind…but do remember to cancel, you don’t want the first night charged to your credit card because you forgot.
3. Look out for festivals and sporting events, which fill hostels fast. Check the hostel’s website for a calendar. Always book ahead if you can for these events. In Edinburgh, during August we have the world famous Fringe Festival. The city will be full, so if you haven’t booked ahead you could be without a bed.
4. If you haven’t booked ahead, check the availability page the night before you leave, and see if there are plenty of beds available. You can usually book on the day of arrival now as well.

So basically, if you are coming to Edinburgh on a Wednesday in February, then you definitely will not need a booking. If, however, you are arriving in July or August you probably should book ahead.