Parking in Edinburgh can be challenging, so we have researched some options for you.
First, the good news.
You can park on the street for free after 6:30pm each night until 8:30am, Monday to Saturday.
And the bad news….after those times it’s expensive and a hassle.

Edinburgh has been divided into zones by the council, and the on street parking prices are dependent on the zones. The council has a FAQ page here.

We are in the “Central Controlled Parking Zone”, and parking here is controlled from 08.30 to 18.30 Monday to Saturday. The cost to park is £2.20 per hour, and the maximum time you can park in any bay is 4 hours. What is interesting, however, is that if you buy a ticket after 18.30, then the time you purchase will be for the next day. So, if you park at 7pm in the evening, and pay £6.60, you will be able to stay until 11.30am the next morning. If you park at 18.30 Saturday night, you should be fine until 8.30am Monday morning, or later if you pay. The closest on street parking near us Melville Street.

Melville St - The closest place to park on the street near the hostel.

For cheaper parking, you can continue down Queensferry Rd.
If you travel about 1km away, the parking becomes cheaper, £1.40 per hour.
If you travel about 2km down the road, then the parking is free.
A bus back, should you require it, (Route 41 from Queensferry Rd) will be £1.20 each way, and it stops outside our front door.

To use the machines, you need to insert coins and press the green button, then display the ticket on your window.

Naturally, you must always check the signs wherever you want to park. Do not park on double yellow lines, resident permit bays or in disabled bays. Some information about parking rules can be found here.

Oh, no…why are you traveling to Edinburgh by car. You are going to make your life very hard you know.

If you arrive by car, then the news is all bad. Really, you should consider public transport, it’s better for the world, and a city like Edinburgh prefers it. Cars cannot get near our entrance, I’m sorry to say, too many buses run past. And parking isn’t available anywhere near us for any reasonable prices.

The best option is to park at one of the city’s ParknRide stations, and catch the bus back into the center of town, where we are. The cost is a bus ticket (£1.20) You can read about them here.

Otherwise, you will have to pay for parking usually. The streets have free parking after 7pm at night normally, until 7am, but you must never test the parking inspectors. They are a private company that will book you if you are one minute late. If you want to park in a secure undercover car park, it will cost about £20 overnight. Street parking usually costs from £1-£2 per hour.

More information about parking from The City Of Edinburgh Council here.

Park overnight at the airport and catch a bus back

Sorry we couldn’t offer better options, it’s one of the only disadvantages of being a hostel located in the city center.