After the uncertainty of the past two years, I decided that 2022 was going to be the year that I push myself out of my comfort zone and start living my life again. And what better way to take that leap than by booking myself a little solo city break? 


I didn't really have a preference of where I was going so I just checked online to see the cheapest flights. Edinburgh came up as the best deal and although I had been before when I was a child, I didn't get a chance to properly explore the city. However, with current guidelines surrounding COVID testing (plus the extortionate luggage fees) it actually worked out cheaper, and less stressful, for me to go via train. Luckily I wasn't restricted to dates/times and I also have a railcard which meant I had the freedom to do a bit of tweaking until I found the cheapest price. I managed to get return tickets from Leicester to Edinburgh for £71 and the flights, including luggage and taxi transfers, would have cost around £100.

I stayed at the Frederick House Hotel which couldn't have been in a more perfect location. It was just over a 10 minute walk away from Waverly train station and Princes Street. I paid £122 for 3 nights without breakfast through booking.com. The hotel was quiet and my room was very spacious and comfy. The room was also cleaned every day and there was a water machine on each floor which I thought was a nice added touch. The reception staff were friendly and I felt completely safe in the hotel and the surrounding areas, which, as my first time travelling solo, was very important. 



On my first day I threw myself straight into exploring the city, and after having breakfast at The Standing Order, I hopped on the city sightseeing bus tour. The ticket cost £16 for 24 hours and you could use it on two different bus routes throughout the day. The routes varied slightly but the main points of interest were Holyrood House, Old Town, the National Museum and Edinburgh Castle.




On my second day I ventured slightly out of the city and visited Edinburgh Zoo. I looked up the bus times and it was pretty easy to work out which one I needed. It also dropped you off right outside the entrance. Two single tickets cost £3.50 on the bus and the zoo entry fee was £20. I booked the first time slot of the day which was at 10am and although the queue was full of school children that were on a trip, once I got through it was relatively quiet. I ended up spending 3 hours there as the grounds are very spacious and there are so many different animals! It's definitely the best zoo that I've been to and it's the only zoo in the UK that has Giant Pandas (which I was lucky enough to see close up in their enclosure)




I started my last day with breakfast at Stack & Still. They do sweet and savoury pancakes and the menu includes every kind of topping that you could ever think of! I opted for the buttermilk double stack with Nutella and strawberries and an apple juice. I then walked back into Old Town and visited the cat cafe, Maison de Moggy. The entry fee was £10 for an hour and you could buy a variety of cakes and hot drinks whilst inside. My favourite cat was this gorgeous, fluffy Maine Coon named Pauline. Unfortunately she wouldn’t fit in my case, so I had to leave her behind and make my way back to the train station to travel home.




Overall I had a lovely 2.5 days exploring and sightseeing, I can't believe I managed to avoid the rain! I think Edinburgh has become one of my favourite cities and I hope I can go back again one day.


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