Practical Information

Practical Information

We hope that this guide will give enough information for you to book your MacBacpackers tour and accommodation, sort your travel to Edinburgh and pack your backpack. If you have any other questions please dont hesitate to contact us.

You should bring with you:

Outdoor wear including sturdy shoes we wont be dragging you up rock faces but do we take you on some short walks
Indoor wear just in case your outdoor wear gets wet it has been known to rain in Scotland sometimes
Camera and plenty of film for those unforgettable moments and all that scenery
Packed lunch/snacks for your first days tour

You dont need to bring:

A sleeping bag or bed linen the hostels we stop at provide clean bedding
Cooking utensils again, cooking equipment is available at the hostels
Youth Hostel card we stay only in the best backpacker hostels (Scotlands Top Hostels) which dont require a card
More luggage than you need for your trip any extra luggage can be stored at our Edinburgh hostels
Food for the whole journey there are shops available at each destination

How to Book Your Tour:

Once you have decided which tour you want to take, booking couldnt be simpler; just contact MacBackpackers:

By telephone on +44 (0) 131 558 9900 - our office is open late, every day of the year
By e-mail using our secure order form [email protected]
By post at 105 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SG, Scotland
In person at 105 High Street, Edinburgh

To make the booking we will need to know:

Your choice of tour
Who is in your party
When you wish to travel
How you wish to pay

Payment is required either by credit card (we accept most major forms of credit and debit cards) or by cheque / money order (in UK Pounds) to confirm your booking.

How to Get to Edinburgh

There are excellent transport links between Edinburgh and London, and from the rest of the UK the main details are listed below. Fares get more expensive the closer you are to the time of departure so it pays to book ahead.

By Rail (around 4½ hours travel; from £35 return, £21 single - but usually more expensive unless you book well in advance).
National Rail Enquiry Service		0345 48 49 50
Railtrack	rail timetable & route planner
GNER	east coast route	0345 225 225
Virgin Trains	west coast route	0345 222 333
Cross Country Trains	cross country route	0990 44 33 66
Scotrail	London sleeper & trains within Scotland	0345 55 00 33
By Coach (around 8 hours; from £26 return, £19 single)
National Express	intercity coaches	0990 80 80 80
Silver Choice	London - Scotland	0171 930 6885
Stray Travel Network	budget backpackers bus	0171 373 7737
By Air (around 1½ hours; from £60 return, £30 single)
British Airways		0345 222 111
British Midland		0345 55 45 54
KLM UK		0990 074 074
easyJet		0870 6000000
GO		0845 605 4321

Where to Stay:

When booking your tour, why not book your hostel accommodation too? We can pre-book accommodation for before, during and after your tour at the highly recommended Scotlands Top Hostels chain.

Once on tour - if it is a set tour - your accommodation will be automatically booked for you. If it's the Jump-On Jump-Off tour that you are on - just let your hostel Reception know where you wish to stay on the following night and they will reserve it for you.

The hostels offer a warm & cosy atmosphere and some fantastic locations as well as all the necessities such as self-catering kitchens, excellent showers, comfortable lounges, fresh bed-linen, long opening hours, friendly staff and safety (all premises are issued with a Fire Certificate). Each hostel is situated close to nightlife, shops and pubs! Prices range from £9.00 to £12.00.

The Small Print:

We will endeavour to offer you the tour as planned, but reserve the right to alter itineraries or accommodation if necessary due to weather, roadworks and acts of God, etc. Prices, unless stated otherwise, do not include accommodation. Our tours are ideally suited for people aged 17-35. Full Terms & Conditions available upon request.