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Hi Reader,

If you’ve ever made a travel checklist that looked something like:

• Edinburgh Castle ✅
• Arthur’s Seat ✅
• Royal Mile ✅
• ​Whisky tasting ✅

…I get it. It feels satisfying to tick things off.

But here’s the truth I’ve learned — from both my own travels and helping hundreds of others:

A checklist isn’t a plan.

It’s a recipe for:

• Sore feet
• Frantic pacing
• And realising you saw everything — but felt nothing.

Instead, I recommend planning by flow, not by list.

Here’s how:

💡 1. Start with your energy

Think about how your family travels best — do you want busy mornings and chill afternoons? Are your kids better after food or first thing?

💡 2. Group days by neighbourhood

Edinburgh’s not huge, but it’s hilly. Grouping by area (Old Town, New Town, Leith…) saves time, energy, and the dreaded stroller wrestle on cobblestones.

💡 3. Leave room for magic

The best moments aren’t planned. That unexpected café. The busker on Victoria Street. The quiet garden behind the palace.

If you're nodding along but thinking,
​
​"How do I actually build days like that?"
​​
I’ve put everything into a toolkit you can use — maps, suggested daily plans, hidden gem stops, even snack breaks built in.
​

🎒 Take a look inside Edinburgh Made Easy​
​

And if you’ve already got your list started, feel free to reply and I’ll help you tweak it.

Fiona

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✈️ My Favourite Edinburgh Travel Tools

• My go-to site for finding family-friendly hotels and flats​
• Where I book walking tours, ghost tours, and day trips​
• The best hop-on-hop-off bus for tired little legs
• Where I find unique food experiences hosted by locals​
• My go-to app for UK trains (including day trips!)
• How I stay connected abroad without roaming fees​
• Where I compare car hire for day trips​
• The best hostel finder for central private rooms​
• The no-stress guide I recommend for planning your perfect Edinburgh family trip
• The personalised itinerary planner that builds your entire trip in seconds
• My itinerary review service for families who want feedback from an Edinburgh expert
• My full trip planning service (I build your custom itinerary from scratch!)