If you follow my blog then you’ll know I’m all about getting the best possible value for money for all our family days out. Well that doesn’t stop when we go on holiday!! Here are my 9 top ways to save money on your family holiday.
Tip 1 – Don’t discount a stay-cation as a great way to save money on a family holiday
When I say that the kids have never been overseas, and that we always go on holiday in the UK, I can get some funny looks. One woman positively recoiled when I said we were going to Cornwall for a week. Yes, I want the kids to see the world but 1) The idea of getting on a plane with 3 kids terrifies me. 2) We just about get all our crap in our large car, I have no idea how we’d cope with a baggage allowance 3) It’s very expensive by comparison. The kids will get to travel overseas with us, just not yet.
We live in such a beautiful and varied country that there is plenty to explore right on our doorsteps. Plus not getting on a plane is better for the environment. Since covid hit more and more people are experiencing for themselves how great a holiday in the UK can be.
Tip 2 – Book Direct
Over the years we have booked through a holiday company and it’s been an epic disaster (never using Hoseasons again), other times we’ve booked with the holiday company and it’s been great. By far my preference will always be for a private let. We’ve stayed in holiday parks, chalets, cottages, bungalows and upside down houses, all arranged directly with the owners. Most of the time these are places that the owners use themselves so usually you’ll get all the little extras that make a huge difference on holiday; a better equipped kitchen, towels/linens, games and books etc.
It’s quite common to get a welcome basket as well when you book directly – how good these are can vary massively though. You also tend to get a much better price and find places that no holiday company could ever find for you. It can take a while to find the right place, but we’ve never had a private let that disappointed us, even on a tight budget.
My favourite is probably TripAdvisor (affiliate link). We have found sooo many holidays through them, including our honeymoon and got an incredible deal. Plus, once you’ve found your holiday you can start researching days out on the same site! We have also used Holidaycottages.co.uk (affiliate link) several times to book cheap holidays directly.
It’s also worth doing a google search in the area you’re interested in visiting – that’s how I found the cottage we stayed at in South West Wales. I do recommend paying on a credit card if you’re booking through a less well-known site as it gives you a bit more protection.
Tip 3 – Take a packed lunch and your own drinks
This applies for day trips as well as holidays. Buying a family lunch can easily cost £30-£40 each day. Over the course of the week that massively adds up! We have a trusty, but now very well-loved, Trespass picnic backpack and it has saved us a fortune over the years. Case in point, we forgot to take it with us when we went to Cornwall for the Easter weekend and we spent at least £100 more on food in just a couple of days than we normally do.
Don’t forget your own drinks too. You can pay a small fortune for bottled water, or you could bring your own bottle! Another top tip; if you are going to be self-catering, take some bags for life with you. It won’t save you loads, but having to pay for a carrier bag for all of those little trips to the supermarket will add up.
Tip 4 – Research your days out before you go
I love having something to look forward to and researching our days out is now all part of the holiday planning process. As soon as we book something I start thinking about where we’re going to visit! Again TripAdvisor is one of my go-to websites for this (affiliate link).
It’s a really good idea to have a list of more places than you could possibly visit so you always have something in reserve. Quite often the most expensive places have the biggest marketing budgets and so are easier to find quickly. The cheaper little gems could be hiding much further down the Google page.
Make sure you also check out the reviews of places before you go. Make sure they’re suitable for you in terms of facilities and if they’re any good! I found an awesome zoo in Devon I wanted to visit, but when I looked at the reviews it turned out that it’s all steep slopes, tiny enclosures and a hideous car park so we gave it a miss.
Find out what places you can visit for free as well. It could be countryside walks, places where you only have to pay for parking, parks or any of a whole range of family days out.
Researching how to save money on family days out during your holiday can be easy, but it can also take a bit of time.
Tip 5 – Have a rainy day back-up
As I’m sitting here writing this it is raining. It’s June and apparently we’re having a month’s worth of rain in the next 4 hours. It seems like it’s going to rain for the next few weeks. Fun! It’s always seemed to me that anywhere that is mainly indoors is also really expensive. Looking around before you go gives you chance to find a cheaper option should you need it. And if you’re staying in the UK there is a strong chance you will. Most museums are free to visit; even if they’re small they might have events on that can bulk out a day trip.
Tip 6 – Never pay full price for a day out
If you are a member of the National Trust, English Heritage, CSSC, have kids with a Blue Peter Badge or any other schemes then always have a look around to see where you can get into for free or at a discount. We’ve always found that our NH and EH family memberships really do come into their own on holiday and help us save loads of money. Your employers might run discount schemes such as Perkbox and some places offer discounts for NHS/military staff etc.
Have a look at supermarket loyalty schemes as well, you might be able to trade points for admission. Don’t forget to keep an eye Groupon as well – they might have some deals near where you are staying. Search for discount codes or discounts on the attraction’s website. You’ll often be able to get a discount on tickets booked in advance. If you’re shopping in a supermarket, have a look at the leaflet stands as well. There’s usually some really good local attractions to be found and quite often the leaflets have discounts.
When I was 32 weeks pregnant with smallest child we went away for a week to Cornwall (why I thought driving all the way down to Penzance at that stage of my pregnancy was I good idea I don’t know). We knew I was about to go on maternity pay so every penny counted. We had such a busy week but we only paid for one day out, and we had discounts for that anyway. Check out my post about Wales; we paid just £106 in admission fees for 4 of us and did sooooo much. We also did four day trips for £40 for a family of 4. It is absolutely possible to have an incredible but very cheap holiday.
There are also a couple of great discount schemes that you can join to save money whilst you’re on holiday. A Tastecard* will save you up to 50% off your bill in thousands of restaurants, as well as saving up to 40% off cinema tickets, 50% off days out and more! Alternatively a Kids Pass* can save you up to 57% off top UK attractions including theme parks, safari parks, zoos, play centres, trampoline parks, aquariums, and much more. If that’s not enough, then have a look at the Picniq website* – they always have loads of deals on tickets for attractions across the UK. We’ve used all of these schemes to save a ton of money on our family days out. (*denotes affiliate link)
Tip 7 – Have a beach day
Almost every kid (and adult) loves a trip to the beach. Aylesbury is a zillion miles from the beach so I genuinely crave the seaside. It doesn’t even have to be sunny to enjoy it; just not raining. We’ve been to the beach in howling gales (maybe not my most sensible move), fog that didn’t clear up for over an hour, glorious sunshine and I’ve even been sat on the beach huddled in a blanket whilst the kids run around in swim suits! As long as you don’t get carried away with the ice creams, a beach day is a really cheap day out. The beach can be one place in particularly to be careful about pre-planning food. When we visited West Witting beach the cost of food was terrifying!
Tip 8 – Check out the local councils
All across the UK local and district councils organise regular free events, particularly during school holidays. Before you go away have a quick look at the local events and Facebook pages to see what’s going on. Search for town and county councils for all the towns that you can easily get to from your accommodation. Do a Facebook search as well for events.
Tip 9 – Be clever about when you book
We all know the summer holidays are the most expensive time to go on holiday. Of course it’s also when all the attractions are at their busiest. If you don’t have school aged children then try to go on holiday during term time. This is one of the easiest ways to save money on a family holiday. We tend to have our main family holiday in the May half term as it’s considerably cheaper. Yes, it’s usually not glorious sunshine the whole time, but as long as it’s dry that doesn’t really matter. If I wanted guaranteed sunshine I’d go overseas.
Have a look at term dates – can you sneak a break in at the end of the holidays? What about using inset days? Last year we went to Croyde Bay for 3 nights in September because school was going back late. In comparison to the week before we saved over £300!
Have a great family holiday
I hope you find these 9 ways to save money on a family holiday helpful. The most important thing though is that you have a good time, relax and make those memories. Except of course you have the kids with you so it’s unlikely to be relaxing. Also, it’s more than likely that there are going to be several memories that are less than Facebook worthy! That’s part of the fun though isn’t it? Enjoy your holiday.
Pssst, if you’ve taken lots of photos on holiday make sure you check out the current offers on Snapfish. They regularly offer discounts or free prints (affiliate link)
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
I sometimes use affiliate links if there is something that I genuinely think will be of interest and that I think is relevant to the post. I will always indiciate if a link is an affiliate link, often with a **. I do earn a small commission for these, and that goes towards the running costs of the site. Any discounts mentioned may only be available for a short time so please double check prices before booking.
