Write a commentHow do I find cheap holidays UK? This is a question we get asked a lot because staycations tend to cost more than going abroad in most cases - which is why it's so important to find the best deals and money saving tips.
Although UK breaks tend to be pricey, if you get the timing right, choose the right type of holiday and accommodation for your budget, there are ways to keep the cost of your UK Holidays down. UK Breaks can be expensive, so here are some handy tips to help you get away for less...
Cheap UK Holidays
Here's how to Save Money on UK Holidays in 2024...
Find Cheap Accommodation
First and foremost, you need to save on the holiday itself. There's no point trying to save money whilst there if you have spent a fortune on your accommodation and have left yourself skint. UK based accommodation such as caravans, hotels and lodges (particularly in during half terms) can set you back a small fortune.
UK Accommodation Types in Order of Price
Tents/Camping
Hostels
Glamping Pods
Chalets - Places like Pontins and Butlins
Caravans
Budget Hotels
Guest Houses / Bed & Breakfasts
Cottages / Farm Stays
High End Hotels
Lodges
High-End Accommodation - Castles, Tree Houses, Canal Boats, etc
Timing is Crucial
Timing your holiday correctly will save you more...
Travel in Term Time: Travel If you are free to travel at any time of the year, take a holiday when others can't, such as before the school holidays and you'll get a better price. During the low and mid-season periods, you can save up to 75% in the UK on the cost of term-time breaks, especially at places like caravan parks and resorts catered towards families.
Travel out of Season: April and May can have some glorious weather in the UK and is a perfect time to have a staycation. It's also the start of the season which is always cheaper, especially when booked the winter before.
Book Early: In the UK, the earlier you book, the cheaper the price. Unlike holidays abroad, you don't really get late deals on UK breaks, so it's always best to book as early as possible.
How to get Accommodation Bargains
Chain Hotel Sales: Chain hotels such as Village hotels, Premier Inn and Travelodge have huge £29 room sales throughout the year, where you can get rooms all around the UK, even during half terms.
Hotel Bargains: Purchase Uk hotels and getaways via wowcher and Groupon. You can save a fortune via these discount deal websites, particularly Groupon as they often have a voucher code you can use alongside the already discounted prices.
Book Direct: If booking via a travel agent, always check to see if the owners of the accommodation have their own website. Owners pay fees to list their accommodation on popular websites such as booking.com and Airbnb, so you will usually find by buying direct you can save around 10%
Discount Codes: Caravan parks such as Haven and holiday camps such as Pontins and Butlins often send out Seasonal Picks in their newsletters
Late Deals: Again this tends to be caravan parks and holiday camps, but by signing up to their newsletter, you will be privy to any late rooms sales the park is having.
Get Cashback: Cashback is a great way to earn some money back on your online spending, especially when making big purchases such as this. Topcashback and Quidco have all the major players on board and both offer between 3% & 5% back on most of the UKs online holiday providers.
UK Holiday Promotions: Newspaper promotions see UK holidays slashed by up to 75%, even in term time. Check out our Breakfree Holiday Promotion page where you can get holidays from £10pp or over on the Daily Mail Promotion page where holidays start from £15pp
Sun £9.50 Holidays: You can get some amazing holidays around the UK in the Suns £9.50 holiday deal which is rolled out around three times per year.
The best holiday promotion is from the Sun newspaper, which offers millions of holidays from over 300 parks, for as little as £9.50 per person. There's something for the whole family whether you are after a caravan holiday by the beach, a cottage in the woods, or camping under the stars.
Check out the next Sun £9.50 Holiday Dates in 2024
Save on Food & Drink
UK breaks are often self-catering, meaning spending a fortune on food and drinks. This is why it's important to save as much as possible on eating and drinking during your stay.
Days out: Food is very expensive at theme parks so it's a really good idea to take a picnic when you go on days out. Also, take enough drinks and snacks to last you the day as this is another expense that adds up.
Check the Location for a Supermarket: Always check to see if there's a supermarket close by to stock up on essentials because holiday shops tend to be MUCH more expensive. If your chosen destination doesn't have a local supermarket, think about doing your essentials shop at your local supermarket before leaving.
Choose accommodation with cooking facilities: You can easily make breakfast in your accommodation for a fraction of the price of eating out. We tend to take picnics for days out and have lunch back at our accommodation too. This way we can have a meal in the evenings and still keep costs down.
241 Dining: There are a few ways to get 241 meals at restaurants including for blue light card holders, with meerkat meals, Clubcard vouchers and Tastecard.
Get a free 60 day Tastecard trial to get a whopping 50% off over 6000 UK attractions and restaurants
Save on Days out & Entertainment
One of the best parts about staycations is being able to visit the local attractions, but again this can be costly. Visiting theme parks, castles, and other big attractions can eat into your budget, so saving money is key. We have written a handy guide on how to save money at theme parks and UK attractions
FREE Days out Even better, why not have some completely free days out? Again we have done the leg work and written a guide with over 100 free (and super cheap) days out that will be fantastic to incorporate into any UK break.
Got Kids? Blue Peter badge holders get free days out on 100s of attractions around the UK. Find out how to get a FREE blue peter badge
241 Vouchers Before you pay for your tickets, always check to see if there's a voucher code available. Merlin Entertainments which owns the larger attractions such as Alton Towers and Legoland are currently offering 'adults go free' vouchers which you can find on promotional packs of Cadbury and Kellogs.
If you have any questions or know of any other cheap UK breaks or ways to save money on staycations that you think we should add to the list, please let us know in the comments below...
