UK family travel on a budget: 15 tips for a cheap staycation holiday!

Fancy a cheap UK staycation this year and need some ideas to help you to plan your family holiday on a budget? Travel can be so expensive but, with a few tips and tricks, you can make fabulous memories with the kids without breaking the bank! Here 15 tips for travelling in the UK on a budget: from cheap family-friendly accommodation options, to free days out, holiday discounts, self-catering and city escapes – there are loads of ways to cut back. Think about it, the more you save, the more you can travel! Here’s how to save money on your UK family summer holiday, to keep things budget friendly, without spoiling all of the fun…

 

1. Pick a budget-friendly UK holiday park

Ditch luxury hotels and posh lodges for campsites and caravans. Be pragmatic – your accommodation is a place to sleep in between fun excursions and adventures, and it’s likely to be your biggest travel expense. In the UK, we have some brilliant family-friendly holiday parks which can be a great way to explore on a budget whilst offering lots of facilities and entertainment for the kids. Here are some of the UK holiday providers that you might want to check out:

• Haven Holidays – for fantastic family-friendly parks all over the UK check out my article: Are Haven Holidays good? The 20 best Haven Holiday Parks for a UK family staycation.
• Parkdean Resorts – for fabulous holiday parks to visit with the kids check out my article: The 20 best Parkdean Resorts for family holidays. (They’re great for hot tub holidays too!)
• Away Resorts – this guide is a great place to start: The 10 best Away Resorts family holidays with hot tubs – they have lots of hot tub holiday locations.
• Park Holidays UK – for budget-friendly holiday park options.
• Shorefield Holidays – for trips to Dorset and Hampshire / The New Forest.
• Forest Holidays – for peaceful lodge breaks that include a hot tub with every cabin.
• Hoseasons – for all sorts of holiday park options dotted all over the UK.
• Wood Leisure Holiday Parks – for holiday park stays in Scotland.

If you have a big family, or you’re not interested in making use of campsite type facilities, then it might work out best to organise your accommodation through a website like VRBO, Sykes Cottages, Cottages.com or Holiday Cottages. Travelling with friends or family can be a good way to save money too – house rentals can be a really affordable option for larger groups when the cost is shared (especially for peak summer holiday dates). Not only that, but you could split the cost of transport, food and other extras while you’re away too.

 

2. Self-cater to save on food costs

Food can be a huge expense when you’re travelling, particularly if you eat out regularly, but you can keep costs down by booking holiday accommodation with proper self-catering kitchen facilities. It’s actually really easy to keep things budget-friendly on your UK staycation – stock up at cheap supermarkets along your route, pack up picnics (we never go anywhere without refillable water bottles, a flask of coffee and our cool bag rucksack) and cook family meals at your holiday home. To save time, you could even book a click and collect slot at a nearby supermarket, or fill the car with shopping bags and cool bags before you set off. Caravans, cottages and lodge holidays are fabulous for self-catering.

 

3. Get the best price for your trip

Lots of family-friendly UK holiday parks run discounts and sales throughout the year so, if you’re on a tight budget, here’s how to make sure you’re booking your trip for the best price possible:

• Sign up to newsletter alerts or follow holiday providers on social media to make sure that you don’t miss out on deals and discounts.
• For the best prices, in most instances, you’ll either want to book as early or late as possible. Most holiday providers offer fantastic late deals, so if you’re happy to book your annual leave and play the long game, then being spontaneous (and flexible with where you go and what you do!) can really pay off. 
• Book out of season if you can – holiday park providers like Haven Holidays, Parkdean Resorts, Butlins and Away Resorts all offer fab savings if you avoid the peak school summer holiday period.
• Be smart in the school holidays – if you need to book your family staycation around UK school holiday dates, you’ll likely find the most budget-friendly deals within the Easter, May half-term and October holidays. For trips over the summer holidays, the prices are usually cheapest during the last week of August. Parkdean Resorts and Park Holidays UK typically offer the best school holiday getaway prices.
• Opt for a Sun Newspaper holiday to book your family break from as little as £9.50pp. We booked two in 2022 – one Norfolk break which was £66 for Mon-Fri in May (including a caravan upgrade) and another for £78 to the Isle of Wight in June – we had two holidays for less than the price of one! For more info on how it works, check out my post on the Sun Newspaper Holidays.

 

4. Travel for a quid

If you’re in the South East, kids can travel on the train for just a quid –  making getting away, or having days out, so much more affordable. For all of the info you need on how to benefit from this deal, check out my post on Southeastern Rail. Not travelling in the South East? Take a look at the area you’re visiting to see if they have any deals running – lots of companies offer deals during the school holidays in particular. The Trainline website has a ‘kids for a quid’ section so that can be a great place to start.

 

5. Hunt out deals for days out

Before you go on your trip, do some research to pre-plan the things you’ll want to see and do to get the most from your time and money. Many zoos, theme parks and children’s activities will have peak and off-peak prices. Plus, you can balance out pricier excursions with cheap or free activities for some frugal days out too. Lots of reward schemes and discount providers offer brilliant savings to make your family holiday adventures more budget-friendly – here are some ways to save money on UK days out with the kids:

• lovetovisit.co.uk: The ‘Love to Visit’ website offers discounted tickets for family-friendly days out with the kids all over the UK – so it’s worth checking their current prices for your favourite attractions before you book.
• Tesco Clubcard points: Lots of popular attractions are part of the Tesco reward scheme so save your points and you could visit for free! We often save our points for meals out too.
• National Rail 2-for-1 offers: If you’re travelling by train you can get 1/3 off or 2 for 1 tickets on loads of attractions when booked through the National Rail 2 for 1 scheme.
• English Heritage: English Heritage memberships can be a great investment; once you’ve signed up you can use them time and time again for free days out. Payments can be made monthly so that they don’t seem too overwhelming – family memberships are usually about a tenner each month. Check out this article for more info: The 10 best English Heritage sites to visit with kids.

• Kids Pass: You can sign up to a Kid’s Pass trial for just £1 to access discounts on days out and eating out all over the UK.
• Supermarket promotions: Cereal brands like Kelloggs run promotions for discounted tickets (things like 2 for 1 tickets) for days out with the kids by purchasing specially-marked boxes so look out for these in the supermarket.
• Blue Peter Badges: Blue Peter Badges are awesome because the kids can get in for free at over 200 UK attractions – literally halving the cost of your family days out! You can use them at places like ZSL London Zoo, The Tower of London, the HMS Belfast, The Heights of Abraham, The Eden Project, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, The London Bridge Experience and loads of other places – read more about it here: How can my child get a Blue Peter Badge?
• Multi-attraction tickets: Look for combination tickets to get the best deals. For instance, Merlin have five main London attractions, with each typically priced at around £30pp, but book a multi-attraction ticket and it’s so much more affordable. You get 90 days to enjoy your chosen attractions so it’s worth buying in bulk – their 5 attraction deal works out at less than £12 per attraction!

• Merlin Annual Pass: The cheapest Merlin Annual Pass is £139 and kids under 90cm don’t need one – they can enter for free. So if you’ll make the most of it, and have a whole year of fun, it might be worth thinking about. It includes theme parks like Alton Towers, Chessington, LEGOLAND Windsor and Thorpe Park; indoor fun like SEA LIFE centres, Shrek’s Adventure!, The London Eye and Madame Tussauds; and historical and immersive experiences like Warwick Castle, The Dungeons and even Cadbury World. To find out more about them check out my article: Are Merlin Annual Passes worth it and which pass is best?

 

6. Pack sensibly

Decant your normal toiletries into small pots instead of paying over the odds for ‘mini’ versions of your favourite products. (Remember to do this for washing up liquid and clothes detergent too if you’re self-catering!) And, rather than buying lots of holiday clothes, shop from your wardrobe – it definitely doesn’t make sense to spend a fortune on a summer wardrobe for the kids with the unpredictable British weather! Use last year’s clothes where possible, hunt out the sales, accept hand-me-downs, shop second-hand (Vinted is brilliant) and cut the legs off last year’s trousers to make shorts! You can also hire your baby’s travel equipment – Baboodle is a fantastic website where you can hire strollers, travel cots, shoulder carriers, backpacks and all sorts – to avoid buying things that you won’t need for long.

 

7. Enjoy bargain breaks at Butlins

If you can avoid peak school holiday dates, Butlins can be a really cheap family getaway – we enjoyed a Mon-Fri break for just £89 last year. There’s also so much included for free when you get there that, if you self-cater, you can get away with spending very little during your holiday too. (For more info check out my reviews for Butlins Bognor Regis and Butlins Minehead.) You could get a fun week away for less than the cost of a day out! Free activities include things like: a fairground, a fantastic pool complex with waterslides, craft activities, evening entertainment and soft play.

 

8. Hunt out cheap hotel rooms

If you fancy a city break then it can be hard to avoid a hotel stay, so use comparison websites like Expedia or Hotels.com to secure the best price. Why pay more for exactly the same room? It’s often worth a visit to the hotel’s own website too – it’s sometimes cheaper to book directly. Often mid-week prices are considerably less than weekends, and be sure to check for local events as peak dates can also make prices soar. Do your research, and plan your stay around the cheapest hotels and rates. Cheap Travelodge hotel rooms can be great too, with prices starting from just £29 per night. We often use Travelodge or the Premier Inn to book London mini-breaks without spending a fortune. And, Sainsbury’s shoppers can get free hotel stays through the Nectar reward programme as well – a great tip from follower Laura.

 

9. Look for restaurant deals

Loads of places offer cheap kids’ meals, or daytime saver menus, so you can still have a treat when you’re away without spending lots of money. For instance, meals at Table Table or Brewers Fayre during the day start from £5, whilst kids eat for £1 in Asda all year round, and kids eat free in Morrison’s supermarket too. Lots of other supermarkets and chain restaurants offer cheap or free kids’ meals during school holiday times as well – so have a google before you go, and plot meals out around the best deals! Check out this article of lots of ideas: How (and where!) to eat out on a budget with the kids – and here are some restaurants offering kids eat free (or for £1) deals during the 2025 UK school summer holiday…

 

10. Housesit for free accommodation

Reduce your accommodation costs to just £99 per year by using a housesitting service like Trusted Housesitters. In exchange for looking after someone’s pet, you can stay in their home for free anywhere in the world (some may have a £9 booking fee). A bonus of using Trusted Housesitters is that lots of people want school holiday dates, to fit around their own trips away, so it can be an affordable way to travel during peak times. You can book as many stays as you like – find out more in my Trusted Housesitters family travel guide.

 

11. Go camping

Camping can be a really cost effective way to explore the UK without the huge accommodation costs that can often come with a trip away – if you and your family love nature then a camping holiday can make things really budget-friendly. Some sites will allow you to hire what you need, at a cheaper rate than a caravan, and you can arrive to find it all set up. If you have your own kit, or can borrow from a friend, then you’ll likely pay very little. It’s also much easier to book last minute when you go camping – which is a real plus with the unpredictable British weather. And, if you fancy a trip to Scotland then you can wild camp for free!

 

12. Enjoy free days out

To enjoy your UK holiday on a budget, look for days out that the whole family can enjoy for free whilst you’re on your staycation. You don’t need to spend a fortune on pricey attractions to have a good time, here are a few ways that you can have frugal fun on your travels:

• Explore a city – surprisingly, cities can often be really affordable places for holidays and days out. In particular, there are loads of FREE things to do in London with children – even if you’re not a fan of the museums. From playgrounds, to lidos, to farms and zoos – there’s something to entertain everyone. (And the tube is free for kids aged 10 and under too!) Check out my post for more info: The 10 best FREE days out in London with kids.
• Check out free local events – the summer is the best time to find free events and activities so do some research to see what’s happening in the area that you’ll be visiting. Look for bandstands, food and drink festivals, airshows and even free firework evenings. Get googling, pack up a picnic and entertain the whole family without spending a penny!
• Make the most of nature – there are so many gorgeous beaches, hills to hike and country parks dotted all over the UK each offering a new (free!) adventure during your holiday – they’re often the best family days out and the most budget-friendly. If you’re feeling energetic, you could even climb a mountain; we had a great time in Wales climbing Mount Snowdon!

 

13. Join Kids Pass

Kids Pass is a fantastic way to save on the cost of your family holiday! In 2021, through Kids Pass, we saved £30 on a Haven holiday, and £20 off our Butlins break – the easiest £50 saving ever! On top of this, you can also benefit from big savings on days out while you’re away – and the best bit is that you can trial it for 30 days for just a quid! Using their app, you can save on the go and search for things to do and restaurants near you. It’s a great option for trips away and the summer holidays, even if cancelled afterwards. The perks are:

 

14. Get cashback on your holiday and the extras

Before you book anything, always check cashback websites (such as Quidco and Top Cashback) to see what they could save you. Holidays can be expensive, so even a 5% cashback offer can be pretty significant and small amounts soon add up too! You could get cashback on holidays, days out, travel insurance, holiday clothes and hotels – you can make a saving simply by clicking through the link before you book!

 

15. Prepare in advance

I hope that this article has given you some ideas on how to have a budget-friendly UK staycation – booking a family holiday needn’t be unachievable if you hunt out the best deals and do some planning. To avoid relying on credit cards, work out your average annual travel costs and divide it by twelve, then set up a monthly direct debit into a savings account to collect the money year round. (Don’t forget to budget for food, days out and travel costs too!) That way you’ll have a good chunk of money to work with when you need it. Lots of holiday companies also allow you to pay in instalments, so that could be an option too if you’re booking far enough in advance. Happy travels! 😊

 

Check out these articles too:

The 20 best Parkdean Resorts for family holidays

 

30 page PRINTABLE kids’ summer travel activity book

 

Are Haven Holidays good? The 20 best Haven Holiday Parks for a UK family staycation

 

Chessington Resort Guide: Is the Safari or Azteca hotel better?

 

The 10 best Away Resorts family holidays with hot tubs

 

The Ultimate Butlins Bognor Regis Holiday Guide & Review

 

Merlin Attractions Guide: Where can you go with a Merlin Annual Pass?

 

The 10 best FREE days out in London with kids

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