The summer holidays are here, the sun is shining and your little cherubs are no doubt full of beans. With six long weeks to go until the new school year, many parents are looking for ways to keep the kids entertained without breaking the bank. From activities and days out to childcare, costs can soon add up. However, with a little forward planning, you can save up to 50 per cent on tickets to some of the UK’s most popular family attractions.
From theme parks and zoos to aquariums and historic landmarks, I’ve rounded up the best deals on family days out this summer, to help you stretch your budget further.
This summer, Alton Towers is hosting its Meet the Mobs event, during which families can enjoy hands-on activities, meet fan-favourite Minecraft mobs (including Creepers, Pandas and Axolotls) and follow the interactive Baby Mob Trail. The event is included in the price of a regular day ticket and is running until 28 August, with tickets starting from £29.75, thanks to the resort’s current summer VAT-saving offer.
If you’re not a Minecraft fan, fear not, as the theme park is open as normal, so there’s plenty more to enjoy, too.
Chessington World of Adventures is a great choice for families with children of all ages, with its brand-new Paw Patrol-themed land offering plenty to keep pre-schoolers entertained alongside the resort’s bigger rides.
Book in advance and Chessington tickets start from £29.75, including access to the theme park, zoo and Sea Life aquarium.
Legoland Windsor
Lego fans can enjoy a packed day out at the Lego festival, which is running between 20 July and 31 August at Legoland Windsor. There’ll be everything from building challenges and live entertainment to interactive experiences for all ages. Tickets start from £29.75 with Merlin’s summer saving offer.
If you’re planning more than one family day out to English Heritage’s vast collection of sites this summer, a membership could be well worth considering. There are more than 400 historic sites across England, including Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall, many of which host family-friendly events and activities during the school holidays.
Right now, you can save 25 per cent on annual memberships, which give you unlimited access to all English Heritage sites, so you’ll often recoup the cost after just a handful of visits.
Warwick Castle has an action-packed itinerary this summer, with live shows, entertainment, castle tours and more. The Falconer’s Quest is the UK’s largest birds of prey display, with more than 60 different birds. There are also meet and greets with Zog the dragon for younger guests, and you can pay a visit to the dungeons, if you’re feeling brave enough.
Tickets start from £25.38 instead of £29 when booked between 25 June and 1 September, as part of the summer VAT savings offer.
A trip to a Sea Life centre is a great option if you’re looking for an indoor activity during the summer holidays. With locations across the UK, including London, Birmingham, Brighton and Manchester, families can get up close to sharks, rays, turtles, penguins and thousands of colourful sea creatures through interactive exhibits and underwater tunnels.
Tickets are cheapest when booked online in advance, with prices starting from around £21 at selected locations. You can also save more by booking a combined ticket with other nearby Merlin attractions, such as Birmingham’s Legoland Discovery Centre, or by taking advantage of the current second-day-free offer before the promotion ends.
Thorpe Park’s full lineup of thrill rides will be open throughout the summer holidays, including favourites such as Hyperia, Stealth and Tidal Wave. If you book in advance online, day tickets start from £29.75.
Cheap train tickets and railcards
If you’re travelling by train this summer, a ‘friends and family’ railcard is one of the easiest ways to keep costs down. It gets you up to a third off most adult fares and 60 per cent off children’s fares, for up to four adults and four children travelling together, making it ideal for family days out. You’ll often recoup the cost of the railcard after just a couple of trips.
It’s also worth comparing ticket prices through TrainPal, which uses split-ticketing technology to help find cheaper fares where available. Even better, The Independent readers can save on tickets with our exclusive TrainPal discount codes.
Budget-friendly coach travel
Coach travel is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to travel the UK when it comes to long journeys. You can often save up to 20 per cent on travel with National Express and fares are reasonably priced, starting from as low as £4.80 on selected routes.
For more deals on days out, travel, school uniform and more, visit our dedicated deals section
