19 Super Cheap Holiday Hacks
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Are you looking for ways to find a super cheap holiday? If your finances are stretched but you still want to get away, then here are 19 super cheap holiday hacks.
19 Super Cheap Holiday Hacks
1. Try Camping
One of the absolute cheapest ways to go on holiday is camping. While there is the initial cost of the camping equipment to consider, it could be used over many years for many holidays, so is a great investment.
You could also consider buying secondhand camping equipment to reduce the initial outlay even further.
Once you have your tent and everything else you need, booking camping pitches is relatively cheap. Generally speaking, the more facilities a site has, the more it will charge so it’s worth weighing up the options of what you need to have a cheap, but enjoyable holiday.
Personally, I would want to be a minimum of toilets, showers and somewhere to charge my phone!
However, if you can manage without those things, wild camping can also be an option and that is often totally free.
One of the great things is about camping that children will think it’s a huge adventure – whether you’re camping on the other side of the country or pitching a tent in your own back garden camping is great fun for all the family.
2. Do A House Swap
Both 2020 and 2021 saw a surge in people doing house swap holidays due to travel restrictions. And it’s a trend that I can see continuing into the future.
If you have family or friends in another part of the country, you may want to consider doing a house swap with them. They stay in your house for a week and you stay in theirs. Or you might stay in someone else’s house while they holiday abroad.
Even if they don’t live in a seaside resort, it still gives you the opportunity to explore somewhere new with your family.
This is something my family used to do when I was a child – my Aunt and Uncle would spend several weeks of the summer doing charity work in other countries and we’d stay in their house which is in a seaside town on the Welsh coast for free.
3. Book A Mystery Break
This is actually something I’ve been looking into recently as I was thinking it would make a great gift for my little brother for his 18th Birthday.
Using a company like Journee you can book a mystery break. They organise everything on your behalf including flights, accomadtion and excursions. You find out where you’re going when you reach the airport.
It’s a brilliant way to explore new places on a budget without having to think about things and you might end up going somewhere you never even would have considered before.
4. Cheap Holiday Hacks: Find Free Activities
This is one of my favourite cheap holiday hacks.
One thing that can make the cost of any break skyrocket is all the activities, especially if you have kids. Finding and planning lots of free activities before you go away is a great way to save money.
We always look for kids play parks before we go away as they aren’t always the easiest to find if you don’t know where they are.
If you’re planning a city break then there are lots of free museums and galleries that offer free entry.
5. Search For The Cheapest Flights
If you’re planning a holiday that requires a flight, taking the time to do some research could save you hundreds of pounds.
The first thing to do is take a look at some flight comparison websites.
If you find the prices of flights creeping up over a few days, try clearing your browser history or using a different browser altogether.
Remember that sometimes the cheapest flights don’t include luggage or food so make sure you factor in all additional costs. You may also find flying from a different airport cheaper but do take into account the extra cost of travelling there.
It’s also important to be mindful when travelling abroad, of the changes in border control and getting successfully in and out of the country. For example, the UK ETA website is a new introduction of border control being put in place so just like the USA, visitors from outside the country without a visa will need to get one of these ETA documents.
6. Book An Airport Lounge
Paying for an airport lounge may seem like a way to spend more money than save it, but hear me out. Airport lounges can actually offer really good value for money, especially if you’re someone that has a tendency to spend money while waiting for your flight.
Many airport lounges offer unlimited food and drink as well as a selection of magazines and free wifi. If you’re guilty of shopping too much and eating too much at the airport then this could be a solution.
They are also a quieter and much more comfortable place to spend a few hours pre-flight!
7. Cheap U.K Breaks
Many U.K holiday parks offer cheap breaks, especially if you book out of season. We recently booked a three-night stay for March 2022 with Parkdean for just £69 in an apartment that sleeps up to six people.
Here are a few holiday companies to check out for cheap holidays. Mostly these are based in well-know seaside resorts around the U.K
Some of the accommodation at these resorts is pretty dated, so you may want to do lots of research before you go. That said, it is a great way to get a holiday on a limited budget – my advice is to take some cleaning supplies with you just in case.
Haven offer basic holidays where things like swimming and entertainment aren’t included so just be aware of that too, depending on what you want from your break.
8. £9.50 Sun Holidays
The Sun Newspaper (yes, I know, don’t worry you don’t have to buy it for this to work) offers cheap holidays when booked through their UK holidays in the sun website. You’ll need some codes to do this and while they are printed in the newspaper, they can easily be found online too.
If you have Facebook, have a search for ‘Sun £9.50 Holidays’ and you’ll find plenty of groups that provide information about how the booking process works.
These holidays are ‘from’ £9.50pppn. But, be warned, there are often lots of added extras which can make them more expensive. Look out for ‘Pay Only’ dates where everything is included for the basic price.
The cheapest holidays through this scheme are usually mid-week during the winter months and even then you may need to take your own bed linen. That aside, it is a great way to get a holiday on a budget.
It’s also worth looking directly at the holiday parks own website to compare prices if you feel the Sun holiday isn’t as cheap as you’d like, as sometimes booking direct is a lower-cost option.
We did a three-night Sun Holiday to Dawlish Warren last year which you can read about in this post.
9. Cheap Hotel Offers For City Breaks
If a city break in a hotel is more your thing than a caravan holiday, there are plenty of ways to get cheap city hotels.
Typically I find Travelodge hotels to come out the cheapest, especially if you can grab a room on one of their £19 a night special offers. Premier do a similar thing where hotels are from £29 a night.
While you can use a comparison website to compare cheap hotels, I do find well-known hotel brands aren’t always on there so remember to check prices direct too.
Having stayed in some awful cheap hotels, I personally tend to book a big brand for peace of mind and reassurance. For example, Premier Inn, refund if you don’t get a good night sleep.
The cheapest hotel nights tend to be Sunday and Monday, so if you can manage a getaway over these nights, you’ll definitely save some cash.
10. Consider All Inclusive
If you’re planning a family holiday abroad, then all-inclusive is a great way to holiday without the worry of additional costs.
What I love about all-inclusive holidays is the peace of mind they bring around spending money. Even if you spend all your holiday money, you know your family will still be fed. This can also alleviate worries around what happens if you lose your money or your wallet get stolen.
Most family-friendly resorts offer treats and drinks throughout the day – this means you’re not constantly reaching into your purse for money for ice creams and other snacks.
Choose a large resort that offers different restaurants so you don’t get bored of eating the same things!
11. National Trust Pass
Do you have a National Trust Pass? A family pass costs as little as £10 per month. As well as using it for local attractions, we also use it to visit properties when we’re on holiday too, reducing the amount we spend on days out while were away.
12. Travel On The Cheapest Days
If you can, plan to travel on the cheapest days of the week. For flights especially, mid-week tends to be the cheapest.
This also applies during the school holidays, so if you’re struggling to get the cost of a summer holiday down, going Wednesday to Wednesday instead of Saturday to Saturday could make a big difference to the price you pay.
13. Invest In A Rail Card
Train journeys can be incredibly expensive, even if you book well ahead of time. It can also make planning a last-minute trip very expensive.
If you often find this is the case then it might be worth investing in a Railcard. There are several different options depending on your age and how many people you usually travel with.
The price also varies too depending on your age and how many people it covers. With nine different options, there should be one that suits your circumstances.
While there is the initial cost of the railcard to consider, you may find you save that money back on just one trip, meaning you’ll save on all future journeys.
14. Split Ticketing
If you don’t want to purchase a Railcard, you could try Split Ticketing instead. This involves breaking your journey down into smaller chunks which can sometimes work out cheaper than paying for the whole trip at once.
As a quick and very simple example, it could well be cheaper for me to travel from my hometown of Bridgwater up to Bristol on a single train ticket and then buy another single ticket from Bristol to over to London.
As you’ll have a valid ticket for all parts of your journey, this is perfectly legal. You can read a dedicated post on split ticketing here.
15. Alternative Options
While it can be tempting to book more expensive places, you might find there are similar options available to suit your budget.
For example, Center Parcs is popular, but very expensive, especially if you choose to go during the summer holidays. However, there are lots of places that offer a similar experience at a cheaper price, such as Bluestone Wales, Ribby Hall and Forest Holidays.
16. Find Your Nearest Supermarket
If you’re heading off on a self-catering holiday then you’re probably going to want to take plenty of food with you.
But if you’ve got kids, dogs, bikes, luggage, a baby with a buggy or pram all filling up your car then there might not be enough room. This could also be an issue if you’re travelling by coach or train.
Finding a supermarket local to where you’re staying can make a huge difference. Use Google to find one before you go and plan a time for someone to go and get the basics. It’s much cheaper than shopping on-site if you’re camping or caravanning or staying in a holiday village.
If you’re staying at an Air B&B or similar you may even be able to a supermarket shop delivered.
17. Use Tesco Vouchers
If you shop Tesco then you’ll more than likely already be aware of their Clubcard loyalty scheme and Clubcard Vouchers.
These accumulate while you shop at Tesco can be spent on a range of things, from the weekly shop to cinema trips and you can sometimes exchange Clubcard points for two times their value.
They can also be spent with some holiday providers including Cottages.com, Hoeseasons and Best Western Hotels which could help you bag a bargain break.
You can also use them to book days out, for example, Tesco vouchers can be exchanged to use at Longleat.
How To Get Cheap Discounted Longleat Tickets (10 Ways!)
18. Cheap Holiday Hacks: Plan Ahead
One of the absolute best ways you can save money on any holiday is by planning. While it does take time it can be worth it if it saves you hundreds of pounds.
Here are some of the things I usually research before we go away (this is assuming your holiday is already booked)
- Cheap local places to eat such as restaurants offering set menus, places that accept Tastecard or Meerkat Meals or that do cheap lunch menus.
- Free museums and galleries as well as free local attractions and beauty spots, parks and beaches.
- Whether booking activities ahead of time is cheaper and what the T&Cs for moving or cancelling them is.
- Cost of rainy days ideas such as cinemas and swimming.
You could also consider the cost of holiday clothes, for example, you may want to choose beachwear that can also be worn in the evening for meals out.
19. Take Your Slow Cooker
While a holiday should feel like a break, the cost of eating food out every night can soon add up. Popping a meal in the slow cooker before you head out for the day is a great way to ensure a tasty meal for everyone when you get back.
Even cooking a whole chicken or pork joint and serving it with salad and bread is much easier than cooking a full meal but much cheaper too.
I really hope these cheap holiday hacks help you have a great holiday while sticking to a budget!
