All my little-known tricks for cheap tickets that top UK attractions DON'T advertise

The Irish Sun

3 days ago

THE summer holidays are just around the corner, and as the queen of money-saving mums, I've compiled a list of my favourite tricks for saving cash on day trips in the UK.
Like lots of parents, I love to
5
Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse (pictured with her son) has a number of tricks for saving money on top attractions in the summer holidays
Credit: Catherine Lofthouse
5
There are lots of ways to save money in the holidays - for instance, Lost Gardens of Heligan (pictured) offers visitors the chance to convert tickets to a free weekly pass
Credit: Lost Gardens of Heligan
From twilight tickets to
Twilight tickets
With the long summer days in full flow, sometimes it makes sense to head to an outdoor attraction later in the day.
Often, there are fewer visitors and the sun isn't at full strength, especially as daylight stretches well into the evening now.
This makes it less hot and sweaty, and much better if you have
We love a trip to
Depending on the site, tickets in the summer holidays can cost £22.50 to £24.50 per person.
But, if a full day out is a bit too much for your family, you can get an afternoon ticket from 2pm to 5pm for £15 or £16.
At Milton Keynes, there's also the option of paying £18 to visit the dino and farm park next door from midday and then go into the theme park from 2pm onwards.
This is ideal if you are in a group with different-aged children.
Norfolk Museums have cut-price twilight tickets for the last hour of opening at places like Norwich Castle or the Elizabethan House in Great Yarmouth from £1.50 to £2.50 per person.
The little-known family adventure centre with climbing walls, obstacle courses and slides - just one hour from Dublin
We love popping into the atmospheric
A twilight ticket means a family of four only pays £10 for a visit instead of £28.40 - perfect to while away an hour after spending the day on the beach.
Puxton Park near
Summer season tickets
Lots of visitor sites now offer
At
To visit for a day in the summer holidays would cost £57.50, so it's well worth buying the pass, even if you'll only use it twice.
Farm parks can be a fantastic choice if you're looking for a summer pass.
At Lee Valley Animal Adventure Park in Essex, two adults and two children can visit unlimited times from July 5 to August 31 for £62.97, compared to paying £42.96 for entry for one day over the school holidays.
And we've also had great value passes in the past for soft play centres, which tend to be quieter in the summer months when people are outdoors more.
If you live near one of the 70 pubs that host a Wacky Warehouse, you can buy a month-long pass for £14 per child for access to the soft play, with discounts if you buy more than one pass at the same time.
5
Statfold Country Park in the Midlands offers summer passes to families
Credit: Instagram
Weekly or fortnightly passes
If you're holidaying away from home, some attractions in tourist hotspots offer weekly or fortnightly tickets to encourage families to make return visits while they are in the area.
Down in Cornwall, you can upgrade a day ticket to visit the
A ticket booked in advance for a family of four costs £75.50, so you'll want to make the most of your entry fee by visiting several times if possible.
If you're heading to Scotland for your holidays, the Historic Scotland Explorer Pass is £100 for two adults and up to three children aged 7-15 for 14 days.
It covers entry to lots of sites such as Skara Brae in Orkney and Edinburgh Castle, which by itself costs £74 prebooked or £82 on the day for two adults and three children. So if you're visiting the castle and a couple of other sites, the Explorer Pass could be the perfect way to save money.
In Devon, Woodlands theme park offers a seven-day wristband for £123 for a family of four, compared to £86.72 for one-day entry.
5
Audley End Miniature Railway Essex often holds an end of season sale - so it's cheaper to go towards the end of August
Credit: supplied
End of summer sale
When my boys were young, we used to love chugging around the tracks at Audley End Miniature Railway near Saffron Walden in Essex.
But with tickets costing £18 per person this August, it can be quite an expensive day out, especially towards the end of the school holidays when funds are dwindling and you'll need to buy new school uniform for the academic year ahead.
Last summer, the visitor attraction offered 30 per cent off for the last week in August, making a final day of family fun before the kids go back to school more affordable.
It's worth waiting to
Another place I like to look out for discount codes is at indoor attractions like waterparks or adventure golf.
These tend to be quieter over the summer months while people are out and about in the warm weather, so they sometimes do discounts at the end of the summer to get visitors back in before the autumn.
We often visit
That's a similar price to a round of indoor adventure golf near us, which sometimes offers a 20 per cent discount code towards the end of the school holidays.
Sign up for the social media pages of your local attractions to make sure you
It's also a great time to look at venturing further afield to places where term time has already begun and prices have returned to off-peak.
If you live south of the Scottish border, it could be worth heading north at the end of August as schools in Scotland start back in the middle of the month.
Here in Leicestershire, we have a similar situation, with prices dropping for the last week of August once term has begun, even though all the children in neighbouring counties are still off school.
So make sure you do your summer holiday maths and work out what ticket works best for your family before you splash the cash.
Waiting until the last-minute to book a twilight ticket or use an end of summer discount code could be better for your budget.
Paying a bit more upfront could end up saving you a pretty penny in the long run.
5
The arcades at Great Yarmouth are great if you want to get out of the sun
Credit: Alamy