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Scottish Sun
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
How I pay just £10pp on theme park days out for a family-of-five – my savvy tricks for saving hundreds
We also explain how you could end up saving hundreds of pounds on your trips by doing a bit of research ALONG FOR THE RIDE How I pay just £10pp on theme park days out for a family-of-five – my savvy tricks for saving hundreds THEME park season is here and we all know how quickly costs can add up if you're not careful. My boys love riding the rollercoasters but I don't want to be forking out hundreds just for one day of fun. Advertisement 12 Catherine Lofthouse reveals her top tips to keep costs down on theme park trips 12 Her boys love riding the rollercoasters, pictured above at Gulliver's 12 Catherine aims to spend less than £100 for a family of five for entry, parking and food 12 The massive ball pit at Gulliver's is every kid's dream Instead I've got my tried and tested tips that keep costs down - I aim to spend less than £100 for our family of five for entry, parking and food. Advertisement Sometimes I even do it for less than £50! Free entry parks 12 Anyone aged over 14 rides free at Southend Adventure Island when accompanying a paying guest under 120cm While most theme parks now charge for entry at the gate, there are still a few dotted around the country that let visitors in free, with wristbands or tokens to pay for the rides. That means if you're going with grandparents who don't want to go on many attractions, they can have a wander and spend time with their family without having to pay for the privilege. Our favourite is Wicksteed Park in Kettering, which is open access to all. Advertisement You pay for parking and rides, but there are playgrounds around the site and lovely nature walks that don't cost a penny. Another great free-entry option is Southend Adventure Island, where anyone aged over 14 rides free when accompanying a paying guest under 120cm. Bring your own grub 12 Pull together a bargain picnic and take it with you to save some cash With ice creams costing around £3 or £4 each nowadays, eating and drinking on your day out can soon add up, especially if you've got a horde of hungry boys like me. I'd rather chuck together a homemade picnic and take it with us to save some cash. Then I don't mind splashing out for treats during the day. Advertisement I also don't want to waste time queuing at food stalls, so bringing our own lunch means more time on rides as we can eat wherever and whenever we want. Experience the Best of British thrills by exploring the top theme parks across the UK I usually manage to spend less than a tenner to feed us all, including sandwiches, crisps, fruit and sweets. We bring refillable water bottles too so that we can keep hydrated without having to buy fizzy drinks. I've even been known to keep a flask full of hot water in the car so I can get everyone fed before we head home if we've got a bit of a journey. It's easy to warm up a few hot dog sausages and pop them in a bun, just don't forget the ketchup! Advertisement 12 Keep a flask full of hot water in the car to warm up a few hot dog sausages and pop them in a bun Little theme parks, lower fees 12 Gulliver's, which has sites in Milton Keynes, Matlock Bath, Warrington and Rotherham, often has tickets for £15 each Smaller parks tend to have fewer rides but also lower fees, so they can be perfect if you're out and about with little ones who aren't fussed about going upside down or getting soaked on a log flume. We always have a great time at Gulliver's, which has sites in Milton Keynes, Matlock Bath, Warrington and Rotherham, and often has tickets for £15 each. We've also got a couple of smaller parks aimed at primary-aged children near us, including Wheelgates in Nottinghamshire and Twinlakes in South Leicestershire, which are on my list to check out with my littlest boy this summer as tickets are only £17 each. Advertisement Check out overnight stays 12 If you're planning on visiting Legoland, make sure to check out overnight stays 12 Catherine's stay at the Legoland Hotel was £149 for four and included breakfast, toys in the room, evening entertainment and early access to the park If you're going to the big-name parks like Alton Towers, you can save if you book car parking in advance as it's usually cheaper than on the day. It's also worth taking a look at an overnight stay to see if the perks add up for you. We visited Legoland at the end of the school holidays one summer as we had an extra inset day when everyone else had headed back to school. Advertisement Booking last minute, our overnight stay in the Legoland Hotel, which included parking, breakfast, Lego toys in the room, use of the indoor pool, evening entertainment and early access to the park through a dedicated hotel entrance closer to the rides, was £149 for four of us. Bargain! Don't pay on-the-gate prices 12 At Drayton Manor near Tamworth, entry for an adult and a child aged four and under costs just £27.50 It's worth taking time to research the best deal for your party, depending on who is coming along. We used to love toddler and adult deals, which often keep costs low if you're visiting midweek with a little one. Advertisement At Drayton Manor near Tamworth, entry for an adult and a child aged four and under costs just £27.50, while Legoland's adult and preschooler ticket is £29. Some places like Alton Towers and Warwick Castle even run this deal up to the age of five, so it's worth checking. There's loads of other ways to save too, whether it's grabbing a free pair of Sun Club tickets, getting discount codes from packs of groceries, converting Tesco Clubcard points into days out vouchers or using membership schemes like Kids Pass or Blue Light Card. I don't think I've ever paid the full price for a theme park day out as there's so many early accessible discounts around. Do a bit of research and you could end up saving hundreds of pounds if you find the right deal for your family. Advertisement 12 The boys having fun at Thomasland
Scottish Sun
05-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
The £1 passes that make a family trip to Butlin's cheaper than a swim at my local leisure centre
Plus, how to pay £1 for your kids' meals at Butlin's The £1 passes that make a family trip to Butlin's cheaper than a swim at my local leisure centre My family loves a Butlin's trip and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the latest day pass deal of just £1 for children. That actually makes it cheaper for me to take my three boys for a swim at Butlin's than at my local leisure centre, where I have to pay more than a fiver per person. Advertisement 6 Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse with her family at Butlin's Credit: Catherine Lofthouse 6 Butlin's is offering day passes from £1 for kids, with water park, funfair rides and shows in the Skyline Pavilion all included Credit: Butlin's Instead of spending £20 for an hour in the pool, I could spend £15 for an adult day pass and then £3 for the boys and enjoy a full day out at the seaside resort, with swimming, funfair rides and shows in the Skyline Pavilion all included. With the incredible Skyparks at Skegness and Minehead and the brand-new soft play at Bognor, now's a good time to head to your nearest site for a day to try out the latest family-friendly facilities, particularly if you have a school inset day in May, like we do. This deal is only available term-time midweek until May halfterm, so you need to be quick if you're going to take advantage. Prices for day passes in halfterm rise to as much as £33 for adults and £23 for children depending on the resort, so it could be a huge saving to go midweek in May. Advertisement Plus it'll be much quieter when everyone else is at school, so you can make the most of your family fun without battling crowds of holidaymakers. If you've always wondered whether a Butlin's break is for you, this could be the perfect way to give it a go with minimal investment in time or money, before you decide whether you'd like to book a longer stay. And it's a great deal if you've got little ones who aren't school age yet, as they will love all the shows in the Skyline such as Peppa Pig or the Skyline Gang, which tend to be geared towards their age group. In fact, for some of the day pass dates, you'll need to have a tot in tow as you can't get onto site during the weeks aimed at young families without someone aged 14 or under in your party. Advertisement As always, you need to factor in the age of those you're taking to work out if you might actually be better off going on a May weekend, when day passes are £15 for adults and £5 for children. For example, if you have grandparents in your party, they only cost £5 at weekends, but £11 during the week. 6 This deal is only available term-time midweek until May halfterm, so you need to be quick if you're going to take advantage Credit: Catherine Lofthouse 6 Prices for day passes in half term rise to as much as £33 for adults and £23 for children depending on the resort Credit: Butlin's Advertisement Day visitors won't be able to see the shows in venues like Studio 36, Reds or Centre Stage, so if you're hoping to catch a headline act like Justin Fletcher aka Mr Tumble during a Showtime Tots week, that won't be possible. And your ticket doesn't include parking, so you need to factor that in to your budget for the day as well. The best value is at Skegness, where parking is available on resort, with a charge of £1 per day to be donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital. Parking for Bognor Regis day visitors is at the council pay and display car park opposite the day visit entrance on Gloucester Road and costs £13.90 for more than six hours. Advertisement At Minehead, day visitors can use Warren Road Upper car park, which costs £7.30 for the day. While on site, you'll be able to take advantage of the 'kids eat for a quid' deal, that runs at the resort restaurants from midday to 3pm. 6 Catherine's son poses at the brand-new soft play at the Bognor Regis park Credit: Catherine Lofthouse 6 For some of the day pass dates, you'll need to have a tot in tow as you can't get onto site during the weeks aimed at young families without someone aged 14 or under Credit: Supplied Advertisement For each adult meal purchased at Papa John's, Firehouse Grill, the Diner or the Beachcomber Inn, you can add a £1 child's meal. Day visitors at Bognor can book Playxperience activities if there is availability, but they do need an existing day visit booking to do so in advance.
Scottish Sun
05-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
My UK city is so popular with stag do's that locals want an anti-tourist tax – but there's so much more to it than bars
Plus, the lesser-known UK cities that Brits should visit over big name tourist destinations like Lisbon and Cardiff NOTT BAD My UK city is so popular with stag do's that locals want an anti-tourist tax – but there's so much more to it than bars Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) When it comes to the latest UK cities considering a tourist tax for overnight visitors, London and Liverpool seem likely locations to add to the list. Nottingham? Not so much. While the capital reckons it could raise more than £240m a year and Liverpool benefits from Beatles mania, the Midlands city where I spent my teenage years wandering round New Look and Top Shop isn't top of most tourists' to-do lists. 4 Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse and her son explore the hidden network of caves beneath Nottingham, which have been in use since Roman times Credit: Catherine Lofthouse 4 Inside Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem - England's oldest inn, can be found at the foot of Nottingham castle Credit: Alamy The main overnight guests who head to Nottingham appear to be hordes of hen dos and lads on tour - it's the Midlands' answer to top stag destination, Amsterdam. Much as I love the city of my youth, charging overnight visitors £2 per room per night seems a bit cheeky, when tourist hotspots like Mogan in Gran Canaria are setting their rates at €0.15 per person per day. The city council reckon bringing in a tourist charge could raise £1.7m a year, which could be invested in attractions to make Nottingham less about the night-time economy and more of a tourist destination during daylight. The City of Edinburgh Council is introducing a five per cent visitor levy for overnight guests in paid accommodation from July next year. Meanwhile Manchester adds £1 per room per night for stays within the Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) zone. London is considering bringing in a levy to boost public coffers, while Liverpool is going ahead with its £2 per night charge from next month. Here in Nottingham, the city centre is undergoing a facelift with the demolition of the Broadmarsh shopping centre, so money raised from overnight stays could come in handy. There's actually lots of interesting sites in Nottingham if you know where to go. The whole city has a hidden network of caves beneath it, which have been in use since Roman times. My eldest son and I were fascinated by what we found when we bought tickets for the City of Caves and wandered the warren of walkways and tunnels underground last summer, past medieval tannery pits and air raid shelters. Robin Hood might have spent more time hiding out in nearby Sherwood Forest than in the city itself, but Nottingham still celebrates the legendary figure. A statue of the fabled outlaw stands proud near the castle, ready to take on the Sheriff of Nottingham. The fortunes of the castle itself have been somewhat chequered in recent years, after the trust that ran it went into liquidation in 2022, just 18 months after the site unveiled a £30 million revamp. 4 Young visitors can enjoy immersive and interactive games that bring to life the legend of Robin Hood at Nottingham Castle Credit: Alamy The castle, actually a 17th-century ducal palace refurbished in Victorian times after it was set ablaze by protesters, houses a museum and art gallery. Young visitors can enjoy immersive and interactive games that bring to life the legend of Robin Hood, including trying out a bow and arrow, before heading outside to the wooden fortress adventure play area. This year could be a great time to visit as up to three kids go free with each paying adult- and an adult ticket costs £15 and acts as an annual pass, meaning you can visit as many times as you like over the year. Nottingham City Museums Service has just launched a £30 'adult rover ticket' under the pay-once-visit-all-year scheme, that enables holders to visit Nottingham Castle, Wollaton Hall and Newstead Abbey. Wollaton Hall's newest gallery Discovering Dinosaurs opened to visitors a month ago and features a 12m T-rex skeleton. The Elizabethan mansion, set in a deer park, also boasts an impressive collection of taxidermy, including a giraffe and other exotic animals. UK AND IRELAND'S UNSUNG CITIES - LESSER-KNOWN PLACES TO VISIT ON WEEKEND BREAKS Ben Aitken, the author of Sh**ty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities, has spent a year exploring overlooked cities. He told Sun Travel reveals he'd rather go there than some of the classic bucket list destinations. Ben said: "The worst pizza I've ever had was in Venice, so I'd rather go to Wolverhampton. I'd also swap Edinburgh for Dunfermline - given that they're neighbours. "I'd say that Newport's better than Cardiff - that's going to get me into trouble, and Sunderland for me is the best city in the North East, so I'd swap that with Newcastle. "Limerick is a match for Dublin. I'm not going to say it's better, but it's half the price with half the crowds, and the Guinness is better there. "And let's give some love to Preston, I'd rather spend a weekend in Preston than in Lisbon." He added: "I'm not saying that Edinburgh is not fantastic, Venice isn't cool, and Paris isn't sexy. But other places are of value and of note and are interesting as well." At Newstead Abbey, to the north of Nottingham, visitors can find out about the life and times of Lord Byron, its most famous inhabitant, and enjoy the parkland around the historic house. Legend has it that sky-high taxes triggered Robin Hood's crusade to take from the rich to give to the poor, so it's ironic that visitors coming to enjoy his story in the city he made famous could soon be taxed for doing so. I'm not sure taking from the tourists to subsidise the city would win approval from Nottingham's most celebrated son.
The Irish Sun
05-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
My UK city is so popular with stag do's that locals want an anti-tourist tax – but there's so much more to it than bars
When it comes to the latest UK cities considering a tourist tax for overnight visitors, London and Liverpool seem likely locations to add to the list. Nottingham? Not so much. While the capital reckons it could raise more than £240m a year and Liverpool benefits from Beatles mania, the Midlands city where I spent my teenage years wandering round New Look and Top Shop isn't top of most tourists' to-do lists. Advertisement 4 Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse and her son explore the hidden network of caves beneath Nottingham, which have been in use since Roman times Credit: Catherine Lofthouse 4 Inside Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem - England's oldest inn, can be found at the foot of Nottingham castle Credit: Alamy The main overnight guests who head to Nottingham appear to be hordes of hen dos and lads on tour - it's the Midlands' answer to top stag destination, Much as I love the city of my youth, charging overnight visitors £2 per room per night seems a bit cheeky, when tourist hotspots like Mogan in The city council reckon bringing in a tourist charge could raise £1.7m a year, which could be invested in attractions to make Nottingham less about the night-time economy and more of a tourist destination during daylight. The City of Edinburgh Council is introducing a five per cent visitor levy for overnight guests in paid accommodation from July next year. Advertisement Read More On UK Cities Meanwhile Here in There's actually lots of interesting sites in Nottingham if you know where to go. Advertisement Most read in News Travel The whole city has a hidden network of caves beneath it, which have been in use since Roman times. My eldest son and I were fascinated by what we found when we bought tickets for the A statue of the fabled outlaw stands proud near the Advertisement The fortunes of the castle itself have been somewhat chequered in recent years, after the trust that ran it went into liquidation in 2022, just 18 months after the site unveiled a £30 million revamp. 4 Young visitors can enjoy immersive and interactive games that bring to life the legend of Robin Hood at Nottingham Castle Credit: Alamy The castle, actually a 17th-century ducal palace refurbished in Victorian times after it was set ablaze by protesters, houses a museum and art gallery. Young visitors can enjoy immersive and interactive games that bring to life the legend of Robin Hood, including trying out a bow and arrow, before heading outside to the wooden fortress adventure play area. Advertisement This year could be a great time to visit as up to three kids go free with each paying adult- and an adult ticket costs £15 and acts as an annual pass, meaning you can visit as many times as you like over the year. Nottingham City Museums Service has just launched a £30 'adult rover ticket' under the pay-once-visit-all-year scheme, that enables holders to visit Nottingham Castle, Wollaton Hall's newest gallery Discovering Dinosaurs opened to visitors a month ago and features a 12m T-rex skeleton. The Elizabethan mansion, set in a deer park, also boasts an impressive collection of taxidermy, including a giraffe and other exotic animals. Advertisement UK AND IRELAND'S UNSUNG CITIES - LESSER-KNOWN PLACES TO VISIT ON WEEKEND BREAKS Ben Aitken, the author of Sh**ty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities, has spent a year exploring overlooked cities. He Ben said: "The worst pizza I've ever had was in "I'd say that Newport's better than Cardiff - that's going to get me into trouble, and Sunderland for me is the best city in the North East, so I'd swap that with Newcastle. "Limerick is a match for Dublin. I'm not going to say it's better, but it's half the price with half the crowds, and the Guinness is better there. "And let's give some love to Preston, I'd rather spend a weekend in Preston than in Lisbon." He added: "I'm not saying that Edinburgh is not fantastic, Venice isn't cool, and Paris isn't sexy. But other places are of value and of note and are interesting as well." At Newstead Abbey, to the north of Nottingham, visitors can find out about the life and times of Lord Byron, its most famous inhabitant, and enjoy the parkland around the historic house. Legend has it that sky-high taxes triggered Robin Hood's crusade to take from the rich to give to the poor, so it's ironic that visitors coming to enjoy his story in the city he made famous could soon be taxed for doing so. I'm not sure taking from the tourists to subsidise the city would win approval from Nottingham's most celebrated son. 4 The city council reckon bringing in a tourist charge could raise £1.7m a year, which could be invested in attractions to make Nottingham less about the night-time economy Credit: Getty Advertisement
