Staycations can be just as satisfying as actual vacations. The UK is plentiful with beautiful locations, perfect for unwinding. Or, if unwinding isn’t your thing and you’re after an adventure, you still won’t be short on places to go. However, just because you’re staying in the UK doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be cheaper than a venture abroad.
That said, we’ve compiled a list of the best tips and tricks on how to save money on your next weekend break.
Book in advance
Yeah, sometimes you can’t go wrong with a bit of spontaneity, but if you book in advance you’re likely to get a much better deal. This can apply to the hotel, train or coach tickets and any attractions you may have booked. Organising a UK weekend break can actually be great fun, plus, it’s sure to get you excited. You can book the hotel one month, your train or coach trip the next before booking any activities you may have planned. By booking early, you’re sure to get better rates and by paying for everything in stages, you won’t see a huge sum of money leave your bank account at once.
Avoid peak times
When booking, try to avoid peak times as peak times bring peak prices. If you’re able to, avoid travel inside of the school holidays and bank holidays as these are periods when it’s popular for everyone to travel hence the heightened prices. Spring, autumn and winter (excluding the festive period) often have much lower prices attached to them with many hotels, theme parks and theatres etc asking for a fraction of their summer prices. It’s also worth doing some research about what’s going on at the destination you’re choosing to travel to, sporting events such as the FA Cup final and London marathon are sure to attract price hikes, as are big concerts.
Book your hotel carefully
As well as the room rate, it’s often a good idea to see which facilities the hotel has in place. Free breakfasts can prove a nice touch as this saves you money on eating out, plus it should keep you full till lunch so you don’t waste money on snacking. Free WiFi will help save your data and you can use this to surf the web for nearby attractions and vouchers for restaurants and bars close by. Free parking is also a must, as city centres are renowned for their expensive parking fees. If your hotel doesn’t provide parking, you may end up spending a small fortune on a car park. If you’re without a car then parking won’t be an issue, however, you should aim to stay rather central as this will be much for convenient and kinder to your bank balance than spending money on taxi fares and train fares. The Dorsett Hotel, City of London is one of many hotels in the perfect location, set in the heart of the capital with an array of galleries, boutiques and timeless markets a stone’s throw away, adjacent to so many tourist must-sees.
