WE all love to be beside the seaside – and Butlin’s has been a go-to for my family’s bucket-and-spade staycays for as long as I can remember.
Even though the holiday park already offers fantastic deals for families, with packages that start from £43 for four days, return visitors to Butlin’s know that you can save even more money with insider tips and tricks.
Butlin’s is always a hit with kids, but it’s better for parents when you can nab a great discount[/caption]
Catherine Lofthouse, pictured with her three children, at Butlin’s in Bognor Regis[/caption]
The dining plans at Butlin’s can help families save a lot of money[/caption]
For families on a budget, it pays to know the ways to save, as prices can shoot up in the school holidays.
As a budget-conscious mum and cheap holiday expert, I’ve tried all the tricks of the trade over the years to get the most bang for my buck.
Here are 15 ways to bag a bargain Butlin’s break…
1. Make the most of inset days and out-of-sync school holidays
October half-term can be a great time to look for a cheap break as the UK school holidays tend to be staggered over three weeks.
This means sometimes your kids can be off while everyone else is back in the classroom.
One year, our county was the only one off at the very end of October, which meant the Butlin’s Mid-Week Term Time prices were being offered.
We ended up paying £150, which was half what we would have paid if we had booked the week before.
You can see the price differences by going to butlins.com and selecting ‘all-breaks’.
By doing this, you can also compare the prices at the three Butlin’s resorts: Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minehead.
2. Blue Light Card and other discount schemes
I’ve saved hundreds over the years using our Blue Light Card to book breaks away.
It usually takes about £30 off each Butlin’s holiday, which can soon add up if you’re visiting once or twice a year.
This card, which costs £5 for two years, is designed for people who work in the public sector, including education, emergency services and the military.
Once you’re logged in on the Blue Light Card website, you click through to the Butlin’s page, and it gives you a code that you can use to access the Butlin’s Privilege Club.
This is where you’ll find the reduced prices.
If you’re not eligible for a Blue Light Card, there are loads of other schemes that cover carers, public sector workers and other employers that are also signed up to the Butlin’s Privilege Club.
It’s worth checking whether you can access a rewards scheme to help you save a bit of cash on your holidays.
3. All-inclusive and dining packages
If your idea of a great holiday involves tucking into an all-you-can-eat buffet and grabbing a cheeky cocktail whenever you fancy it, Butlin’s range of drink and dining packages could end up saving you a stash of cash.
The dining plans at Butlin’s include eating breakfast and dinner at the food court for £15 a day for children aged 6-14 and £25 per adult.
If you want more flexibility, the DineAround option allows you to choose which restaurant you’ll eat at and whether you’ll eat lunch or dinner under the plan.
That costs £21.45 for juniors aged 6-14 and £35.95 for adults.
We tried out the all-inclusive offer at Easter, and it was a total game-changer for my family of five.
Even if you’re only having three or four drinks a day, the prices quickly add up if you’re paying at the bar.
The all-inclusive wristband, which starts at £25.95 per adult per day, can prove excellent value for money.
You don’t have to drink that much to get your money’s worth.
If you enjoy a coffee or two during the day and then soft drinks and alcohol while watching the shows, you will easily reach £25 in no time.
4. Cashback schemes
Sign up to a cashback site like Quidco or Topcashback to see if you can get a percentage of your break back if you book using the link or code provided.
These sites work on business partnerships between the companies, and your purchase is tracked through an affiliate link. They get paid a fee for recommending you, and some of the money they get is passed back to you.
Sometimes you’ll also find there’s a flash sale in certain categories, like holidays, which can earn you a bonus of £10 or £20 if you opt in.
Just be aware that it can take a bit of time for cashback to come through, and there’s also a risk that your cashback could be declined, so I usually prioritise an actual discount at the point of payment over the possibility of cashback at some future date.
Catherine and her family enjoy the new PlayXperience at Butlin’s Bognor Regis[/caption]
Bognor Regis has extra activities on site to keep everyone entertained and you might be able to get a deal by booking in advance[/caption]
5. Last-minute deals
I love a last-minute deal and have been known to leave it until the night before to book our break, which saves a hefty amount on the original price.
As an example, if I book to go to Bognor next week, a comfort room for four people will cost £500, compared to £800 for the same week next year.
And for a cheeky midweek getaway, it is really satisfying knowing that you’ve only paid £50 or £60.
Especially when you see the advertised prices for the same week the following year are often five or six times as much.
You do need to keep your eyes peeled though, and have an idea of when to book, as if you leave it too late, someone else could grab that bargain break before you do.
As soon as you see a price that’s right for you, it’s best to lock it in so you don’t miss out.
You can then use the price promise to make sure you haven’t paid over the odds for your stay.
6. Be aware of the price promise
Some Butlin’s breaks come with a lowest price guarantee.
This means that if you see the same holiday offered for sale at a lower price at any time before you arrive at the resort, you will be eligible for a refund of the price difference or a reduction in cost to meet the new price.
This summer, I’ve heard of some huge refunds being made to guests who booked in advance and re-checked how much their holiday would cost closer to the time, so it’s always worth checking.
One mum on social media even said she’d received more than £400 back after the cost of her stay dropped significantly before she arrived.
The refund or reduction is subject to the break being for the same resort, dates, duration, accommodation, number of guests and any dining or add-ons you have included.
So, cross check all the elements before you apply.
7. Team up with family or friends
If you’re a single parent with one child, it might be worth your while to share a chalet with friends or family and split the cost of accommodation.
For example, if one adult and child wanted to visit Minehead over October half term, you could get a two-bedroom place for £126, so the adult could have a double bed and the child could use the twin room.
But for £164, you could get three-bedroom accommodation that sleeps five.
So as long as the children are happy to share, both adults could have their own room and split the accommodation cost, so it would only be £82 per family unit.
8. Going direct vs private ownership
At both Skegness and Minehead, there are private caravans on site that you can hire directly from the owners.
This can save you money, but it can also be a bit of a risky business, especially if you don’t know the person you’re renting from.
Some people have handed over hundreds, only to find that they’ve fallen for a scam when they turn up on holiday.
Lots of guests do prefer private caravans, though and end up booking with the same owners year after year.
It pays to ask for recommendations from family and friends if you’re considering this route.
Another downside of not booking direct with Butlin’s is that you can’t pre-book activities or shows before your break, so you could be left standing in long queues if the park is busy during your holiday.
In peak times, you might miss out on some activities if they get booked up in advance.
It’s worth comparing prices with other holiday parks nearby[/caption]
Taking advantage of the pre-booked drinks package can save you a lot of money = especially if you plan on drinking alcohol[/caption]
9. Stay elsewhere and go to Butlin’s for the day
Another option might be to visit Butlin’s for the day, particularly if you live within easy travelling distance or have already booked accommodation nearby.
During term time, you can pay as little as £1 for children to get on-site.
If you’ve got an inset day or your little ones aren’t school age yet, this is a really cost-effective way to enjoy the pool, fairground and playground as well as shows in the Skyline.
Some of the entertainment venues aren’t available to day guests, though, and you might not be able to park on the resort, so you may need to factor that into your plans.
10. Self-catering vs room only
It’s unusual now to visit a UK holiday park and not have cooking facilities, but back in the day at Butlin’s, all the chalets were room-only and everyone ate in the dining halls.
This means, you do need to be careful what accommodation you book for Butlin’s, as some of the rooms still come without kitchen facilities.
This is also true in the Butlin’s hotels.
It can be a saving to book room-only, midweek at Minehead in October half term.
A standard room for four costs £113, whereas an apartment with a kitchen and a lounge costs £152.
But eating out or adding on a dining plan does pile the pounds onto your budget break, so plan your dinner and drink strategy in advance.
I like to take my trusty £10 health grill to rustle up basic warm meals like bacon baps or hot dogs.
A plug-in cool box can keep milk chilled for breakfast cereal or cheese and sliced meat for sandwich fillings.
Then you need to splash out on takeaways or a sit-down meal once or twice during your break to keep food costs low.
You can sometimes find deals like kids eat for £1 with a paying adult at Butlin’s restaurants, so it’s worth checking out what deals there are on site and where else you can eat nearby.
11. Join the Premier Club
If you’re a big Butlin’s fan and visit three or more times over a three-year period, you become eligible for its own rewards scheme, known as the Premier Club.
There are different levels to this, depending on how often you’ve stayed, but all members of the loyalty scheme get a five per cent discount on their next break and early check-in.
Silver and gold members even receive a voucher worth between £10 and £50 to spend on site.
And there’s even a bottle of bubbly for its top members.
12. Cost-compare the different sites
With three locations on different coasts, it’s worth looking at all of the resorts if you’re after a particular week and aren’t fussed where you go.
There can be a massive price difference between the sites for the same week and level of accommodation.
Looking for a four-night break over October half term, a comfort room for a family of four would cost £126 at Minehead, £205 at Skegness or a whopping £385 at Bognor Regis.
While we love the fairground, pool and Playxperience at Bognor, I’m not sure I’d pay three times as much to stay there when I could go to Minehead instead.
Butlin’s recently spent £2.5m installing its iconic Skypark at Minehead, with tall twisting towers and interactive play equipment that children love.
I also love the golden sands of the beach at Minehead, compared to the shingle at Bognor.
It’s also worth looking at the shows and entertainment. If there is something on that you know the family will love, such as the Gladiators Show, it might be worth paying extra so you can experience it.
13. Early rebooking
There are holiday shops on resort at Butlin’s that sometimes offer extra discounts, so it’s worth looking at getting your next stay booked while you’re still on your holiday.
You can also get money off if you re-book online within 30 days of your last break.
It’s a great way to beat the post-holiday blues if you’ve already got your next break in the bag.
Re-booking within a month of the last day of your break means you’ll get 10 per cent off on school holiday stays and five per cent off the rest of the time.
This could be a good deal for you if you like to book in advance, especially if you remember to activate the price promise if your holiday cost does drop closer to your dates.
There is no doubt that Butlin’s is excellent value for families[/caption]
You can visit Butlin’s for the day and use the facilities, including the brilliant pool at Butlin’s Bognor Regis[/caption]
14. Spread the cost of Butlin’s breaks
One great way to keep your holiday spend under control is to book in advance, pay a deposit and then set up a payment plan to spread the costs over multiple months.
This can work particularly well if you are also interested in add-ons, such as dining and drinks packages, the all-action pass for activities like go-karts, pool and bowling or tokens to pay for the Playxperience, archery or aerial adventure at Bognor.
Instead of paying a large sum in one go, you can split the cost into smaller amounts and then finish paying for your break ten weeks before you arrive.
This gives you a bit of time to build up a holiday fund for souvenirs, days out off-site and transport costs like petrol.
For example, if I were to take my family of five for a midweek all-inclusive stay at Minehead next July, I could pay a deposit of £25 now and then make payments of £95 over nine months, so I would have paid for accommodation, food, drink and activities well before we arrive.
Then all I need to cover is petrol, lunch and snacks for the time we are away.
If you’ve already cleared your bill for accommodation, food and drink and activities before you get there, it will make for a far more relaxing break, instead of counting the pennies once you get home and opening the credit card bill.
15. Consider Butlin’s alternatives
If you really can’t get a Butlin’s break at a price you are happy with, it’s definitely worth taking a look at some of the alternatives out there and seeing what’s on offer.
We’ve just got back from a stay at Haven Hafan y Mor in North Wales, which used to be a Butlin’s site and still has the same pool from back then.
The flumes, lazy river and wave pool were just as brilliant as I remember from back in the day, and I was wowed by the new adventure park next to the lake, with activities like high ropes, inflatables and mini 4x4s.
There are also lots of eating options for all appetites, including a Chopstix, Burger King, Papa John’s and Millie’s Cookies.
It’s even got some refurbished chalets alongside more modern caravans.
A mid-week break in a four-bed chalet in the next summer holidays is costing us £285 for up to eight people, compared with £344 for an apartment for six at Minehead on the same week, or £431 at Skegness.