THE school holidays may be over, but you can still ward off those post-summer blues with a hassle-free staycation – while barely spending a penny.
There’s no shortage of beautiful hotspots across the UK offering free events to keep the kids happy, stunning beaches to lap up any lingering warm weather and delicious £1.50 meals that are, quite literally, as cheap as chips.
Kent has some of the best beach towns in the UK, from Whitstable (pictured) with its trendy vibe and local seafood to tourist favourite, Margate[/caption]
The Jurassic coastline around the Lulworth and Durdle Door is a top spot to find fossils and keepsakes to take home as souvenirs[/caption]
Punting in Cambridge is a must for first-timers to the city, which has so much to do you’ll find yourself planning a trip back[/caption]
Cambridge is very photogenic, and you could spend all day just wandering around and taking it all in[/caption]
Many of us don’t want the extra stress of airports, jet lag and luggage, so would rather stay here in the UK for a laid-back staycation or day trip.
There are so many stunning places to visit, a few hours from home, that you can get a real feel of them even in one day, and when the weather is good, it can feel like you’re abroad.
Some places, such as beauty spots like the Cotswolds, are fantastic to visit because you don’t have to do anything specific or book key attractions to experience them. This means saving money and having a great time as a family.
From beauty spots to cool cities, here are the best day trip destinations to experience before the summer.
Cambridge
This historic city is one of the most popular day trips in the UK.
Popular with visitors to London, it’s a very easy train journey from the capital, taking only one hour.
It’s also a simple drive from other cities like Birmingham, Leicester and Peterborough.
Once you’ve arrived, Cambridge is easily walkable.
Or, you can rent a bike and take on the city like one of the 25,000 university students who study at the city’s world-famous college.
Cambridge is beautiful, with leafy, cobbled streets that are lined with shops and cafes, lots of parks and green space and, of course, a network of canals.
The best way to see Cambridge is from the water.
You can step onto the quaint, wooden boats and take an hour-long punting tour, but it’s not cheap at around £35-40 for a family of four.
If you’d rather not pay out for a tour, let the kids run wild on Midsummer Common.
This area is popular with families, with spaces for games, summer events like children’s workshops, live music and the famous Midsummer Fair.
From here, you can also follow riverside walking trails to experience the canals free of charge.
Kids will love the way cows just wander around freely and graze on grassy areas.
Bring your cozzie, because if it’s a nice day, you can take a dip in the Jesus Green Lido, one of the longest outdoor pools in the country.
The pool is open from 7am to 7pm every day and costs £7.50 for adults and £3.50 for kids.
Cambridge can be an expensive day out, but people are always surprised at how easily you can visit on a budget.
The Fitzwilliam Museum and the Zoological Museum, which is great for kids – are all free to enter.
Kettle’s Yard offers free “family afternoons” with creative workshops and trails designed for children.
If you’re feeling fit, climb the Castle Mound.
Free to enter, and once you get to the top, it has a fantastic view of Cambridge’s skyline.
This summer, kids eat free in a huge range of places, including Brewdog Pubs and Bills Restaurants, but book a table for tea to make sure you can get in.
How much will you spend in Cambridge?
Parking: City Centre £30 for the day, £15 at park-and-ride
Train fare: £11 in advance, £28 on the day
Cup of tea: £3.50 and a slice of cake, £8
Lunch: Street food at Cambridge foodPark, £10 per person
Glass of wine: £6, and a pint of beer: £5.50
Ice Cream: £4
Bike rental: £25 per day, per bike
Free activity: Climbing Castle Mound
Dinner: £30 per adult with a glass of wine. Kids eat free* (*at Bills).
Durham
Durham Cathedral (pictured) is on the river and can be seen for miles[/caption]
Durham, in the North of England, is a great city for a day trip.
As well as being very affordable, there is a lot to do in the city centre for families, and everything is in a compact, walkable area.
Start early, with a walk along the riverbank, which is lined with trees and has great views of the city peeking out behind them.
It’s very safe. You will pass walkers, joggers, cyclists and skateboarders all taking advantage of the picturesque waterside path.
Durham Castle, along with neighbouring Durham Cathedral, is a great place to stop for tea and a slice of cake and explore the history of the city, which is more than 1000 years old.
The castle is £7.50 for adults, and kids go free.
As well as ancient armour from knights and Norman soldiers, the grounds are beautiful and there are often free activities for families, such as craft workshops, demonstrations and dressing up sessions.
With wannabe princes and princesses in tow, there is actually a choice of castles to visit in Durham, including Raby Castle and Barnard Castle.
If you want to give little legs a rest, you can also take a seat and view the ancient buildings from the water itself.
Those with a car should venture just outside the city and enjoy Durham’s spectacular countryside and the striking High Force Waterfall.
This fierce waterfall has a 21-metre drop that carves through a gorge and is rumoured to have been there for 300 million years!
You can impress your kids with the knowledge that dinosaurs enjoyed the view here, too, at some point.
It’s easy to reach the waterfall with a short hike, but it isn’t buggy-friendly. Park at the High Force Hotel (pay and display) and go from there.
If you want to stay in the city, Wharton Park is a top spot for kids to burn off some energy.
There is a huge adventure playground, splash pad and lots of green space to explore or stop for a picnic.
There is also a bar, conveniently, next to the playground.
For dinner, The Food Pit is something of an institution.
Their huge kebab wraps are only £6 and can easily be shared, or they do kids’ meals for £5
How much will you spend in Durham?
Parking: £2.50 all day using the Park and Ride
Train fare: Starting from £19 from Manchester and £43 from London
Cup of tea, £1 and a slice of cake, £2.30
Lunch: Kebab Wrap at The Food Pit £6.99
Glass of wine, £4 and a pint of beer, £3.85:
Ice Cream: £2
Playground at Wharton Park: Free:
River cruise: £5 per person
Dinner: Burger and a pint £12.50 at the Sticky Wicket
Bath
Royal Crescent in Bath is another top Bridgerton location with its iconic curved row of Georgian houses overlooking Royal Victoria Park[/caption]
Bath is one of the UK’s most beautiful and historic cities.
The ancient city centre has remained unchanged for centuries and is the only UNESCO site in the country.
Bath is only 11 square miles in size, so ideal for a day trip where you can really feel like you have experienced the whole place.
As well as so much to see and do just wandering around the city itself, Bath has a wide range of free attractions and activities that make it possible to explore the city on a budget.
Start at the Royal Crescent, which is another top Bridgerton location with its iconic curved row of Georgian houses overlooking Royal Victoria Park.
This world-famous spot is completely free to visit and provides excellent selfie opportunities, and if you’re lucky, you might spot a traditional horse and cart passing by.
These tours themselves are overpriced and not worth the money, but they look great trotting along the cobbles.
Close by is Royal Victoria Park, a beautiful park that was opened by Queen Victoria in 1830.
A top spot for picnics and finding a bit of shade in the sun, the park has a stunning botanical garden and a large children’s play area.
If you’re with kids who want to stretch their legs, you could also head off for an adventure along the Kennet and Avon Canal.
The canal path, which you can also do on a bike or a scooter, weaves through scenic countryside, little villages and past hundreds of colourful narrowboats.
If you have any pennies left after the long school holiday, pop into the My Small World Toy Shop, which is a local institution and has beautiful toys from independent sellers and makers.
There are some high-ticket items to look at, but you can pick up unique souvenirs like paper dolls, puzzles and trinkets for less than £10 as a keepsake.
People are often surprised to discover that Bath is also very musical, with live and free music events taking place all year round, but especially in the summer.
Soak up the sunshine and live music at Green Park Brasserie, which has a calendar of performers booked all year, a large terrace for kids to play and a cheeky cocktail for the grown-ups.
How much will you spend in Bath?
Parking: Free with Bath Park and Ride
Train fare: £40 from London
Cup of tea £3.30, and a slice of cake, £2.80
Lunch: Burger from Schwartz Brothers, £10
Glass of wine, £8 and a pint of beer, £4.90:
Ice Cream: £4.95
Wooky Hall Caves attraction: £21.50 (adult) £16.99 (kids)
Free activity: Explore the Royal Crescent and Royal Victoria Park
Dinner: Pizza at Dough doughpizzarestaurant.co.uk from £10
Margate, Kent
The Kent coast is often called the English Riviera, and Margate is perfect for a family day out[/caption]
Kent has one of the most beautiful and diverse coastlines in the UK.
There are hidden coves, shingle beaches, nature reserves and golden sands and everywhere you go has a different, unique personality.
Whether you are visiting for a family day trip or heading there as a couple or adult group, you really are spoilt for choice.
Families should head to Margate. This classic beach destination has everything you need for a jolly day out at the British seaside.
The wide, sandy beach is an excellent place to start.
Throw down a towel and stay all day, paddling in the sea or even swimming in the natural lido that is carved into the sea with a wall to make it safe for kids and less-strong swimmers.
In the summer, there is a small, classic fairground on the sand with rides and games starting from £5.
Just back from the beach is Pete’s Fish Factory, a famous fish and chip shop that always has a queue, but you can get a cone of chips for £1.50 and scoff them on the sea wall – however, beware of the hungry seagulls.
The Turner Contemporary takes pride of place on the seafront and is a very cool gallery and museum that is free of charge to enter.
In the school holidays, there are extra events and craft and art workshops for kids that are well worth checking out, although some are priced separately.
The other iconic attraction in Margate is Dreamland, a classic theme park that has rides for all ages. These are priced individually and start from £3, or you can buy a day wristband for £12.99 for kids and £24.99 for adults.
A cheap tip for dinner is to pick up a pizza from Palm Pizza in the town centre. For £24, you can get a massive pizza that easily feeds the whole family.
Take it to eat on the beach at sunset.
How much will you spend in Margate?
Parking: Free at places like the Lifeguard Station and Wintergardens Theatre
Train fare: From £12
Cup of tea, £2.80, and a slice of cake: £3.50
Lunch: Chips from Peter’s Fish Factory, £2
Glass of wine, £5, and a pint of beer, £6
Ice Cream: £3
Admission to Crab Museum: Free
Turner Contemporary: Free to enter but some exhibitions are priced separately
Dinner: Pizza at Palms Pizza, £13 for the whole family to share
Jurassic Coast, Dorset
The Jurassic Coast in Dorset is a low-cost way to spend the day as a family in the school holidays[/caption]
If there was ever a day trip that felt like a holiday, then a trip to Dorset can’t be beaten.
With kids in tow, head to Charmouth and Lyme Regis beach towns, which have a true British holiday feel and so much to do.
Even better, the main attractions here are totally free.
Start with fossil-hunting on Charmouth Beach.
Just a bit further down from Lyme Regis, this beach is less crowded and one of the best places in the UK to search for fossils.
Pack lunch and snacks, and the kids will be occupied for hours searching for shells, fossils, ammonites, belemnites and dinosaur bones – you never know, they might make a groundbreaking discovery.
Lyme Regis is a classic seaside town with arcades, fish and chip shops and a small fairground.
Walk through the charming little streets under the zigzag bunting and stop for a homemade cake or a massive ice cream from Baboo Gelato on the Marine Parade.
This local beach hut serves 10 flavours, which are all good, but the vegan-friendly Sicilian Blood Orange Sorbet is a winner on a hot day.
Pop into the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, which is next to the main beach.
It’s free to enter and kids – and adults – can learn more about fossils and earth history with interactive exhibits.
Lyme Regis Museum is also free for under‑16s and has a lot packed into this old shipping house that overlooks Lyme bay.
Swot up on local history, see cool fossil displays and find out more about Mary Anning, Dorset’s famous palaeontologist and one of the original fossil hunters.
Dinner has to be at The Whole Hog, a laid-back street vendor that serves huge, meat-filled rolls from £5.
The doughnuts are also raved about by locals, so maybe get a few extra for the ride home.
How much will you spend in Dorset?
Parking: From £3.80 per day, free on the coastal road
Train fare: From £11.95 (from London) when booked in advance
Cup of tea, £2.50, and a slice of cake, £3.50
Lunch: Fish and Chips at Billy Winter’s Cafe £14
Glass of wine, £5, and a pint of beer, £4.40:
Ice Cream: £2.50
Hunt for fossils on the beach: Free
Rent a kayak on the harbour for £15 per hour
Dinner: Mini Fish and Chips at Bennett’s Chip Shop on the harbour £8
The Cotswolds
You can find plenty of cute little villages in the Cotswolds, pictured above Bourton-on-the-Water[/caption]
Nothing says English countryside like the Cotswolds.
Rolling green hills, quaint little villages and cute cottages that look straight out of a Kate Winslet film.
The Cotswolds, which is less than two hours by train, spans six English counties: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Somerset.
This makes it easy to reach from other parts of the country, too.
The real appeal of the Cotswolds is the great outdoors.
There are walking trails, rivers and streams, working farmyards, wildlife, friendly villages and heritage attractions like Blenheim Palace.
Blenheim Palace might be more for the grown-ups, and fans of the TV series Bridgerton, which films scenes there, but kids will love the miniature railway outside.
The grounds are also ideal for a picnic and a run around before the journey home.
There is a huge adventure playground that is always a hit with the under-15s.
The Cattle Country Farm Park is a top spot for families, too. As well as Alpacas, Miniature Shetland Ponies, Donkeys, Deer and Pigs, you can also feed the goats at special feeding times.
Whether it’s hot or cold, the unspoken rule of the Cotswolds is that you have to try the creamy and delicious local Winstones ice cream.
These rich and indulgent cones are wasted on the kids, so make sure the grown-ups get a scoop too.
Finish the day as a choice of cosy country pubs, such as The Bull in Charlbury, and fuel up on a hearty, home-cooked meal before you leave.
The quiet, countryside life, fresh air and friendly locals make a day trip here feel like a weekend away
The only downside is that you’ll want to stay longer.
How much will you spend in The Cotwolds?
Parking: From £4.70 per day
Train fare: National Rail One Day Discoverer, £15, from London
Cup of tea, £3, and a slice of cake, £4.20
Lunch: Ploughman’s sandwich and chips £6
Glass of wine, £7, and a pint of beer, £4.70:
Ice Cream: £3
Visit Blenheim Palace: £31 day pass but can be used for a year, £15 for children, £85 Family Ticket
Walking and hiking trails: Free
Dinner: Kids eat for £1 at Lionhearth Group pubs like The Black Horse. Mains from £18 per adult.