Smart Ways to Save Money on UK Days Out
Days out add up fast. A train here, a coffee there, a couple of entry tickets, and suddenly, a simple family trip has cost a small fortune. The good news is that a few habits and a couple of apps can knock a big chunk off what you spend, and you don’t have to give up the fun bits to do it. Stick around until the end, and we’ll walk you through the tools and tricks to make your money stretch further.
Apps and Cards That Pay for Themselves
The first thing you should do is sort out a railcard. If you travel by train more than a handful of times a year, a railcard gives you a third off most fares, and a Family & Friends Railcard can save a fortune on children’s tickets. They cost around £35 a year, so it usually pays for itself in two or three trips.
It’s also worth keeping a few loyalty and discount cards on your phone. Tesco Clubcard vouchers can be swapped for days out and attraction tickets, including entry to Merlin attractions like Alton Towers and LEGOLAND, at double their face value. Blue Light Card and other membership schemes throw in regular discounts too, so check what you’re already entitled to before you book anything.
Beyond cards, a handful of apps do the heavy lifting. Too Good To Go sells cheap surplus food from cafes and bakeries, which is handy when you’re out and hungry. Days-out apps and attraction newsletters often drop codes and 2-for-1 offers, so it pays to sign up before you head off.
Cheaper Train Travel Without the Faff
Rail fares are one of the biggest costs for UK day-trippers, so this is where the real savings live. Booking in advance is the simplest place to start, since advance tickets go on sale up to 12 weeks before travel and tend to be the cheapest fares around. Travelling off-peak helps too. On weekdays, off-peak fares generally kick in from 09:30 and apply outside the morning and evening rush hours, plus all day at weekends. Prices drop and the trains are quieter.
One trick a lot of people still don’t know about is split ticketing. You buy separate tickets for different legs of the same journey while staying on the same train, and it can shave a surprising amount off the total. There are several clever ways to save money on UK train tickets, and split ticketing is one of the easiest to set up because a booking site works out the cheapest combination for you. A few quick habits make a difference here:
- Book advance singles instead of a return and compare the two prices
- Travel as a group of three or more to use GroupSave discounts
- Set ticket alerts so you catch sales like the Great British Rail Sale
Free Days Out Hiding in Plain Sight
Plenty of the best days out cost nothing at all. Most national museums in the UK have free general entry, including the big ones in London, plus places like the National Railway Museum in York. Local museums and galleries often run free entry days or family activity sessions during the school holidays, so it’s worth a quick check of their websites.
The outdoors is your cheapest friend. National Trust and English Heritage memberships pay off if you visit a few times a year, but parks, beaches, woodland trails and city walking tours cost nothing beyond getting there. Pack a picnic instead of eating out and you’ll save the most money of all, since cafe lunches for a family can easily top £40.
Being thrifty doesn’t mean missing out. It just means spending where it counts, on the ice cream and the boat ride, instead of on the bits nobody remembers anyway.
Saving on days out comes down to a few simple habits: book train tickets early, lean on railcards and loyalty points, hunt out the free attractions, and bring your own food. None of it takes much effort once it becomes routine, and the money you keep back can go straight into the next adventure. Start with one or two changes on your next trip and build from there.
This is a collaborative post.
