Britain isn’t exactly the cheapest country in Europe. Quite the contrary in fact, it is one of the most expensive countries to live and play in throughout Europe and the world. But there is always a deal to be done, a bargain to be found and trick not to be missed. So let us show you three ways of keeping the costs of your next UK trip to a minimum and help you find a bargain.
Accommodation
Your accommodation throughout your stay in the UK tends to eat away the largest chunk of your holiday budget, particularly if you stay in the UK’s capital or another large city. However, if you look just outside the city limits and stray a little from the main hubs of communication, shopping, entertainment and industry, there are plenty of bargains to be found.
The UK is famous for its B&B accommodation. There are few other places like the humble, family-run B&B anywhere else in the world. However, another option is to camp. We don’t mean in a tent; oh no, we are talking about staying in a fixed caravan on a holiday campsite. You’ll get your own holiday home – and these days they come with all the mod cons and cosy facilities you could want from holiday accommodation – and you won’t have to pay a fortune for it. Park Resorts has a range of
holiday homes available for seven night stays in 2012 from just £109, per home. You might even get a sea-view property, but even if you don’t the beach is usually just a 5-15 minute walk away.
Sightseeing
Rather than hop on an expensive sightseeing bus, take yourself on your own sight, monument and attraction tour. You can either hop on a regular city bus – London has hundreds of bus routes and there are several that take you through the heart of the city past all of the capital’s main landmarks – or hire a bike, with many of the larger cities now offering free or cheap cycle share schemes. Or, of course, you can walk. There is a plethora of apps available to download to your mobile device that offer unique sightseeing tours around the UK’s most popular cities.
Eating
Many tourists, particularly those staying in hotels in the heart of cities like London, Manchester and Edinburgh, tend to eat out every night. Nobody does this in ‘real life’ so it’s no surprise it comes as an expensive shock trying to pay for it all on holiday. If you do have to eat out, keep it to just one meal per day. Supermarkets, of which the UK has thousands, now have salad bars, bakeries and sell packaged sandwiches, but if you really want to keep costs down, make your own lunch in your holiday home or hotel. If and when you do eat out, book your table online through a site such as
Top Table, where you’ll find a whole range of discounts at thousands of British restaurants.
