12 great deals on family days out

Saving and Making Money

20 August 2011 | 4 Comments

We highlight the deals that should keep the whole family happy this summer.

If you’re a parent, it may already feel like the school holidays have been going on forever. By mid-August, budgets are stretched and many Brits are running out of ideas to keep their sprogs amused.

However, a fun, family day out needn’t cost an arm and a leg. Here are 12 of the best money-off deals around.

Theme park offers

Family days out at theme parks can end up being really expensive. However, there are currently some excellent reductions on offer, so there’s really no need for anyone to pay full-price.

Here’s my round-up of the best ones:

EuroDisney: You can currently pick up a free adult ticket to Disneyland Paris when you buy a P&O, Dover to Calais ‘crossing with car’ ferry ticket. You’ll need to book by 29th September, and can travel up until 31st March 2012.

Just be aware that you can only get one free ticket per car. You can book - and read all the terms and conditions - on this page of the P&O website.

Alton Towers: You can now grab 2 for 1 adult tickets to Alton Towers when you buy promotional packs of Fox’s biscuits.

Look for the offer on the wrapping. It ends on 6th November, or when all the promotional packs have been sold.

Various 2 for 1 deals with Welcome Break: If you spend £4 at Welcome Break motorway services (in either Eat In, Fuel Shops, WHSmith or Waitrose) you’ll be given two 2 for 1 theme park adult ticket vouchers.

These can then be used at various big theme parks, including Chessington, Legoland and Sea Life Centres.

Make sure you read the vouchers carefully, as the closing dates vary depending on the location, and certain dates are excluded.

You’ll find more theme park deals under the ‘take the train’ heading below. And to find out more about cutting the cost of theme parks, read this lovemoney.com article.

Free swimming

As part of the NHS’ Change 4 Life initiative, children under 16 can swim for free this summer at 140 UK pools.

Just print off this voucher and take it along to one of the participating centres before 31st August. Remember to check with the venue first, as swimming hours for the offer vary.

Animal magic

If your kids are mad about animals, take advantage of the deals currently on offer at Tesco. Buy any two Goodness for Kids products at the supermarket, and get a free ticket for a child (under 15) for one of over 50 UK wildlife parks, centres and zoos.

A full list of the attractions - with details of how to claim your free ticket - can be found here.

Free entry with the National Trust

Move fast and you’ll get two kids in for free at over 200 National Trust properties and gardens. The offer runs until 26th August, and can be accessed using this voucher.

Free tickets to West End shows

The Kids Week initiative runs from now until 4th September. To encourage children to visit the theatre, it’s offering free tickets to children under 16, to see over 30 London shows.

These include plays, musicals, dance and comedy: The full list of participating shows can be found right here. And you can find details of how to book on this page of the website.

Be aware that only certain performance times are included in the deal - and demand for the free tickets is high - so it’s worth being as flexible as possible. You get one free kid's ticket for each paying adult.

2 for 1 deals when you take the train

If you’re planning a family day out by train, check out the deals available on rail companies’ websites. At the moment, many are running excellent 2 for 1 offers on attractions, alongside cheap train tickets.

Here are some of my favourites:

  • Southeastern is offering 2 for 1 tickets for lots of attractions in London, including London Dungeon, ZSL London Zoo, Madame Tussauds and the London Aquarium.
  • East Coast are doing a set of very similar London deals right here.
  • First Great Western have 2 for 1 tickets to attractions in Bath and Bristol, including the Thermae Bath Spa, Bristol ice rink, Bristol Zoo Gardens and Wookey Hole Caves.

Bargain meals out

Finally, a couple of great value deals to keep the whole family fed and watered.

Beefeater Grill is currently offering to feed a family of four for £19.99. For that price you’ll get two adults’ mains and desserts, and two kids’ mains and desserts (aged ten or under).

Here’s the voucher, which outlines the dishes to choose from. It’s valid Monday to Friday, from 12 noon until 6.30pm, until 31st August.

And if you’re planning to take the family out to eat more than once, check out the Tastecard scheme. A Tastecard will get you 50% off - or 2 for 1 on main courses - at over 5,000 restaurants all over the UK.

Affiliated restaurants include big chains like Pizza Express, ASK, Zizzi, Prezzo, Café Rouge and La Tasca - as well as loads of independent eateries.

And at the moment you can sign up for a 30-day free trial right here.

More: Gadgets that save you money | Moneysaving websites you’ve never heard of

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